HaloIPT partnering with Drayson Racing Technologies to bring dynamic wireless charging to electric vehicle motorsport
26 July 2011
HaloIPT, a provider of Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) systems for wirelessly charging electric vehicles (earlier post), has entered a strategic partnership with Drayson Racing Technologies, the green R&D racing organization founded by Lord Drayson, former UK Minister for Science and Innovation. The partnership will use HaloIPT’s wireless charging technology to power high-performance cars as they race around the track.
The partnership with Drayson Racing, which develops and races green motorsport technology, including electric vehicles, aims to pioneer the deployment of dynamic (in-motion) charging of electric vehicles. The racing cars, fitted with HaloIPT technology, will pick up power wirelessly from transmitters buried under the surface of the road or race track, transferring power directly to the vehicle’s electric battery, ensuring that the vehicle receives constant charging on the move.
This is enabled by HaloIPT’s technology’s significant tolerance to misalignment over the transmitter pads, the company said, automatically adjusting for changing vertical gap. The system has the ability to intelligently distribute power, ensuring a consistent delivery of power at speed.
HaloIPT’s current wireless charging systems use inductive power transfer (IPT) to transfer power over gaps of up to 400mm (15.75 inches) and are tolerant to parking misalignment with power transfer efficiencies that can match a plug-and-cable. The company is currently delivering units in the range 3 to 7kW and is also developing higher power 3-phase systems for public charging.
HaloIPT and Drayson Racing will work together on the development of electric drive-train packages and trackside-charging systems to replace the internal combustion engine and fuel pit stops. HaloIPT’s technology will be marketed by Drayson Racing to the motorsport industry as affordable, practical systems for race cars and race circuits.
Dynamic wireless charging will be a real game-changer, enabling zero emission electric vehicles to race over long periods without the need for heavy batteries. Motor racing is the ideal environment to fast-track the development of this promising technology and to prove its effectiveness. This is a milestone innovation that will have a dramatic effect not just on racing but on the mainstream auto industry. We’re looking forward to putting this technology through its paces as it charges electric race cars at speeds of up to 200 mph.
—Lord Paul Drayson, co-founder of Drayson Racing
UK-based HaloIPT was founded in 2010 by research and development commercialization company UniServices, Trans Tasman Commercialization Fund (TTCF) and by the global design consultancy Arup. HaloIPT owns the rights to the intellectual property behind its Wireless Charging technology: providing stationary and dynamic in-motion charging for electric vehicles, lowering costs and improving usability.
Wireless charging, while on the move, may be one of the potential (but very expensive) solution for extended range BEVs without having to load every e-vehicle with heavy 100+ Kwh battery pack. Equipped pay roads could adjust their rates to account for energy used.
It could become the ideal solution for multi-car tramways, subways, e-trains, e-city buses etc. Muti-car e-tramways (on tires?) cost a lot less to operate than individual city buses with 80% less drivers.
Posted by: HarveyD | 26 July 2011 at 07:19 AM
Juse use wires. Use rails for the current return path. This is cheaper than inductive stuff all over the place, provides free guidance (self-driving car) and handles heavy loads without damaging pavement.
Why spend a lot of money to get one thing, when less will get you three?
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 26 July 2011 at 08:26 AM
We removed all rails and overhead cables from our norther city streets 50+ years ago and almost nobody want them back. Underground subways, 900 + passenger suburban e-trains and articulated 100+ passenger buses have taken over. There are very strong pressures to replace, most if not all, current diesel buses (regular and articulated) with electrified units, starting in 2012. The switch over period could take 15 years or even more.
Meanwhile, the underground subway system will be expended with 20 to 30 new stations. Four more suburban electrified train lines are currently being added.
Posted by: HarveyD | 26 July 2011 at 09:37 AM
It would be great publicity for the tech..
"with power transfer efficiencies that can match a plug-and-cable"
I believe because they replace the charger in the car with their own high efficiency one, so the overall efficiency is better than a standard wired setup.
Posted by: Herm | 29 July 2011 at 10:59 PM
I still think conductive charging is a better deal, if only because it's cheaper and bound to be more reliable under most circumstances (icing and snow being obvious exceptions).
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 01 August 2011 at 07:01 AM