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Comparative Characteristic Analysis of Circular and

Double D Power Pads for Electric Vehicle Wireless
Charging Systems
Muhammad Sifatul Alam Chowdhury, and Xiaodong Liang
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John’s, NL, Canada
msachowdhury@mun.ca, xliang@mun.ca

Abstract—To provide safe and flexible power transfer to linked to the power pad installed in the vehicle. It is required that
electric vehicles (EVs), wireless charging systems have been power pads should exhibit a high value of coupling coefficient
introduced. By improving the overall system efficiency of wireless (k) and the capability to transfer power in different misaligned
charging systems for EVs, the range anxiety of EVs can be positions [10]. Depending on the charging system configuration
significantly reduced. In this paper, a comparative characteristic and the misalignment distance between the power pads, the k
analysis is carried out between circular and double D (DD) power value varies. For a typical 85 kHz system, the k value may range
pads for EV wireless charging systems. The Society of Automotive between 0.1 to 0.4, and a lower k value due to large
Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J2954 is followed for misalignment distances can be improved by using ferrite bars. A
designing physical dimension of these power pads. Finite Element
general classification of power pads considered for EV’s
Analysis (FEA) tool ANSYS Maxwell 3D is used for simulation.
Parameters such as coupling coefficient and mutual inductance
wireless charging systems is presented in Fig. 1.
are evaluated for each type of power pads by applying vertical and
horizontal misalignment. It is found that DD power pads exhibit
promising characteristics for EV wireless charging systems.

Keywords— Electric vehicles, Finite Element Analysis (FEA),

power pad, wireless charging system.

I. INTRODUCTION Fig. 1. General classification of power pads.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly emerged in many Circular power pads are widely used for EV wireless
countries due to their technical and environmental advancement charging system design due to its reduced leakage flux and
than conventional vehicles [1]-[3]. Most commercially available compact design [11], but their performance fluctuates with the
EVs in the market such as hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and increment of air-gap. DD power pads combine the advantage of
Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PHEV) are using plug-in charging both circular power pad and flux pipe topology, and thus, result
system to recharge EV’s in-house battery. To overcome in a higher value of coupling coefficient than circular power
drawbacks of conventional charging system, wireless charging pads [12][13]. Bipolar/tripolar power pads are prepared by
system for EVs was introduced. Numerous advantages of combining two or three coils together, which exhibit better
wireless charging systems for the system design, power transfer performance in misaligned positions [13][14]. However, the
efficiency, and system complexity are reported in [4]-[6]. To complex system architecture makes these power pads
design advanced wireless charging systems, extensive research unattractive. Double D quadrature (DDQ) power pads are
was conducted by academia and industry in designing power prepared by adding a quadrature coil with DD power pads,
electronic devices and power pads. Power pads are key resulting in the excellent misalignment tolerance. However, the
components for EV wireless charging systems. Different types size of DDQ power pad is still an issue as combining two
of power pads including circular, rectangular, double D (DD) different topologies increase the overall dimension of the power
power pads are investigated to obtain the optimum power pad. Power rails are generally used for roadway powered
transfer efficiency [7]-[9]. Circular power pads are commonly vehicle, and these power pads are only energized when an EV is
used, but DD power pads is believed to transfer power with passing over it. However, the complex system configuration and
better misalignment characteristics [10]. maintenance cost is still an unsolved issue for them when used
in dynamic wireless charging systems.
In wireless charging systems, power pads are placed on both
ground and vehicle sides. The ground side arrangement is SAE J2954 provides guidelines mainly focusing on the
known as ground assembly (GA) or transmitting side; while the circular power pad topology, but DD power pads are also
vehicle side arrangement is known as vehicle assembly (VA) or mentioned as a potential technology. Therefore, in this paper a
receiving side. The time-varying magnetic field generated by comparative characteristic analysis is carried out between
high-frequency AC currents in the transmitting power pad is circular and DD power pads. Both types of power pads are

k,(((
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designed based on the system specification recommended in the

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice
J2954 [15].
The paper is arranged as follows: A brief discussion on
different types of power pads is provided in introduction. A
performance evaluation procedure is proposed in Section II.
Sections III represents modeling and simulation results of DD
and circular power pads. A conclusion is drawn based on the
simulation result in Section IV. (a) (b)
Fig. 3. Power pad models designed by ANSYS Maxwell 3D using specifications
II. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCEDURE in SAE J2954: (a) DD, (b) Circular.

In this section, circular and DD power pads are designed

using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation software,
ANSYS Maxwell 3D, based on physical dimensions
recommended in SAE J2954. Fig. 2 shows the recommended
dimensions for these power pads in SAE J2954. Fig. 3 shows the
final power pad models in ANSYS Maxwell 3D.
To evaluate the performance of power pads, an evaluation
procedure is proposed in Fig. 4. Firstly, the power pad geometry
is selected and designed through ANSYS Maxwell 3D.
Secondly, the characteristic analysis of a type of power pads is
done without applying any misalignment between the
transmitting and receiving sides. Thirdly, apply both vertical and
horizontal displacements. The simulation results are then
validated by comparing the design criteria that are commonly
used in the literature. The coupling coefficient k varies between
0 and 1, a higher value indicates good coupling and transfer
efficiency of the wireless charging system [16].

Fig. 4. Flow chart of performance evaluation procedure for power pads.

III. MODELING AND SIMULATION OF POWER PADS

In this section, the simulation is conducted for both DD and
circular power pads using models built in Fig. 3. Fig. 5
represents the variation of coupling coefficient for both types of
power pads with the vertical displacement ranging from 15 mm
to 150 mm between GA and VA. The value of the coupling
coefficient indicates the condition of flux linkage between
(a) transmitting and receiving power pads. A greater value of
coupling coefficient indicates stronger coupling between
transmitting and receiving sides of power pads, which is very
crucial for EV wireless charging systems.
For DD power pads, when the vertical displacement distance
is 15 mm, the coupling coefficient is the highest, equal to
0.5760. The coupling coefficient gradually decreases with the
increase of vertical displacement. At the vertical displacement
equal to 150 mm, the coupling coefficient is dropped to 0.1189.
For circular power pads, the coupling coefficient at the smallest
vertical displacement of 15 mm is 0.4870. Similar to DD power
pads, the values decrease with the increment of the air-gap
between transmitting and receiving power pads. For the
(b) displacement of 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150, the coupling
Fig. 2. Physical dimensions recommended in SAE J2954 for power pads: (a) DD, coefficient is 0.1875, 0.0628 and 0.000037, respectively.
(b) Circular [11].
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It is found that DD power pads show higher coupling

coefficient than circular power pads, the difference is much
pronounced for larger vertical displacements. Especially at 150
mm, the coupling coefficient of circular power pads becomes
zero, but the coupling coefficient of DD power pads is 0.1189,
i.e., the coupling remains strong for DD power pads.

Fig. 7. Variation of coupling coefficient when both vertical and horizontal

misalignment are applied to DD power pads.

Fig. 8 represents 3D plots of the magnetic field intensity (H),

the magnetic flux density (B), and the magnetic flux for DD
power pads at the vertical misalignment of 150 mm. The
magnetic field intensity and magnetic flux density decrease with
the increase in vertical misalignment, and they are minimum
when the vertical distance is the maximum (150 mm).
Fig. 5. Variation of coupling coefficient vs vertical misalignment between VA
and GA for DD and circular power pads.

Similarly, Fig. 6 represents the variation of mutual

inductance for DD and circular power pads with the vertical
misalignment ranging from 15 mm to 150 mm between the
transmitting and receiving sides. Mutual inductance indicates
the strength of common magnetic flux between two
magnetically connected power pads. For DD power pads, the
mutual inductance is 22.50 μH when the vertical misalignment
is 15 mm, and is reduced to 4.87 μH when the vertical (a)
misalignment is increased to 150 mm. For circular power pads,
the mutual inductance values for 15 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm and
150 mm are 16.0156 μH, 8.1523 μH, 2.7331 μH, and 0.000005
μH, respectively.

(b)

Fig. 6. Variation of mutual inductance vs vertical misalignment between VA and

GA for DD and circular power pads.

Fig. 7 represents coupling coefficients of DD power pads

when both vertical and horizontal misalignment are applied. The (c)
Fig. 8. Parameters variations (3D plots) for DD power pads at the vertical
green line indicates the change of coupling coefficient with misalignment of 150 mm: (a) magnetic field intensity (H), (b) magnetic flux
respect to different vertical misalignment when the horizontal density (B), (c) magnetic flux lines.
misalignment is kept constant at 15 mm. Similarly, the
horizontal misalignment distances of 45 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm Fig. 9 represents coupling coefficients of circular power pads
are applied, and the coupling coefficient with respect to different when both vertical and horizontal misalignment are applied. The
vertical misalignment at these cases are shown in the same green line indicates the change of coupling coefficient with
figure. When the horizontal misalignment is 15 mm, the respect to different vertical misalignment when the horizontal
maximum value of coupling coefficient is 0.5645. The misalignment is kept constant at 15 mm. Similarly, the
maximum coupling coefficient value for 45 mm, 75 mm, 100 horizontal misalignment distances of 45 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm
mm are 0.4953, 0.3837, and 0.2728, respectively. Therefore, the are applied and the coupling coefficient with respect to different
effect of horizontal misalignment is quite significant. vertical misalignment for these cases are shown in the same
figure.
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systems. The physical models for both types of power pads are
built using ANSYS Maxwell 3D based on the recommended
physical dimensions in SAE J2954. For each type of power pads,
the vertical misalignment between transmitting and receiving
sides varies between 15 mm to 150 mm. Four horizontal
misalignment at 15 mm, 45 mm, 75 mm and 100 mm are also
applied. Parameters such as the coupling coefficient, mutual
inductance, magnetic field intensity, magnetic flux density are
investigated for both types of power pads. Simulation result
indicates that DD power pads exhibit impressive potentiality for
EV’s wireless charging system design.
Fig. 9. Variation of coupling coefficient when both vertical and horizontal
misalignment are applied to circular power pads.
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