Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed an electromechanical vehicle charger that uses remote magnetic gears instead of electrical coils to generate electricity and charge the electric car’s battery without the use of wires or cables.
Many traditional wireless charging systems proposed for electric cars require high-frequency electromagnetic fields that can interfere with electronics and pose potential health hazards. By using a pair of spinning magnets—one in the charging station and the other in the car—the UBC team is able to deliver 3.3 kW of power from the charging station to the vehicle. The power is transferred at a frequency 100 times lower than a conventional wireless charger to prevent hazardous fields or interference with electronic devices. Test results show that the magnetic charging stations take approximately four hours to deliver a full charge and are over 90 percent efficient compared to a traditional cable charging station.
UBC currently has four of the charging stations installed for use by specially modified campus vans. The researchers hope to eventually test and implement the technology over a wide variety of applications.
