Highly Resonant Nonlinear Wireless Power Transfer for Dynamic Charging

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the use of nonlinear resonance to enhance the performance and robustness of near-field resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. In general, WPT systems are sensitive to transmitter and receiver misalignment and distance variation, limitations that are particularly critical for applications such as implantable medical devices or electric vehicle charging, where stable power delivery is essential. The approach investigated in this research allows WPT systems to inherently achieve high efficiency and stable power delivery under dynamic operating conditions. A single-nonlinearity resonant WPT topology is developed for the first time for powering a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), introducing a novel methodology for synthesizing nonlinear characteristics to achieve a distance-robust operation. The proposed methodology is then applied to a dual-nonlinear resonator architecture, enabling the simultaneous stabilization of the output power and input impedance while suppressing frequency bifurcation without requiring frequency tracking. Furthermore, a complete characterization of the WPT system in terms of DC-DC performance was conducted. Overall, the proposed framework offers a scalable, passive, and self-adaptive solution for WPT in dynamic and mobile environments.