Simulation of a Wireless Power Transfer System
for Electric Vehicles with Power Factor Correction
Michael Pickelsimer, Leon Tolbert
Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Abstract Wireless power transfer has been a popular topic of
recent research. Most research has been done to address the
limitations of coil-to-coil efficiency. However, little has been done
to address the problem associated with the low input power
factor with which the systems operate. This paper details the
steps taken to analyze a wireless power transfer system from the
view of the power grid under a variety of loading conditions with
and without power factor correction.
Keywords-Wireless Power Transfer, Power Factor Correction
I. INTRODUCTION
Recently the wireless transmission of power has been a very
active topic of research as has interest in the electrification of
the transportation system. Researchers are studying the ways
to change electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using
wireless power transfer while the vehicles are parked or
stationary or to electrify roadways and power vehicles while
they are in motion
Wireless power transfer (WPT) is possible because of
resonant circuits. When a transmitter circuit is tuned to
resonate at the same frequency as a receiver circuit, power is
transmitted wirelessly through the magnetic coupling of the
inductive coils found in the circuits. Because the power is
transferred by magnetic coils, there is little electric contact
danger to any biological entity. Electronics within the
charging area are also unaffected unless they are resonant at
the same frequency.
The resonant circuits themselves must have a high Q-factor
to allow for the high current operation of the system. Since the
power is passed through magnetic fields, higher currents are
required to transfer power than in traditional wired power
transfer methods. With high Q-factors, some WPT circuits
have reached upwards of 90% efficiency in testing, even when
powering a 3 kW load [1].
Despite the potential high efficiencies exhibited by WPT,
differences in the coil alignment and operating frequency have
drastic changes in the system's efficiency. Many papers and
research hours have been dedicated to the analysis of and
solutions to coil misalignment [2] and to additional circuitry to
accurately track the proper operational frequency to maximize
efficiency [3-4].
Burak Ozpineci, John M. Miller
Power Electronics and Electric Machinery
National Transportation Research Center
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
However, as most research has been aimed at eliminating
the important problem of coil alignment, this has left another
problem relatively unexamined. The problem is that the
coupling coils operate at exceptionally low power factors.
Research has been done to resolve the issue, though possible
solutions require additional components on the receiving side
of the system [5].
In an attempt to limit the amount of hardware that may
potentially be placed on a vehicle, power factor correction can
to be addressed on the transmitting side of the coils. This paper
uses a power electronics solution, in the form of an H-bridge
rectifier followed by a high frequency boost converter as in
[6], to address the problematic power factor between the power
grid and WPT systems as used in a vehicular application.
II. TRANSFER SYSTEM ANALYSYS
In order to properly simulate the operation of a WPT
system, a system had to be selected on which to base further
analysis. The system chosen was the one used at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL). It had displayed high transfer
efficiencies across a significant range of frequencies and coil
alignments, and each circuit is tuned to 24 kHz.
The transmission stage consists of a series-parallel topology
and can be seen in Fig 1. This means that the transmitting
tuned circuit consists of a capacitor in series with an inductive
coil and that the receiver has a capacitor in parallel with an
inductive coil. A mutual inductance was chosen to simulate
the power transfer, as had been done in their analysis of the
system [1],[7].
Fig. 1. Series-parallel configuration of a wireless power transfer circuit.
A model of the system was created in MATLAB that would
be used to analyze coil to coil efficiency and overall power
transfer. As the analysis performed was purely AC, the
constant voltage load characteristics provided in previous tests
was ignored, resulting in a purely resistive load. This model
was then operated under a variety of conditions, including
varying load resistance, coupling coefficients (representing
various coil alignments), and operating frequencies.
As the operational frequency changes, the real and reactive
input power and output power all dramatically change. The
real and reactive components of the input power and the
output power as frequency varies are shown in Fig. 2. During
this simulation, a constant load resistance of 30 ohms and a
constant coupling coefficient of 0.15 are used. Peak operating
efficiency occurs around 22 kHz because of the low coupling
coefficient.
Fig. 2. Real and reactive power supplied by the voltage source and output
power as the frequency of the voltage source is varied.
As the coupling coefficient increases, the reactive power
supplied by the source decreases, while the real power input
decreases. The output power follows the trend of the input
power. This is seen in Fig. 3. For this analysis, a constant
frequency of 24 kHz and a constant load resistance of 30 ohms
is used.
Fig. 3. Real and reactive power supplied by the voltage source and output
power as coupling coefficient is varied.
Finally, the system is evaluated with a variable resistive
load. When the load resistance is small, the power output and
real power input of the system are large. The system is
operating so that it absorbs reactive power. As the resistance
increases, however; the reactive power supplied by the source
dramatically increases, while the real power in the system
decreases, as shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 4. Real and reactive power input of the voltage source as the load
resistance is varied.
III. CIRCUIT MODELING
Before simulation of the power grid's view of the WPT
system, a simple model of the system must be created. PLECS
was used in modeling and for simulations. The transmitting
system includes an AC-DC converter followed by a DC-AC
converter connected to the transmitting coil. The receiver coil
is connected to a simple battery through an AC-DC converter.
A simplified block diagram of the complete system is shown
in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5. Simplified block diagram of the simulated wireless power transfer
system.
Components, beginning with the power grid connection and
working towards the transmission system, include an active
rectifier with power factor correction abilities and a full bridge
inverter. Next is a series-parallel transmission system. Finally,
the battery connection components consist of a H-bridge diode
rectifier, a non-inverting buck-boost DC-DC converter, and a
simple battery model.
A current source AC/DC converter was chosen as a
template because of the relative importance of current control
as opposed to voltage control in the power transmission stage.
(The exact model is currently under revision to ensure the
controls are capable of various simulated conditions, but will
be discussed in greater detail in the final report, as will the
following inverter.)
Following a coupling capacitor, an inverter is used to
operate the transmission stages at their proper resonant
frequency. The equivalent model of the transmission system
can be seen in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 displays the input voltage and current of a 4 kW
simulation with a coupling coefficient of 0.15 and an
operational frequency of 20 kHz. The plot reveals a sinusoidal
input current that is in phase with the input voltage. The
current waveform has approximately 5% THD. Fig. 10 shows
the systems output current during steady state. The simulation
reveals a 30 mA ripple.

Fig. 6. Simulated block diagram of the transmitter including the transmitting

coils equivalent circuit.

The WPT transmission topology and its components' values

were selected to simulate the WPT system used in testing at
NTRC, as was analyzed earlier. The transmission stage as it is
presented has a resonant frequency of 24 kHz.
A non-inverting buck-boost converter, seen in Fig. 7, was
selected to regulate how the power being received would be
presented to the battery load [8]. The converter has three
operation modes: constant voltage, constant current, and a Fig. 9. Simulated input voltage and current with a coupling coefficient of
0.15 and an operational frequency of 20 kHz.
combinational mode that considers both voltage and current to
reduce overall ripple. A non-inverting design was chosen to
reduce the total voltage gap seen by the vehicle ground.

Fig. 7. The non-inverting buck-boost subsystem circuit.

The battery model is a simple circuit, as battery analysis

was beyond the scope of this project. It is modeled by an ideal
voltage source with a series resistance. The receivers
equivalent model can be seen in Fig. 8.
Fig. 10. Simulation output current with a coupling coefficient of 0.15 and
an operational frequency of 20 kHz.

Fig. 11 and 12 show the input voltage and current and

output current, respectively, from a simulation with a coupling
coefficient of 0.3 at 22 kHz. This test was performed to reveal
how the power factor controller reacts with a much higher
Fig. 8. Simulated block diagram of the receiver circuit including the receivers coupling coefficient and a more favorable operating frequency.
equivalent tuned circuit. There is a noticeably higher input current required to maintain
a constant voltage because of the amount of reactive power
required to power the coils.
IV. SIMULATION
With the subsystem models designed, an ideal sinusoidal
voltage source was placed in the circuit as the AC input. Using
the circuit analysis program PLECS, the complete circuit was
simulated for a variety of coupling coefficients and load
characteristics. In an attempt to capture a wide range of
possible scenarios regarding coil misalignment and varying
vehicle heights, a number of simulations were run with
differing coupling coefficients.
 Table 1 Coupling coefficient vs spacing
z= (mm) 200 175 150 125 100

Open Ckt 0.203 0.2506 0.312 0.389 0.488

Induct 0.201 0.251 0.308 0.385 -

Aid

Laboratory data is taken from experimental hardware

Fig. 11. Simulated input voltage and current with a coupling coefficient of
0.3 and an operational frequency of 22 kHz..
configured as described in Fig. 14 having PFC active front end
and variable dc link voltage for coarse adjustment of WPT
power level. A load bank is used in place of the vehicle
battery shown.

Fig. 14. Schematic of Experimental WPT System

Table 2 summarizes the high frequency power inverter

stage real and reactive power levels (shown in per unit, pu) as
a function of frequency for WPT series-parallel tuning at
Fig. 12. Simulation output current with a coupling coefficient of 0.3 and an fo=22kHz.
operational frequency of 22 kHz.

V. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Table 2 Real and Reactive Power vs. Frequency

In order to validate the transmission system model, it is Frequency Prim. Coil Prim. Coil Sec. Coil Sec. Coil
compared with the most recent model from ORNL. The (kHz) P Q P Q
current ORNL wireless power transfer apparatus consists of a (W) (VAr) (W) (VAr)
high frequency IGBT power inverter, newly designed coupling
coils, and full wave rectifier and filter assembly. Figure 13 18 236.8 -1100.9 211.2 -254.2
shows the coupling coil pair used in laboratory
experimentation [9]. Table 1 summarizes the coupling coil
20 691.0 -1995.3 616.7 -481.9
pair coefficient of coupling versus z-axis spacing when
characterized by open circuit voltage test and by LCR meter
test when the coils are in the inductance aiding configuration. 23 1960.6 -2537.9 1816.1 -2075.3

Waveforms showing primary voltage and current (Us, I1)

and secondary coil voltage and current (Uo, I2) for several
representative operating points are shown in Fig. 15 through
Fig. 17 below. The high frequency power inverter (H-bridge)
is duty cycle controlled and its rail voltage adjustable using a
laboratory power supply. Fig. 18 shows the simulated system
when operated at 20 kHz for comparison.

Fig. 13. Experimental WPT coupling coils

Fig. 15. WPT operation at f=18 kHz, fo=22 kHz

Fig. 18. WPT simulation at f=20 kHz, fo=22 kHz

In Table 2 and the results shown in Fig. 15 through Fig. 17

it is evident that at a particular link voltage, coupling
coefficient (i.e., vehicle ground clearance), and loading
(battery SOC) that real and reactive power flows in the WPT
primary are variable and require constant adjustment. The
WPT base unit active front end (AFE) must therefore
continually compensate utility line power as WPT link voltage
and power levels change.

VI. CONCLUSION
Fig. 16. WPT operation at f=20 kHz, fo=22 kHz
Power factor correction will be a necessity for the
application of wireless power transfer. Low power factors
make the system appear highly inductive when not operated at
ideal frequencies. The model developed to simulate the WPT
system can be verified by comparing Fig. 18 (simulation
results) to Fig. 16. (experimental results). In using this model,
it can be shown that the power factor correction unit performs
as it was intended, increasing power factor to near unity.

VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was supported in part by the Engineering
Research Center Program of the National Science Foundation
and the Department of Energy under NSF Award Number
EEC-1041877 and the CURENT Industry Partnership Program.

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