Development of a Robust IPT Pavement System for Wireless Charging of EVs

Abstract

Utilising Electric Vehicles (EVs) is one strategy for enhancing transportation sustainability. Wireless charging of EVs using Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) eliminates most of the current limitations of EVs. This thesis presents experimental and numerical research undertaken to understand the effect of an IPT charging pad, placed within an asphalt mixture layer, on the behaviour of the asphalt pavement, with the aim of developing a thermally and mechanically robust IPT asphalt pavement system. Experimental and numerical methods were used to determine the temperature distribution in an asphalt mixture slab containing an energised emulator IPT pad. Moreover, a numerical study is presented of an in-service New Zealand asphalt pavement, containing an IPT pad, by utilising New Zealand summer climatic data. The behaviour of a pad-asphalt mixture interface zone is investigated by performing direct shear tests. A numerical study of a full-scale IPT-asphalt pavement system is presented to show the effect of the interface bonding condition on the tensile strains under the asphalt layer. The accuracy of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors was verified in the laboratory using four-point beam tests. The effect of an IPT pad, while stationary charging, on the temperature and strain response of an asphalt mixture was evaluated. A scaled energized IPT pad was placed into an asphalt mixture slab and the steady-state temperatures within the slab were measured in the laboratory and simulated using ANSYS. A static wheel load was applied to the surface of the slab, both with and without an IPT pad present. The longitudinal tensile strain induced at the bottom of the slab was measured using an FBG sensor and was used to validate a structural simulation. The design and development of a laboratory Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) facility, for integrated IPT pad-asphalt pavement systems is presented. APT experiments were conducted on an asphalt pavement, with no IPT pad present, and preliminary strains, close to the bottom of the asphalt layer are presented. Future work will compare strain responses when an IPT pad is inserted.