Reliability analysis of an LCL tuned track segmented bi-directional inductive power transfer system

Bi-directional Inductive Power Transfer (BDIPT) technique is suitable for renewable energy based applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), for the implementation of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems. Recently, more efforts have been made by researchers to improve both efficiency and reliability of renewable energy systems to further enhance their economical sustainability. This paper presents a comparative reliability study between a typical BDIPT system and an individually controlled segmented BDIPT system. Steady state thermal simulation results are provided for different output power levels for a 1.5 kW BDIPT system in a MATLAB/Simulink environment. Reliability parameters such as failure rate and mean time between failures (MTBF) are compared between the two systems. A nonlinear programming (NP) model is developed for optimizing charging schedule for a stationery EV. A case study of EV optimum charging is provided for a 24 hours period indicating minimum cost and higher reliability.