Frequency jitter control of a multiple pick-up Bidirectional Inductive Power Transfer system

Bidirectional Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) systems are high order resonant circuits and require relatively sophisticated control strategies to regulate the power flow. The control of multi-pick-up IPT systems is more challenging as the order and complexity of the system increase with number of pick-ups. This paper proposes a new controller to regulate the power flow in both directions in multi-pick-up bidirectional IPT systems. The proposed controller utilises frequency jitter to control the power flow. The controller enables operation at tuned frequency over the entire load range, minimising the VA ratings of converters and eliminating the need for any direct communication. The validity of the jitter control concept is demonstrated through simulated results of a 4 kW bidirectional IPT system with 3 pick-ups (loads).