Design of a stagger-tuned high-power low-stress capacitive wireless power transfer system

Capacitive power transfer (CPT) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional inductive methods. CPT offers advantages like cost-effectiveness, reduced weight and volume, and greater tolerance to alignment errors. However, the high-Q resonant circuits used as matching networks can be susceptible to high voltage stress, especially when transmitting substantial power. Consequently, designing matching networks for CPT systems necessitates consideration of multiple parameters, including practical constraints such as component losses and breakdown thresholds. In this work an innovative algorithm is presented for designing practical matching networks in CPT systems. The algorithm conducts a methodical search of potential solutions, and converges on component values that maximize power transfer efficiency whilst also minimizing component voltage stress. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally.