Radiated emissions testing of space wireless electric power transfer systems

Lately there has been a growing interest in the wireless power transfer systems (WPT) research. However, little (if any) has been researched on the effects of these systems into other sub-systems or devices. Since the principle of operation is by inducing a magnetic field to transfer power wirelessly, electromagnetic emissions could damage or induce a monetary error in other systems. This study was performed to enhance the understanding of how WPT systems should be tested to determine if they are electromagnetically compatible with other systems operating in close proximity. Since the primary focus of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using wireless power transfer systems for space applications, a WPT prototype was tested following military standard guidelines (used for NASA space applications). A WPT prototype (~4W) was tested to demonstrate the described approach. Results showed that the system radiated magnetic and electric fields that where within the limits established by the Mil-Std-461E. A similar approach can be taken to determine household WPT systems EMC compliance by applying the Federal Communications Commission and the Comité Européen standards.