Dynamic wireless charging would seem to be the ultimate in convenience—you don’t have to wait, you don’t even have to stop, just charge away as you roll down the highway. Reasonable minds may differ as to what use cases would justify the complexity and cost of such a system, but it’s certainly worth researching, and organizations around the world are working on it.
One of these is ENRX, a new company formed by a merger between EFD Induction, a developer of induction heating solutions, and IPT Technology, which specializes in wireless power transmission. ENRX, which is headquartered in Norway, has been selected to demonstrate a dynamic wireless charging system on a four-lane highway in Florida.
ENRX, in partnership with the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and ASPIRE Engineering Research Center, will build a one-mile electrified roadway on State Route 516, near Orlando.
ENRX explains that energy will flow from electric coils embedded in the roadway to a receiver pad mounted on the underside of the vehicle, providing wireless power even at highway speeds. Charging power will be up to 200 kW.
ENRX says its system will offer different power output levels for different types of vehicles and batteries, custom distances (air gaps) between ground and vehicle, and dynamic and static charging combined. The system uses a continuous homogeneous field, and is therefore interoperable with different coil typologies.
As part of the project, an 80-meter test track will also be installed at ASPIRE in Utah, which SAE International will use in its work to develop global charging standards.
“Our unparalleled expertise in induction technology allows us to deliver charging at 200 kW even at high speeds,” says ENRX CEO Bjørn Eldar Petersen. “No one else has the technology to offer anything similar.”
“Dynamic charging offers a new level of freedom and flexibility for electric car drivers. This technology also opens up new opportunities for electric long-haul trucking,” Petersen said, “Dynamic charging can reduce the need for large battery capacities, allowing cars to be equipped with lighter and more affordable battery packs.”
Source: ENRX
