Application of a Lateral Misalignments Detection Mechanism for Roadway Powered Electric Vehicle

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is emerging as an eminent means of the electric vehicle charging system. A perfectly aligned transmitter-receiver set of WPT system vintages a quick and autonomous charging of the vehicle. However, practically, misalignment is inevitable, and a minor deviation between the transmitter-receiver makes a differential fall in the desired output power. So, the system requires a proper mechanism to detect and correct these misalignments. In this paper, an experimental study on lateral misalignments is performed at different ground clearances. Of the many detection techniques present, a 10bit R-2R ladder based lateral misalignment detection mechanism is proposed, and the significant results are presented. This mechanism is a digital-to-analog converter, which induces multiple combinations of outputs. These outputs signify the precise position of the vehicle in the charging lane. Further, an interactive driver assistance system is suggested to attain the desired output power by instructing the EV driver to proceed for perfect alignment. This system effectively communicates the data such as state of alignment, measurement of speed, percentage of state-of-charge, and control over the charging process.