In this paper, a contactless power transfer (CPT) system with a newly developed high-performance Z-source resonant inverter (HPZSRI) has been proposed. CPT systems with large air gap generate excessive leakage flux. Therefore, magnetic resonance coupling is widely used to reduce reactive power intake from the source. To achieve the same, high frequency resonant inverters are used in CPT systems. CPT technology is commonly employed for battery charging systems, for which constant voltage source is needed. Moreover, it is well known that the output voltage control of CPT systems is a major problem. In the proposed inverter for CPT systems, an additional Z-source network (ZSN) serves the purpose of output voltage control as well as power factor correction without any extra switching devices and control circuitry. Moreover, ZSN is suitable for high power applications since it is immune to shoot-through states, thereby enhancing stability and providing boost in output voltage without increasing dc link voltage.

Keywords: Contactless power transfer, Z-source network, Resonant inverter, Active state, Shoot-through state