Analysis, Design, and Maximum Power-Efficiency Tracking for Undersea Wireless Power Transfer

In this paper, a detailed analysis that yields in-depth insight into the design of an undersea wireless power transfer (UWPT) system is presented. Based on the analytical results, a methodology for an optimized coil design to increase the power transfer efficiency is presented. Owing to the constant motion experienced by a UWPT system, a necessary feature is the ability to operate at a multitude of distances without the need for manual tuning to maintain high efficiency. To address this, we propose a novel maximum power-efficiency tracking (MPET) method that uses k-nearest neighbors to estimate the system’s coupling coefficient and tracks the peak efficiency (> 85%) through an adaptive converter control. Simulation and experimental test results validate the effectiveness and robustness of MPET in achieving maximum WPT efficiency under a dynamic and uncertain undersea environment.