Abstract
The high rate at which Electric Vehicles (EVs) are
being adopted all over the world has greatly raised the need to
have power charging infrastructure that is efficient, automated,
and user-friendly. The traditional wired charging systems despite
their extensive application are faced with a number of constraints
which include manual operation, mechanical failure and wear
and tear, non-automation and non-intelligent parking control.
Such disadvantages lower the efficiency and user-friendliness,
particularly in a very dense urban setting.
To overcome these issues, this project suggests a hi-tech
Automated Wireless Power Transfer System with Smart Parking
Management. The system will accommodate two parking slots,
where two vehicles can be charged at the same time or they can
be charged selectively and space is used efficiently. It integrates
automation by hardware with smart sensing to form a smooth
charging experience.
The system has a central control unit, an Arduino Uno
microcontroller. It keeps track of the readings of several Infrared
(IR) sensors placed at every parking slot. The sensors detect
the presence or absence of a vehicle by detecting a break in
the infrared signals. According to such detection, the system
automatically identifies slot occupancy and sets the availability
status, which is graphically displayed to users in LED indicators
(e.g., green when available, red when occupied).
In the case of wireless power transmission, the system utilizes
electromagnetic induction principle. The transmitter circuit (a
circuit based on transistors) is a high-frequency oscillator that
produces an alternating magnetic field in a primary coil. When
an automobile with a second coil is placed in a close proximity
(usually 1-2 cm), this magnetic field creates an electric current
in the receiver coil and this way, wireless transfer of energy
is possible without the use of physical connectors. This will
reduce energy losses associated with mechanical connections and
increase safety by removing exposed conductive components.
A relay-based switching mechanism is also embedded in the
system permitting the independent control of every charging slot.
This will ensure that power is only supplied to the occupied
slot hence enhancing energy efficiency, and unnecessary power
consumption is prevented. The Arduino-controlled relay module
dynamically switches between slots according to sensor inputs to
ensure reliable and automated operation.
The prototype also uses a low-voltage input (e.g. 9V DC)
and provides a constant output between 2 and 5V, so it can be
used in both demonstration and small-scale usage. The system
performs optimally with a small air gap, and exhibits moderate
power transfer efficiency, which can be improved with resonant
inductive coupling methods.
On the whole, the solution is a low cost, scalable, and smart
solution to EV charging infrastructure. It not only makes the
charging process simpler but also incorporates smart parking
control, which makes it very appropriate in urban applications.
Moreover, the system can be greatly enhanced in the future,
including the possibility to be connected to Internet of Things
(IoT) systems to provide remote monitoring, mobile applications
used to book slots, automatic billing systems, and high-efficiency resonant wireless charging technologi