Method and apparatus for power transfer through high permeability materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9929597-B2
Application number	US-201314767840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A magnetic saturation apparatus for a wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system which comprises a magnetic field transmitter positioned on a first side of a barrier and a magnetic field receiver positioned on a second side of the barrier. The magnetic saturation apparatus includes a saturation magnet which is positioned on one side of the barrier and which in use generates a saturation flux in an adjacent saturation region of the barrier which is located at least partially between the transmitter and the receiver. The saturation flux effectively lowers the magnetic permeability of the saturation region and thereby inhibits the magnetic flux generated by the transmitter from shorting through the barrier and back into the transmitter. Thus, the saturation region facilitates the flow of magnetic flux from the transmitter into the receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In a wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system comprising a magnetic field transmitter which is positioned on a first side of a barrier and a magnetic field receiver which is positioned on a second side of the barrier opposite the first side, the transmitter comprising two transmitter poles and the receiver comprising two receiver poles which are each positioned opposite a corresponding transmitter pole, the transmitter generating a magnetic flux which is intended to be coupled across the barrier and into the receiver, the improvement comprising a magnetic saturation apparatus which includes:
at least a first saturation magnet which is positioned on one of the first and second sides of the barrier, the first saturation magnet comprising at least a first portion which is positioned between the two transmitter poles or the two receiver poles;
wherein in use the first saturation magnet generates a saturation flux in an adjacent saturation region of the barrier, the saturation region being located at least partially between the two transmitter poles or the two receiver poles; and
wherein the saturation flux effectively lowers the magnetic permeability of the saturation region and thereby inhibits the magnetic flux generated by the transmitter from shorting through the barrier between the transmitter poles;
whereby the saturation region facilitates the flow of magnetic flux from the transmitter into the receiver.

2. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturation magnet includes a second portion which is positioned around both of the transmitter poles or both of the receiver poles.

3. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturation magnet is positioned around one of the two transmitter poles or one of the two receiver poles.

4. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 3 , further comprising a second saturation magnet which is positioned around the other of the two transmitter poles or the other of the two receiver poles.

5. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a second saturation magnet which is positioned on a side of the barrier opposite the first saturation magnet, wherein the saturation region is located between the first and second saturation magnets.

6. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 5 , wherein
the first saturation magnet includes at least a first portion which is positioned between the transmitter poles and
the second saturation magnet includes at least a first portion which is positioned between the receiver poles.

7. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 6 , wherein
the first saturation magnet includes a second portion which is positioned around both of the transmitter poles and
the second saturation magnet includes a second portion which is positioned around both of the receiver poles.

8. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 5 , wherein
the first saturation magnet is positioned around the first transmitter pole and
the second saturation magnet is positioned around the receiver pole which is located opposite the first transmitter pole.

9. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a third saturation magnet which is positioned around the second transmitter pole; and
a fourth saturation magnet which is positioned around the receiver pole located opposite the second transmitter pole.

10. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturation magnet includes an elongated member which is positioned between the two transmitter poles or the two receiver poles.

11. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 10 , wherein the barrier comprises a tubular member and the first saturation magnet is configured to conform to the shape of the tubular member.

12. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 11 , wherein the first saturation magnet comprises a diameter which corresponds to a diameter of the tubular member.

13. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 10 , wherein the first saturation magnet comprises first and second longitudinally extending saturation poles and the saturation flux flows from the first saturation pole, through the barrier and into the second saturation pole.

14. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturation magnet includes:
a generally circular first ring portion;
a generally straight first rail portion which bisects the first ring portion; and
two generally semi-circular first apertures which are defined by the first ring and first rail portions;
wherein each transmitter pole is positioned in a corresponding first aperture.

15. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the saturation apparatus further comprises a second saturation magnet which is positioned on a side of the barrier opposite the first saturation magnet, the second saturation magnet including:
a generally circular second ring portion;
a generally straight second rail portion which bisects the second ring portion; and
two generally semi-circular second apertures which are defined by the second ring and second rail portions;
wherein each receiver pole is positioned in a corresponding first aperture.

16. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturation magnet comprises a ring-shaped configuration and is positioned around the first transmitter pole.

17. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 16 , wherein the saturation apparatus further comprises a ring-shaped second saturation magnet which is positioned around the receiver pole located opposite the first transmitter pole.

18. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 17 , further comprising a ring-shaped third saturation magnet which is positioned around the second transmitter pole.

19. The wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system of claim 18 , further comprising a ring-shaped fourth saturation magnet which is positioned around the receiver pole located opposite the second transmitter pole.

20. A method for facilitating the flow of magnetic flux from a magnetic field transmitter to a magnetic field receiver, the transmitter and receiver being located on opposite sides of a barrier, the transmitter comprising two transmitter poles and the receiver comprising two receiver poles which are each positioned opposite a corresponding transmitter pole, the method comprising:
reducing the magnetic permeability of a region of the barrier which is located at least partially between the two transmitter poles or the two receiver poles;
wherein the region of reduced magnetic permeability inhibits the magnetic flux generated by the transmitter from shorting through the barrier between the transmitter poles;
whereby the region of reduced magnetic permeability facilitates the flow of magnetic flux from the transmitter into the receiver.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the region of reduced magnetic permeability comprises a second portion which is located around both of the two transmitter poles or both of the two receiver poles.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the region

Assignees

• Fmc Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jaskolski Corey
• Mulholland John J

Classifications

• H01F2038/143

  for signals · CPC title

• H02J5/005

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H01F38/14 Primary

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title