Simulation, optimization, and implementation of a capacitor-loaded wireless power transfer structure at 6.78 MHz for a target transfer distance of one meter are presented. First, an investigation into the operating principles behind a capacitor-loaded coupled loop structure is carried out via simulation. By adjusting the structural design parameters, it is found that an optimal configuration for this structure is coplanar. A prototype constructed using thin 18 AWG wire for the loops and a variable capacitor for tuning is used to verify simulation. To reduce losses in the wire, thick 9 AWG wire is implemented and measured. Thick wire is necessary for high efficiency yet undesirable for planarization. Since current flows only on the surface of the wire, ‘unwrapping’ that portion yields copper strips that reduce loss by increasing only the width. Thus, by replacing thick wires with copper strips, a planarized structure can be obtained that can reduce ohmic losses without sacrificing its form factor. Next, additional advantages of a capacitor-loaded system, which include reduced electric near-field and the possibility of resonant frequency tuning, are investigated. It is shown by simulation that the capacitor-loaded structure is not strongly affected by nearby dielectric materials since the stored electric energy is significantly lower than the stored magnetic energy in air at resonance. Finally, further optimizations of the structure are considered along with the analytical expressions for maximum efficiency. / text

As Internet of Things (IoT) technology continues to become more commonplace, demand for self-sustainable and low-power networking schemes has increased. Future IoT devices will require a ubiquitous energy source and will need to be capable of low power communication. RF energy can be harvested through ambient or dedicated RF sources to satisfy this energy demand. In addition, these RF signals can be modified to convey information. This thesis surveys a variety of RF energy harvesting methods. A new low complexity energy harvesting system (circuit and antenna) is proposed. Low power communication schemes are examined, and low complexity and efficient transmitter designs are developed that utilize RF backscattering, harmonics, and intermodulation products. These communication schemes operate with minimal power consumption and can be powered solely from harvested RF energy. The RF energy harvester and RF-powered transmitters designs are validated through simulation, prototyping, and measurements. The results are compared to the performance of state-of-the-art devices described in the literature. / Master of Science / Future devices are expected to feature high levels of interconnectivity and have long lifetimes. RF energy from dedicated power beacons or ambient sources, such as Wi-Fi, cellular, DTV, or radio stations can be used to power these devices allowing them to be battery-less. These devices that harvest the RF energy can use that energy to transmit information. This thesis develops various methods to harvest RF energy and use this energy to transmit information as efficiently as possible. The designs are verified through simulation and experimental results.

Non-radiative wireless power transfer using the coupled mode resonance phenomenon has been widely reported in the literature. However, the distance over which such phenomenon exists is very short when measured in terms of wavelength. In this dissertation, how efficient wireless power transfer can be realized in the radiating near-field region beyond the coupled mode resonance region is investigated. First, electrically small folded cylindrical helix (FCH) dipole antennas are designed to achieve efficient near-field power transfer. Measurements show that a 40% power transfer efficiency (PTE) can be realized at the distance of 0.25λ between two antennas in the co-linear configuration. These values come very close to the theoretical upper bound derived based on the spherical mode theory. The results also highlight the importance of antenna radiation efficiency and impedance matching in achieving efficient wireless power transfer. Second, antenna diversity is explored to further extend the range or efficiency of the power transfer. For transmitter diversity, it is found that a stable PTE region can be created when multiple transmitters are employed at sufficiently close spacing. For receiver diversity, it is found that the overall PTE can be improved as the number of the receivers is increased. Third, small directive antennas are investigated as a means of enhancing near-field wireless power transfer. Small directive antennas based on the FCH design are also implemented to enhance the PTE. It is shown that the far-field realized gain is a good surrogate for designing small directive antennas for near-field power transfer. Fourth, to examine the effects of surrounding environments on near-field coupling, an upper bound for near-field wireless power transfer is derived when a transmitter and a received are separated by a spherical material shell. The derived PTE bounds are verified using full-wave electromagnetic simulation and show good agreement for both TM mode and TE mode radiators. Using the derived theory, lossy dielectric material effects on wireless power transfer are studied. Power transfer measurements through walls are also reported and compared with the theory. Lastly, electrically small circularly polarized antennas are investigated as a means of alleviating orientation dependence in near-field wireless power transfer. An electrically small turnstile dipole antenna is designed by utilizing top loading and multiple folding. The circularly polarization characteristic of the design is first tested in the far field, before the antennas are placed in the radiating near-field region for wireless power transfer. It is shown that such circularly polarized antennas can lessen orientation dependence in near-field coupling. / text

This thesis investigates near-field wireless power transfer using multiple transmitters or multiple receivers. First, transmitter diversity is investigated in terms of the power transfer efficiency (PTE). It is found that an improvement in the PTE can be achieved by increasing the number of transmitters. Furthermore, a region of constant PTE can be created with the proper arrangement of transmitters. Next, receiver diversity is investigated in detail. An improvement in the PTE can be also achieved by increasing the number of receivers. However, it is shown that when two or more receivers are closely located, the PTE is reduced due to mutual coupling between receivers. This is termed a ‘sink’ phenomenon, and it is investigated through measurement and simulation. Finally, to account for more general situations of multiple transmitters and multiple receivers, Monte-Carlo simulation is applied. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) is used to interpret the results of the Monte-Carlo simulation. The transmitter and receiver diversity gain can be found based on the CDF. Moreover, the sink phenomenon can be observed by analyzing the CDF curve. Several strategies for positioning receivers are introduced to reduce the sink phenomenon. The results of the Monte-Carlo simulation also show that a saturation in the transmitter or receiver gain is reached when the number of transmitters or receivers is increased. Therefore, increasing the number of transmitters or receivers beyond a certain number does not help increase the PTE. / text

Tremendousadvancement inultra-low powerelectronics and radiocommunica tionshas significantly contributed towards the fabrication of miniaturized biomedical sensors capable of capturing physiological data and transmitting them wirelessly. However, most of the wearable sensors require a battery for their operation. The battery serves as one of the critical bottlenecks to the development of novel wearable applications, as the limitations offered by batteries are affecting the development of new form-factors and longevity of wearable devices. In this work, we introduce a novel concept, namely Intra-Body Power Transfer (IBPT), to alleviate the limitations and problems associated with batteries, and enable wireless, batteryless wearable devices. The innovation of IBPT is to utilize the human body as the medium to transfer power to passive wearable devices, as opposed to employingon-boardbatteries for each individual device. The proposed platform eliminates the on-board rigid battery for ultra-low power and ultra-miniaturized sensors such that their form-factor can be flexible, ergonomically designed to be placed on small body parts. The platform also eliminates the need for battery maintenance (e.g., recharging or replacement) for multiple wearable devices other than the central power source. The performance of the developed system is tested and evaluated in comparison to traditional Radio Frequency based solutions that can be harmful to human interaction. The system developed is capable of harvesting on average 217µW at 0.43V and provides an average sleep/high impedance mode voltage of 4.5V.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Comparison of short-range telemetry and radio frequency identification (RFID) systems reveals that they are based on very similar operating principles. Combining the identification and measurement functions into one transponder sensor offers added value for both RFID and telemetry systems. The presence of a memory (e.g. FRAM) in the transponder, required for ID information, can also be utilized for storing measurement results. For passive transponders low power consumption is one of the main objectives. Wireless power transfer for passive transponder sensors together with above aspects concerning a combined telemetry and identification system are discussed.

The emergence of microwave energy harvesting systems, commonly referred to as rectenna or Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems, has enabled numerous applications in many areas since their primary goal is to recycle the ambient microwave energy. In such systems, microstrip antennas are used as the main source for collecting the electromagnetic energy. In this work, a novel collector based on metamaterial particles, in what is known as a Split Ring Resonator (SRR), to harvest electromagnetic energy is presented. Such collectors are much smaller in size and more efficient than existing collectors (antennas). A feasibility study of SRRs to harvest electromagnetic energy is conducted using a full wave simulator (HFSS). To prove the concept, a 5.8 GHz SRR is designed and fabricated and then tested using a power source, an Infiniium oscilloscope and a commercially available patch antenna array. When excited by a plane wave with an H-field normal to the structure, a voltage build up of 611 mV is measured across a surface mount resistive load inserted in the gap of a single loop SRR. In addition, a new efficiency concept is introduced, taking into account the microwave-to-AC conversion efficiency which is missing from earlier work. Finally, a 9X9 SRR array is compared with a 2X2 patch antenna array, both placed in a fixed footprint. The simulation results show that the array of SRRs can harvest electromagnetic energy more efficiently and over a wider bandwidth range.

The emergence of microwave energy harvesting systems, commonly referred to as rectenna or Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems, has enabled numerous applications in many areas since their primary goal is to recycle the ambient microwave energy. In such systems, microstrip antennas are used as the main source for collecting the electromagnetic energy. In this work, a novel collector based on metamaterial particles, in what is known as a Split Ring Resonator (SRR), to harvest electromagnetic energy is presented. Such collectors are much smaller in size and more efficient than existing collectors (antennas). A feasibility study of SRRs to harvest electromagnetic energy is conducted using a full wave simulator (HFSS). To prove the concept, a 5.8 GHz SRR is designed and fabricated and then tested using a power source, an Infiniium oscilloscope and a commercially available patch antenna array. When excited by a plane wave with an H-field normal to the structure, a voltage build up of 611 mV is measured across a surface mount resistive load inserted in the gap of a single loop SRR. In addition, a new efficiency concept is introduced, taking into account the microwave-to-AC conversion efficiency which is missing from earlier work. Finally, a 9X9 SRR array is compared with a 2X2 patch antenna array, both placed in a fixed footprint. The simulation results show that the array of SRRs can harvest electromagnetic energy more efficiently and over a wider bandwidth range.

Wireless power transfer is becoming relevant today because of its effectiveness and convenience. It has been employed into consumer electronics such as cellular charging and electric vehicle charging. In general, inductive wireless power transfer (IPT) is mostly used for WPT. IPT requires coils and power transfer enhancing material such as ferrite to transfer power. However, Capacitive wireless Power Transfer (CPT) appears as an alternative because it requires cost effective and light metal plate couplers. Among CPT couplers, Vertical (stacked) Four-Plate Coupler (V4PC) structure offers the advantage of higher input and output self-capacitances, rotational misalignment. Safety is one of the most important aspect of wireless power transfer. This thesis proposes a solution to minimize the leakage electric field of Vertical 4-Plate Couplers (V4PCs). It does so by finding the optimum value of circuit parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is shown by experimental results.

Wireless charging of the EVs offers a convenient, reliable, and automatic charging of the autonomous vehicles without user interference. The focus of this thesis is the design and optimization of new structures for stationary EV wireless charging applications. The fundamentals of the Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system and its main components including the magnetic couplers, transmitter and receiver power converters, and control methods are studied in depth. The requirements of the EV wireless charging application and design criteria are discussed in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of each topology are highlighted, and possible candidates for EV wireless charging applications are selected. Optimization of the resonant networks in terms of maximum efficiency and misalignment tolerance is studied. Different resonant topologies are studied in detail and their sensitivity functions are extracted. For each topology, an efficiency model is presented that includes the inverter, resonant capacitors, resonant inductor, diode-bridge, and core and conduction losses. Each topology is optimized with two different objective functions and the results are compared through the simulation and experiments. According to the optimization results, suitable topologies for the EV wireless charging application are selected. In order to increase the power density of the wireless charging system, and save ferrite material, integrated inductors into the magnetic couplers are proposed. In this structure, the DC-DC inductor is integrated into the receiver main coil and the resonant inductor is integrated into the transmitter coil. This integration introduces new challenges to the design of the resonant network and magnetic coupler due to the unwanted cross-coupling effect. To address this issue, the fully integrated magnetic structure is optimally designed to have minimum cross-coupling. Moreover, the resonant network is designed based on an optimization problem that includes the cross-coupling into the system equations to ensure maximum efficiency. The proposed fully-integrated magnetic structure is built and experimental tests are presented to validate the performance of the proposed magnetic structure and its optimization method. To reduce the implementation cost, size and weight a PCB-based magnetic coupler is proposed to replace the Litz wire in the magnetic coupler of the WPT system. Moreover, the proposed PCB-magnetic coupler increases the repeatability of the design and reduces manufacturing errors. The PCB-based magnetic coupler is studied through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to minimize the AC resistance of the coil. Different parameters such including the number of the PCB layers, copper cross-section, and layer thickness are studied in detail to evaluate their effect on the coil resistance. Thermal analysis is performed to ensure the feasibility of the design under different loading conditions. A 3.3 kW/85 kHz wireless charging system is built and experimental tests are presented. A novel modular resonant topology for fast wireless charging is proposed. A modular structure offers reliability, scalability, and better thermal management. The proposed topology is made by multi-parallel inverter legs connected to an LCC resonant network. The outputs of the resonant networks are connected in parallel to feed the transmitter coil with a high excitation current. The proposed modular system is compared with a conventional system and it showed superior performance in different aspects. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)