Application of Shielding Coils in Underwater Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Underwater wireless power transfer (WPT) technology can enhance the endurance of the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). WPT that based on electromagnetic theory will generate eddy current loss (ECL) in seawater. In this paper, we make use of shielding coils to weaken the electromagnetic field (EMF) in seawater, which can reduce ECL and improve the transfer efficiency. Simplified circuit models were proposed to provide an intuitive and comprehensive analysis of the transfer efficiency and the finite element analysis (FEA) was used to simulate the distribution of EMF. We learn that the system with shielding coils performs better when the operating frequency is relatively high by comparing the power transfer efficiency of the underwater WPT systems with and without the shielding, and its maximum efficiency is higher than the system without shielding. The effect of the shielding coils has the similar influence when compared with the metallic plate. While considering the efficiency and weight of coils, the results show that the shielding coils can be used in the underwater WPT system to improve the power transfer efficiency.