Time-Varying Wireless Power Transfer Systems for Improving Efficiency

Abstract: Conventional wireless power transfer systems are linear and time-invariant, which sets fundamental limitations on their performance, including a tradeoff between transfer efficiency and the level of transferred power. In this paper, we introduce and study a possibility of temporal modulation for inductive wireless power transfer systems and uncover that this tradeoff is avoided as a consequence of varying the inductive coupling strength in time. Our theoretical analysis reveals that under the optimal modulation depth and phase, the time modulation can yield a substantial improvement in the WPT efficiency, while the received power at the load is also improved compared to the static WPT reference system. We experimentally demonstrate the concept with a low-frequency system and observe a threefold improvement in efficiency over the reference static counterpart. This technical capability reconciles the inherent tradeoff between the WPT efficiency and transferred power, paving the way for simultaneous advancements in both efficiency and delivered power.