WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER SYSTEMS WITH INTEGRATED IMPEDANCE MATCHING AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME

A conventional wireless power transfer (WPT) system based on resonant inductive coupling typically operates at a peak power efficiency at the expense of a energy transfer rate. Impedance matching circuits can increase the energy transfer rate, but tend to increase the complexity, form factor, and weight of the WPT system. To overcome these limitations, a WPT system is described herein that includes a resonant circuit with integrated impedance matching. The resonant circuit includes a first coil, a first capacitor in series with the first coil, a second coil in series with the first coil and the first capacitor, and a second capacitor in parallel with the first coil and the first capacitor. The inductor coils and capacitances are tailored to increase the voltage gain and, thus, the energy transfer rate. The inductor coils also transmit or receive power, thus increasing the energy transfer rate and the power efficiency.