Wireless Power Transfer for Underwater Vehicles

Abstract

Wireless power transfer (WPT) through magnetic resonance coupling (MRC) offers a safe and simple solution for underwater (UV) vehicles without being affected by water conductivity. Due to its ease of control in WPT systems, the most suitable topology is Serial-Serial (SS). In this study, square transmitting and receiving coils with dimensions of 40 cm-40 cm were designed for 3.3 kW power transmission at 85 kHz. The design was studied in the air, pure water, and seawater environments. Three different cases were analyzed with ANSYS Maxwell 3D. The WPT system responded similarly in air and pure water environments. However, it was determined that the eddy current loss increased, the mutual inductance decreased, the coupling factor weakened, and the critical air gap decreased by about 0.2 cm in the seawater environment. The results showed that the WPT system's efficiency was similar for air and pure water but tolerably lower in the marine environment. Further, the health effects of the WPT design were examined through the ANSYS HFSS, in line with the IEEE standard and ICNIRP guidelines.