Wireless-Sensor Communication Based Wireless-Charging Coil Positioning System for UAVs With Maximum Power Point Tracking

Abstract

Drone is a piece of power-hungry equipment whose battery drains within the first few minutes of its takeoff, and the user has to physically change the battery to a fully charged one. Implementation of wireless power transfer (WPT) in unmanned aerial vehicles has started becoming a reality. However, the technology is prone to many problems, especially misalignment between transmitter and receiver coils. The WPT system faces a sudden decline in power transfer with few millimeters of lateral misalignment between the transmitter and the receiver coil. The proposed sensor-based tracking system creates a two-way communication between the transmitter and the receiver coil systems for exchanging maximum power point information. The transmitter coil is adjusted directly beneath the receiver coil for maximum power transfer. The proposed WPT charging system reduces the misalignment issue by a significant factor and achieves maximum coupling efficiency. At 10 mm vertical distance, 0 mm lateral displacement between transmitter and receiver coils, the system achieved 91.3% power transfer efficiency by wirelessly receiving 70 W of power. The system offers practical, autonomous charging use cases in surveying, agriculture, and mapping applications.