Structural shroud for embedded wireless charger
A roadway section for enabling dynamic wireless power transfer to a vehicle. The roadway section includes pavement material defining a driving surface for the vehicle, a wireless power charger including an electrically-conductive element embedded in the pavement material, and a shroud at least partially circumscribing the electrically-conductive element. The electrically-conductive element may be in electrical communication with a power supply and may emit a magnetic field for dynamic wireless power transfer to the vehicle. The shroud may have an external surface, and at least a portion of the external surface may have a micro-textured profile integrating the shroud with the pavement material surrounding the shroud, thus assisting with adherence to the pavement material of the roadway section.
1 . A roadway section for enabling dynamic wireless power transfer to a vehicle, the roadway section comprising:
pavement material defining a driving surface for the vehicle;
a wireless power charger embedded in the pavement material and comprising an electrically-conductive element, the electrically-conductive element being in electrical communication with a power supply and configured to emit a magnetic field for dynamic wireless power transfer to the vehicle; and
a shroud at least partially circumscribing the electrically-conductive element, the shroud having an external surface, wherein at least a portion of the external surface has a micro-textured profile integrating the shroud with the pavement material surrounding the shroud.
2 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an Rq or RMS of at least 200.
3 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an Rq or RMS of at least 560.
4 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an Rq or RMS of at least 720.
5 . The roadway section of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an Rq or RMS of at least 900.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface is at least 20% of the external surface.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the external surface also has a macro-shaped non-planar cross-sectional profile with a sawtooth, a square wave, or a sinusoidal wave pattern.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the external surface also has a macro-shaped non-planar cross-sectional profile that is corrugated.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the external surface also has a macro-shaped non-planar cross-sectional profile at least partially formed by scoring.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the scoring forms at least one channel and at least one corresponding ridge.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the scoring forms on the external surface a grid of at least one of channels and ridges.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pavement material comprises concrete.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the shroud is chemically and electrically inert in the concrete.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the shroud comprises carbon fiber or fiberglass.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shroud is made of electrically-insulating material.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shroud has a lower segment comprising magnetic shielding material.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the shroud has an upper segment opposite the lower segment, wherein the upper segment of the shroud is free of magnetic-shielding materials.
18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an R a of at least 25 μm.
19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the external surface has a microtexture with a roughness with an R a of at least 50 μm.
20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pavement material comprises a precast pavement slab having a plurality of sides, further comprising a plurality of load-transferring connectors embedded along a side of the plurality of sides and attached to an adjacent structure, the plurality of load-transferring connectors being configured to transfer load on the precast slab corresponding to the passing vehicle between the precast slab and the adjacent structure.