High input voltage high frequency class E rectifiers for resonant inductive links

The operation of traditional rectifiers such as half-wave and bridge rectifiers in wireless power transfer applications may be inefficient and can reduce the amount of power that is delivered to a load. An alternative is to use Class E resonant rectifiers which are known to operate efficiently at high resonant frequencies and at large input voltages. Class E rectifiers have a near sinusoidal input current which leads to an improved overall system performance and increased efficiency, especially that of the transmitting coil driver. This paper is the first to investigate the use of Class E resonant rectifiers in wireless power transfer systems based on resonant inductive coupling. A piecewise linear state-space representation is used to model the Class E rectifier including the rectifying diode’s forward voltage drop, its ON resistance and the equivalent series resistance of the resonant inductor. Power quality parameters, such as power factor and total harmonic distortion, are calculated for different loading conditions. Extensive experimental results based on a 10 W prototype are presented to confirm the performed analysis and the efficient operation of the rectifier. An impressive operating efficiency of 94.43 % has been achieved at a resonant frequency of 800 kHz.