IET Power Electronics (Jul 2022)

Review of low‐loss wireless power transfer methods for autonomous underwater vehicles

  • Ben Zhang,
  • Wanli Xu,
  • Changbo Lu,
  • Yong Lu,
  • Xudong Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1049/pel2.12268
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 9
pp. 775 – 788

Abstract

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Abstract Comprehensive research on the wireless power transfer technology of autonomous underwater vehicles is necessary to address the issue of significant energy loss in such vehicles during wireless power transfer. Previous analysis on factors that affect wireless power transfer in seawater environment demonstrated that the eddy current loss generated during transmission and offset of the coupling mechanism are the main factors that degrade the efficiency. In this study, existing literature on wireless power transfer for autonomous underwater vehicles in recent years is reviewed, and it is concluded that the energy loss during underwater wireless power transfer can be effectively reduced through coupling mechanism optimization, adaptive control, and docking device design. This study analyses the challenges of low‐loss wireless power transfer for autonomous underwater vehicles and the prospects for future development trends and research areas, providing a reference for realizing efficient and flexible energy supply for autonomous underwater vehicles.