Apparatus for wireless battery charger heat management
A roadway section comprises a body, a wireless battery charger, a leveling foot, and a thermal conduction coupler. The body includes rigid pavement. The wireless battery charger is embedded in the body and is configured to induce an electrical charge on a battery of a vehicle traveling on the roadway section. The leveling foot is embedded in the body and is configured to raise or lower a portion of the body with respect to the ground underneath the roadway section. The thermal conduction coupler is embedded in the body and extends between the wireless battery charger and the leveling foot.
1 . A roadway section comprising:
a body of rigid pavement;
a wireless battery charger embedded in the body and configured to induce an electrical charge on a battery of a vehicle traveling on the roadway section;
a leveling foot embedded in the body and configured to raise or lower a portion of the body with respect to the ground underneath the roadway section; and
a thermal conduction coupler embedded in the body and extending between the wireless battery charger and the leveling foot.
2 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the leveling foot includes
a column,
a body foot connected to the column and rigidly positioned in the body, and
a base foot connected to a first end of the column, the base foot configured to extend from or retract toward a lower surface of the body to raise or lower a portion of the roadway section.
3 . The roadway section of claim 2 , wherein each of the column, the body foot and the base foot is formed from thermally conductive material.
4 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the leveling foot includes a spike extending from the base foot.
5 . The roadway section of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement layer embedded within the body, the reinforcement layer configured to provide structural strength to the body.
6 . The roadway section of claim 5 , wherein the reinforcement layer is positioned between the wireless battery charger and a top surface of the body and the reinforcement layer is formed from non-magnetic-shielding material.
7 . The roadway section of claim 5 , wherein the thermal conduction coupler includes
a connecting arm which contacts the leveling foot and contacts a surface of the wireless battery charger, and
an extension that contacts the connecting arm and the reinforcement layer and provides a thermal conduction path from the wireless battery charger to the reinforcement layer.
8 . The roadway section of claim 5 , wherein the thermal conduction coupler includes a connecting arm which contacts the leveling foot and the reinforcement layer and provides a thermal conduction path from the wireless battery charger to the reinforcement layer and the leveling foot.
9 . The roadway section of claim 5 , wherein the reinforcement layer includes a grid of reinforcement bars.
10 . A roadway section comprising:
a body of rigid pavement;
a plurality of wireless battery chargers embedded in the body, each wireless battery charger configured to induce an electrical charge on a battery of a vehicle traveling on the roadway section;
a plurality of leveling feet, each leveling foot positioned in a vicinity of a successive corner of the body and configured to raise or lower a successive portion of the body with respect to the ground underneath the roadway section; and
a plurality of thermal conduction couplers embedded in the body and configured to conductively transfer heat from the wireless battery chargers to the leveling feet.
11 . The roadway section of claim 10 , wherein each leveling foot includes
a column,
a body foot engaged with the column and rigidly positioned in the body, and
a base foot connected to a first end of the column, the base foot configured to extend from or retract toward a lower surface of the body to raise or lower a portion of the roadway section.
12 . The roadway section of claim 11 , wherein each of the column, body foot and base foot is formed from thermally conductive material.
13 . The roadway section of claim 10 , wherein each thermal conduction coupler includes a connecting arm which contacts a successive one of the leveling feet.
14 . The roadway section of claim 13 , wherein the connecting arms of two thermal conduction couplers contact a surface of the wireless battery charger and provide thermal conduction paths from the wireless battery charger to the leveling feet.
15 . The roadway section of claim 10 , further comprising
an upper reinforcement layer embedded within the body and positioned above the wireless battery chargers, the upper reinforcement layer formed from non-ferrous material and configured to provide structural strength to the body; and
a lower reinforcement layer embedded within the body and positioned below the wireless battery chargers, the lower reinforcement layer configured to provide structural strength to the body.
16 . The roadway section of claim 15 , wherein each thermal conduction coupler includes
a connecting arm contacting a successive one of the leveling feet,
a first extension that contacts the connecting arm and the upper reinforcement layer, and
a second extension that contacts the connecting arm and the lower reinforcement layer.
17 . The roadway section of claim 16 , wherein the connecting arms of two thermal conduction couplers contact a surface of the wireless battery charger and provide thermal conduction paths from the wireless battery charger to the leveling feet and the reinforcement layers.
18 . A roadway section comprising:
a body of rigid pavement;
a plurality of wireless battery chargers embedded in the body, each wireless battery charger configured to induce an electrical charge on a battery of a vehicle traveling on the roadway section;
an upper reinforcement layer embedded in the body and formed from non-ferrous material and configured to provide structural strength to the body;
a lower reinforcement layer embedded in the body and configured to provide structural strength to the body;
a plurality of leveling feet, each leveling foot positioned in a vicinity of a successive corner of the body and configured to raise or lower a successive portion of the body with respect to the ground underneath the roadway section; and
a plurality of connecting arms embedded in the body and interposed between respective ones of the plurality of wireless battery chargers and respective ones of the plurality of the leveling feet.
19 . The roadway section of claim 18 , wherein each thermal conduction coupler includes
a connecting arm which is in contact with a successive one of the leveling feet,
a first extension that is in contact with the connecting arm and the upper reinforcement layer, and
a second extension that is in contact with the connecting arm and the lower reinforcement layer.
20 . The roadway section of claim 19 , wherein the connecting arms of two thermal conduction couplers contact a surface of the wireless battery charger and provide thermal conduction paths from the wireless battery charger to the leveling feet and the reinforcement layers.