A 2-D Inductive Power Transfer Network for Powering Massive Neighboring IoT Devices

Due to the wide distribution of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, reliable and convenient power solutions for these devices have been a continuous pursuit recently. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2-D) inductive power transfer (IPT) design based on multiple coupled resonators is proposed for powering IoT devices in a reconfigurable neighboring scenario. There are two types of cells in this system: constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) cells. These two types of cells are alternately arranged. In this IPT system, the coupling electromagnetic field is mostly constrained in a small region, so that the radiation leakage to the free space can be relieved without introducing extra complex control. The wireless power makes the whole system convenient and reconfigurable according to the user’s requirements. The circuit model is mathematically formulated. A nine-cell prototype is implemented and tested. Experimental results approve the CC or CV properties in each cell. The power conversion efficiency of the whole system reaches 75%.