Analysis of wireless and catenary power transfer systems for electric vehicle range extension on rural highways

Abstract

This paper analyzes two different transportation electrification charging schemes, i.e., an embedded wireless power transfer system and an overhead catenary wire system, for use in range extension of electric vehicles on rural highways. The efficiency, feasibility, and benefits of the two schemes are examined. Electric vehicles currently lack widespread popularity mainly due to battery limitations, especially for long distance travel. The rural highway charging methods presented here can greatly increase the range of electric vehicles while decreasing battery sizes. Average modeling approaches for power electronics and vehicle usage were developed in MATLAB/Simulink to compare the two systems, each at two power levels. 30 kW and 48 kW were chosen to demonstrate the differences between power levels, both capable of maintaining a positive net charge on a dynamic electric vehicle. Component efficiencies, energy transfer levels, and installation percentages for the various models were determined. The models were applied to California highway I-5 to show immense potential savings over gasoline vehicles. It was shown that catenary charging is cheaper and has higher energy transfer than wireless; however, it has difficulty servicing all vehicle types, has visible wires, and requires more maintenance. A small scale hardware prototype of the WPT system was created in order to demonstrate the feasibility of power transfer at the proposed relative distances and speeds.