The magic of wireless power for transportation

The magic of wireless power for transportation

For more than two decades The University of Auckland has been at the forefront of developing and commercialising wireless technology.

This research has proven that significant wireless power can be transferred over relatively large air-gaps efficiently and robustly.

The first solutions were applied to industrial applications for moving vehicles in factory clean rooms, industrial plants, and in theme parks, but more recently this research has helped develop technology that could impact us directly at home.

In his inaugural lecture, Professor Grant Covic from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Auckland will describe some of the early motivations behind this research. He will introduce some of the solutions which have been developed by the team of researchers at Auckland over two decades, many of which have found their way into the market.

He will also describe how the technology has recently been re-developed to enable battery charging of electric vehicles without the need to plug in, and alongside this how it has the potential to change the way we drive in the future.

Professor Covic’s research and consulting interests are focused on industrial solutions using inductive (contact-less) power transfer (IPT).

He began his research career at The University of Auckland in 1986 when he started his PhD. At completion he took up a lectureship in power electronics at the University and later in the mid 90s began working with Professor John Boys to develop the technology of IPT.

He has since published more than 100 international refereed papers in this field, worked with more than 40 postgraduates in IPT and filed over 35 patents all licensed to various global companies in specialised application fields of IPT.

In 2010 he co-founded (with Professor John Boys) a new global start-up company “HaloIPT” focusing on electric vehicle (EV) wireless charging infrastructure. This was sold to Qualcomm, a US research and development company, in 2011.

Grant heads inductive power research at The University of Auckland and co-leads the interoperability sub-team within the SAE J2954 wireless charging standard for EVs. He was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Commercialisation Medal in 2012 and recently received the KiwiNet commercialisation award in 2013 for research which has seen outstanding commercial success.

Professor Grant Covic’s inaugural lecture ‘The magic of wireless power for transportation’ will be held on Thursday 22 August 2013 from 5 - 6pm in Room 401.439 at the Faculty of Engineering Building, 20 Symonds Street. Please register at http://bit.ly/1e6ZNzo

The lecture will be followed by refreshments - all welcome.

ENDS

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