The Misalignment Tolerance in Square and Hexagonal Matrix Capacitive Power Transfer Systems: A Comparative Study

ABSTRACT

2D misalignment remains a major challenge in capacitive power transfer systems, as it limits the power transfer capability and spatial freedom of the receiver. One promising solution to enhance the misalignment tolerance is a multi‐plate transmitter, which preserves the use of a compact two‐plate receiver. Unlike multi‐coil inductive power transfer systems, the optimal design considerations for multi‐plate capacitive power transfer systems, particularly in terms of plate geometry and cell size, remain unexplored, leaving the true potential of these structures unclear. To unravel this potential, this work quantifies and compares the influence of 2D misalignment on the pi‐model capacitances of a multi‐plate hexagonal and square matrix capacitive power transfer system. A simulation environment, validated through analytical modeling and measurements, evaluates the effects of lateral and rotational misalignment and identifies the worst and best coupling conditions for both matrix structures and various cell dimensions. The results show that for transmitter–receiver plate ratios below 80%, the hexagonal structure reduces mutual coupling capacitance variation by less than 5.84% compared to the square configuration. For larger plate ratios, the difference in misalignment tolerance becomes more pronounced, reaching 9.3% at a plate ratio of 100%. These findings quantify the misalignment tolerance improvement offered by a hexagonal matrix structure and provide design guidance for selecting appropriate cell sizes and geometries based on application requirements.