From left: Aaron Brovont, Research Assistant Professor; Steven D. Pekarek, Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III Professor; and Dionysios Aliprantis, Professor

Three professors in Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Engineering received a 1^st Place Best Contribution Award at the 2023 IEEE Wireless Power Technologies Conference and Expo (WPTCE), the highest honor bestowed at WPTCE 2023. Aaron Brovont, Research Assistant Professor, Steven D. Pekarek, Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III Professor of ECE, and Dionysios Aliprantis, Professor of ECE, were honored for presenting their research paper “Magnetic Design for Three-Phase Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer with Constant Output Power,” which was recently published in IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion.

Environmental and economic incentives are driving efforts to electrify heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) fleets. A key enabling technology for HDV electrification is dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT), i.e., powering a vehicle through an electrified roadway while the vehicle is in motion. Presently, the DWPT systems closest to commercialization are geared toward light-duty vehicles. The presented paper details an approach to design a three-phase transmitter and receiver for use in a DWPT system specifically tailored for HDVs. The resulting designs are strikingly simple, while maintaining sufficient magnetic performance to meet the power targets for HDVs.

WPTCE is the largest event in the world for wireless power research and industry engagement, covering a wide range of topics, applications, frequencies, and power levels. The event, formally known as Wireless Power Week, combines wireless power school, workshops, conference technical and panel sessions, a student design competition, and an industry expo.