High Power and High Freedom Platform Type Undersea Wireless Power Transfer Station Without Ferrite Core for AUVs

Abstract

This article provides a 5000-W high antimisalignment platform-type undersea wireless power transfer (UWPT) station for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Compared with the docking type or cage-type UWPT methods, the presented UWPT system could highly improve the freedom of the charging AUVs. The docking structure design will also be less difficult. The S/S resonant compensation network is adopted to improve the transfer efficiency and power level. The pressure resistant and corrosion-resistant hull with the acrylic plastic glazing material is designed which could work in depth more than 20 m. Compared with the metal material, the acrylic plastic glazing material will highly reduce the interference on the electromagnetic fields and improve the power transfer efficiency. A 5000-W power-level UWPT prototype is built to verify the theory analysis. The simulation and experiments are conducted. The simulated and experimental results show that the presented UWPT system could achieve robust operation performance with the air medium and seawater medium. The maximum efficiency in the air is 94.81%, and the maximum efficiency in the seawater is 91.46% without the ferrite core. The presented UWPT system will not have the piezomagnetic effect of the ferrite core which is caused by sea pressure. The output voltage fluctuation is less than 1.6% which is suitable for charging AUVs.