Critical and Emerging Technologies (STEP) – DM 25/10/2024

National Program for Research, Innovation and Competitiveness 2021-27 (Fund for Sustainable Growth)

PROJECT TITLE: 

CUP CODE: B99J25000470005

Politecnico di Bari Budget: € 679.499,52

P.I. or Responsible U.R. : Prof. Mario Carpentieri

Partner: 

CARPENTERIA SALENTINA S.R.L. 

TECNOLOGIE STRADALI S.R.L. UNIPERSONALE 

PROJECT SYNTHESIS  

The Wi-Road project aims to develop an innovative infrastructural system for dynamic charging of electric vehicles through DWPT technology (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer), completely roadside. The goal is to design, realize, and validate a first integrated prototype in a controlled environment capable of transferring power inductively to moving electric vehicles, overcoming the current limitations of static charging.

The initiative consists of a coordinated series of industrial research and experimental development activities. Partners collaborate on the development of a scalable, modular, and interoperable system designed to withstand harsh operating conditions (heavy traffic, thermal excursions, atmospheric agents), maximizing energy efficiency while ensuring safety, durability, and electromagnetic compatibility.

The project is based on three main axes:

• the physical integration of DWPT components into the roadway, focusing on mechanical resistance and maintenance accessibility;

• the design and realization of the transmitter module, which includes converters, coils, resonant compensations, and intelligent control systems;

• the electromagnetic and functional modeling and optimization, culminating in the development of predictive activation strategies capable of dynamically adapting the system's behavior to real operational conditions.

The final objective is to obtain a pre-industrializable technological demonstrator, which represents a concrete foundation for future applications on an urban and extra-urban scale, promoting the spread of electric mobility in terms of environmental sustainability and operational autonomy.

OBJECTIVES

The final objective of the Wi-Road project is the development and validation in a controlled environment of an intelligent road infrastructure for dynamic charging of electric vehicles using DWPT technology (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer), fully located on the infrastructure side. The system will be capable of transferring energy wirelessly from the roadway to a moving electric vehicle, enabling continuous, sustainable, and zero local emission electric mobility, overcoming autonomy limits related to battery capacity and the need for stops for charging.

The project aims to create a functioning prototype on a test track, consisting of two main modules:

• a roadway module designed to physically and functionally integrate the transmitting subsystems within the pavement, ensuring compatibility with vehicular traffic, durability, and simplified maintenance.

• a transmitting module, containing power electronics, coils, and compensation circuits, equipped with dynamic activation logic and communication interfaces, which ensures optimal energy transfer to moving vehicles.

In parallel, the project includes activities in electromagnetic modeling, development of predictive control algorithms, and experimental validation of the system, with the involvement of academic and industrial partners with complementary expertise.

EXPECTED RESULTS 

The Wi-Road project aims to create a functioning prototype of a roadway system for dynamic wireless charging of electric vehicles. The main results will concern the design, integration, and experimentation, in a controlled environment, of a section of road infrastructure that hosts a fully operational DWPT (Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer) system.

Specifically, the project includes:

• the detailed design of the road surface with materials and configurations compatible with the presence of transmitting devices, without compromising the structural characteristics of the pavement;

• the development of the transmitting module, including electronic components and control logic for inductive energy transfer;

• the modeling and simulation of the electromagnetic behavior of the system under various traffic conditions and road configurations;

• the physical realization of a prototype segment equipped with the DWPT system and tested in a laboratory setting on a test track;

• and finally, the development of algorithms for the dynamic and predictive activation of transmitting segments, in order to optimize energy consumption and reduce potential interference.

The combination of these results will provide a concrete basis for the future implementation of the system on a larger scale, with applications in urban, logistics, and highway contexts.

The DWPT technology represents an emerging frontier in the field of electric mobility, but its actual application is still limited to a few pilot experiments. In this sense, the Wi-Road project stands out for its integrated infrastructural approach, combining expertise in road design, power electronics, and control systems.

Compared to the state of the art, the originality of the project does not lie in a single innovative component, but in the ability to coherently integrate multiple technologies, developing a complete, installable, testable, and potentially replicable system.

In addition to addressing the technical aspects of power transfer, the project aims to solve concrete problems related to pavement durability, maintenance, electromagnetic safety, and compatibility with existing vehicles. It is therefore not an incremental improvement of existing solutions, but a step forward towards a new type of infrastructure, designed to support the growth of electric mobility more effectively and sustainably.

At the European level, similar experiences have so far been limited to conceptual demonstrators. The Wi-Road project, on the other hand, aims to produce a tangible result, tested and ready to be integrated into future real infrastructure projects, also in collaboration with public entities or highway concessionaires.

Thanks to a solid design framework and a strong grounding in the technical expertise of the involved partners, Wi-Road can represent a true technological leap for the road infrastructure sector and for the entire electric charging supply chain.

In addition to improving the performance and flexibility of charging systems, the project will contribute to stimulating new solutions in the field of paving materials, embedded sensors, intelligent control systems, and interoperability models between vehicle and infrastructure. Looking forward, the results could also impact the urban logistics sector, electric public transport, and decarbonization policies in various regions..