KI Specification Progress
Following the success of the Qi wireless charging standard, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is working on a new standard for wirelessly powering kitchen appliances.
The Ki Cordless Kitchen standard aims to do for kitchen appliances what Qi did for mobile phones: removing the need for power cords. However, besides just eliminating the messiness and potential safety hazards of cords around the kitchen, the Ki Cordless Kitchen provides additional benefits that will revolutionize food preparation. Cordless appliances are more convenient to clean and easier to use. Under-counter transmitters make better use of limited counter top space, adding to cooking convenience. And, the two-way communication between the appliance and the power transmitter adds the potential for smart cooking features.
The Ki Spec Group made significant progress in 2022, completing the fifth and sixth of the ten books that make up the specification, with the seventh book coming soon.
“We have made tremendous progress,” says Hans Kablau, Chair of the Ki Spec Group and Household and Industry SWG. “We have finished the Power Delivery book earlier this year. This is the heart of the spec, enabling independent design of interoperable power transmitters and cordless appliances up to 2.2 kilowatts. It defines key requirements for the construction of power transmitters and receivers, and carefully sets out how power is delivered. This is what standardization is all about: technical proposals are judged on their merits and the best possible solutions are selected for the specification."
The Ki Spec Group has just completed the Foreign Object Detection book. “This is an important part of the specification," Kablau said. "It describes how transmitters can identify external objects such as metals and avoid them being heated by the wireless power transfer. This feature is important for safety, which makes it a critical part of the the Ki standard, along with interoperability."
Finally, the Ki Spec Group is about to complete the Protocol Book. “This book describes all information exchange between Ki transmitters and Ki cordless appliances which is needed to achieve full interoperability,” Kablau said.
The Ki Spec Group continues its work to finalize the Ki specifications and to develop certification tests, document reference designs, and make plans for plugfests.
Early access to the specifications will be crucial to start development of cordless appliances and transmitters. The draft Ki specifications are available for review by members of the Wireless Power Consortium only. Companies wishing to get early access to the specifications or to help determine its contents are encouraged to join the WPC.
For more information, see the Ki Cordless Kitchen web page. Appliance and transmitter manufacturers interested in getting involved should become a member of the WPC, or contact the WPC if you would like more information.
