Rotating current collector for dynamic charging of electrical vehicles

Abstract: Cutting carbon emission from road transports worldwide is a key component in limiting global warming, and electrification is one of the most likely automotive technologies to achieve this goal. Therefore, Elonroad is developing an electric road system that will allow its users to charge while driving. This allows greater range and a reduction in battery sizes. This master thesis is therefore aiming to develop a new and improved current collector pick-up which is smaller, has great precision and the ability to follow the rail without fault. A user study has been conducted through interviews with experts, needs have been defined and several idea generating phases have been passed. Multiple concept selection phases and prototype evaluations, both digital and physical, have been done in order to develop the best possible solution for the pick-up. The prototype testing has been a large and important phase of the master thesis in order to validate the concept. A full-scale prototype was also the final goal for the project. The master thesis resulted in an entirely new and simple design of the pick-up, which allows two degrees of freedom for the pick-up to follow the electrical road even when a vehicle sways sideways while driving. The concept has a rotational solution which simplifies the movement. The pick-up arms are all controlled individually which creates modularity as another arm easily can be added to the concept depending on the vehicle.