Wireless Drone Charging Station Using Class-E Power Amplifier in Vertical Alignment and Lateral Misalignment Conditions

Aqeel Mahmood Jawad,Sadik Kamel Gharghan,Haider Mahmood Jawad,Nor Fadzilah Abdullah,Rosdiadee Nordin,Asma’ Abu-Samah,Mahmood Jawad Abu-Alshaeer

doi:10.3390/en15041298

Abstract

Recent major advancements in drone charging station design are related to the differences in coil design between the material (copper or aluminum) and inner thickness (diameter design) to address power transfer optimization and increased efficiency. The designs are normally challenged with reduced weight on the drone’s side, which can lead to reduced payload or misalignment position issues between receiver and transmitter, limiting the performance of wireless charging. In this work, the coil combination was tested in vertical alignment from 2 cm to 50 cm, and in lateral misalignment positions that were stretched across 2, 5, 8, 10, and 15 cm ranges. Simulated and experimental results demonstrated improved transfer distances when the drone battery load was 100 Ω. With the proposed design, the vertical transfer power that was achieved was 21.12 W, 0.460 A, with 81.5% transfer efficiency, while the maximum lateral misalignment air gap that was achieved was 2 cm with 19.22 W and 74.15% efficiency. This study provides evidence that the developed circuit that is based on magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) is an effective technique towards improving power transfer efficiency across different remote and unmanned Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including drones for radiation monitoring and smart agriculture.

Highlights

As the need for charging electronic devices continues to increase, so does the demand for energy as a necessary component of our daily lives [1]
Q), the the multi-tube spiral copper coil (MTSCC) and single-tube loop aluminum coil (STLAC) designs with related parameters, the transfer transfer efficiency efficiency link link and and maximum maximum wireless wireless power power efficiency
The magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) design was distinguished by combining the use of an STLAC on the receiver/drone with an MTSCC

Summary

Introduction

As the need for charging electronic devices continues to increase, so does the demand for energy as a necessary component of our daily lives [1]. Wireless power transmission (WPT) comprises different technologies for the transmission of electromagnetic (EM) energy through physical matter and objects, such as, air, water, or walls [2]. Unlike traditional wire-based power transmission, WPT technology is not constrained by cables and does not produce electrical sparks, enabling high mobility charging [3]. Wireless charging autonomy is the preferred method of energy pooling over short or medium ranges for devices, such as drones, after achieving close contact with a power source [6]. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) generally operate on high-powered batteries, such as Li-po batteries, resulting in limited flight times and shorter distance deployments. The exhaustion of the power source onboard the aircraft is one of the main challenges of these systems in the fixed missions of any UAV [7]. Equipping drones with a larger battery unit does not solve the problem as it increases the weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing the available weight for the payload, such as the coil, which is a critical element in WPT [8]

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