Renewable Energy Power Assimilation to the Smart Grid and Electric Vehicles via Wireless Power Transfer Technology

Smart grid technologies have evolved into advanced Technology that can provide an infrastructure for efficient electric power transfer and a road map to solve the shortcoming of the current power system. It is a sophisticated classical power system with a high degree of interface among energy, control, and communication subsystems. The growing amount of electric energy from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) requires pertinent grid integration. Wind and solar are the fastest sectors among all renewable energy sources. With an excellent wind resource, New Mexico is home to a lot of wind power development. There are challenges and opportunities for integrating wind energy into smart grids. One promising approach is via Wireless Power Transfer (WPT). WPT is a technology for transmitting power through an air gap to electrical devices for energy replenishment. The two main application methods are Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) and Capacitive Power Transfer (CPT) of WPT. IPT is the most common method and applies to many power levels and gaps. The fundamental principle of IPT is that two separate coils with the same resonance frequency can form a resonant system based on high-frequency magnetic Coupling and exchange energy with a high-efficiency level. The recent advancement in WPT technology has provided a promising alternative way to address energy issues of battery-powered devices. One primary application of IPT is in charging Electric Vehicles (EVs). EVs are flooding the market and are considered the future of world transportation. Adequate stand- alone or smart grid-connected wireless charging stations along major roads encourage the public to purchase EVs for long-distance travel. In addition, Stand-alone charging stations can be powered via isolated RES wirelessly along major highways. One promising application of WPT in charging EVs.