An Ultra-Fast Wireless Charging System with a Hull-Compatible Coil Structure for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) represent a safer and more economical solution than manned submersibles. One challenge impacting the convenience of using AUVs is the charging process. Specifically, the current charging methods are laborious and time consuming. Recently, inductive power transfer (IPT) has been proposed to address several of these challenges. In this paper, an ultra-fast inductive power transfer system is designed, based on a hull compatible coil structure. An 80kW system, which can charge a commercial AUV battery at 10C is designed and simulated. A scaled down prototype is also designed and constructed and achieves a peak power level of 5.18kW at 96.8% efficiency in saltwater. The system also demonstrates excellent 360-degree rotational misalignment tolerance, and high efficiency across the entire power range.