Air-core windings, which are free from core losses and flux saturation, are widely used in power conversion applications such as wireless power transfer, resonance converters, and induction heating. They are typically paired with compensating capacitors to form resonant tanks capable of handling ac currents. However, capacitor tolerances and winding misalignment often cause the system's optimal operating frequency to deviate from the designated frequency. Adjusting for this in real-time is challenging because most variable capacitors and inductors are not rated for high power. This paper introduces a motorized planar linkage structure that adjusts the winding's equivalent aperture, allowing for continuous inductance adjustment. This adjustment can be made during operation with a feedback system controlling the inductance to maintain the optimal operating point. An example of a misaligned wireless power transfer system demonstrates the benefit of this variable inductance, achieving optimal performance.
.jpg "Xindong Li, PhD (he/him/his) photo")
