Series-series compensated inductive power transfer (SSIPT) systems have been widely studied and characterized for constant resistance loads (CRLs) and constant voltage loads (CVLs), but much less so for constant power loads (CPLs), although CPLs have numerous applications. In this work, we address some of the fundamental knowledge gaps for SSIPT/CPL systems that we believe have not been fully explored in the literature. First, we apply Middlebrook's stability criterion to derive a closed-form impedance-based stability condition for SSIPT/CPL systems. The derivation of the equilibrium solution is based on small-signal analysis and we show its consistency with intuitive results from perturbation-based arguments. Second, we show that the power transfer efficiency is minimum at the resonant frequency of the primary resonator. Third, the stability criterion is used to develop a straightforward approach for finding the operating frequency and input voltage that achieves near-maximum power transfer efficiency. This solution is useful as a starting point for a more meticulous parameter sweep to find the optimum input voltage and frequency values. Our analytical results are validated by performing frequency sweep measurements with two SSIPT experimental setups-one tuned to 165 kHz and the other to 6.78 MHz. We also provide an intuitive description and comparison of voltage-driven and current-driven CPLs. This topic is rarely treated in an intuitive manner and largely ignored, but we believe a solid conceptual understanding of voltage-driven and current-driven CPLs is beneficial for designers. INDEX TERMS Constant power load (CPL), Constant resistance load (CRL), Power transfer, Resonance, Series-series compensated inductive power transfer (SSIPT).

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Inductive power transfer (IPT) applications, such as stationary charging of electric vehicles (EVs), at least moderate coupling between the coils to achieve high efficiency, but the coefficient k typically varies between of 0.1 to 0.4, depending on the displacement of the coils according to SAE J2954. Thus, accurate and reliable methods for estimation of k are required for positioning of the EV to achieve optimal alignment with the charging pad. Additionally, in IPT, numerous control strategies are available for regulating output power and optimizing system efficiency that require an accurate estimate of the mutual inductance or k. However, existing estimation methods tend to require detailed a-priori information of a large number of circuit parameters, or they need measurement of currents or voltages in both primary and secondary sides. This paper presents a preliminary evaluation of a novel, primary-side method to estimate k, which is based solely on the frequency response of the input phase while operating the system in bifurcation. The method does not require any additional measurements of the system parameters. The theoretical background of the method is presented together with the description of the measurement procedure. The method is experimentally verified and compared with two currently used estimation methods. According to the presented experimental evaluation, the proposed method estimates k with an error of 3.62% with respect to the reference over the evaluated range of 0.08 to 0.36. In addition, we demonstrate that the presented method is resilient to detuning.

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