Charge e-bikes’ batteries wirelessly says Würth Elektronik
Developers of charging devices and charging stations can provide wireless battery charging for e-bikes and small electrical vehicles, says Würth Elektronik, as it unveils its support for developers to implement individual charging concepts.
Besides providing expert know-how in the form of training seminars or on-the-spot development support, Würth Elektronik has also designed many development kits that help manufacturers to bring their products to the market more swiftly.
“When a battery pack is charged by cable, you have to reckon with between 2,000 and 5,000 plug cycles over the battery’s life cycle. Especially because users generally recharge batteries that are not fully discharged on the go to ensure mobility, in many cases the charging sockets and plugs wear out faster than the actual batteries themselves,” explains Sven Lerche, business development manager New Mobility at Würth Elektronik eiSos. “Repairing charging sockets or charging devices is rarely an economically viable option, and wireless charging is an extremely attractive alternative. Then you’ve also got a number of other advantages like the high convenience factor, the fully enclosed design, and the insensitivity to environmental factors.”
Würth Elektronik explodes three popular misconceptions about wireless power: inefficiency, safety and expense.
When the recommended position of the device is even only roughly adhered to – an aspect that can be enhanced by the mechanical design – efficiency is about 95 per cent, says the company. It adds that the fear of electric shock or suffering burns is also unfounded because the industrial standards prescribe an automatic switch-off device that cuts in as soon as a foreign body gets between the charging coil and the receiver coil. The technical effort required for this is minimal, Würth Elektronik confirms.
As for expense, the plug and socket are replaced by wireless power coils and a slightly more sophisticated electronics, which ultimately can even result in a cost-neutral solution, insists the company.
Würth Elektronik eiSos Group manufactures electronic and electromechanical components and is one of the largest European manufacturers of passive components, with production sites in Europe, Asia and North America.
