Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Characteristics of Magnetic Coupler for Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging System

The operating temperature of the magnetic coupler in wireless power transfer (WPT) systems for electric vehicles (EVs) determines the system reliability and service life. This paper studies the modeling and analysis of temperature characteristics of a general magnetic coupler. Firstly, a thermal circuit model is established to show the heat transfer of the magnetic coupler in the air. Secondly, the heating mechanism of the coil, core and aluminum (Al) shield plate is studied. The thermal power of each component is calculated, and the temperature distribution is qualitatively given based on the proposed thermal circuit model. Then, the temperature distribution of each component is simulated, and the results are consistent with the theoretical analysis. Finally, a 6.6 kW WPT prototype is set up, and the temperature of each component is measured after 30 minutes of operation. The temperature of the coil, 34.6 °C, is the highest among that of the coil, core, Al plate and coil base. The agreement between experimental results and the theoretical simulation results shows that the thermal field simulation can accurately predict the temperature of the magnetic coupler by reasonably setting the thermal power addition method.