An Optimization Approach for Efficiency and Interoperability Enhancement of WPT Systems for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have emerged as a significant application. However, the eddy current loss generated in seawater considerably reduces the efficiency, exacerbated by variations in parameter designs between the transmitter and receiver, further undermining interoperability. After analyzing the factors influencing the eddy current loss, this paper proposes an optimization approach to enhance efficiency in underwater WPT systems. The approach can distribute uniform currents flowing through transmitting and receiving coils by adjusting internal and external phase shift angles, reducing eddy electric fields. Additionally, the proposed approach demonstrates significant improvements in interoperability, which is also applicable in air WPT systems. Underwater WPT experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and the accuracy of the established model. It can be seen from the experimental results that the proposed method can significantly enhance the system efficiency.