Omnidirectional Misalignment Tolerant An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System with Conform Magnetic Coupler
Zuo Zhiping1, Li Yingjie1, Peng Bo1, Dai Xin1, Chen Shaonan2,3
1. College of Automation Chongqing University Chongqing 400044 China; 2. Southern Power Grid Corporation Wireless Power Transmission Joint Laboratory Nianning 530023 China; 3. Guangxi Power Grid Energy Technology Co. Ltd Nianning 530006 China
Abstract：An unmanned aerial vehicle wireless power transfer (UAV-WPT) system is susceptible to planar and rotational misa02 during UAV landing, resulting in unstable charging. Moreover, existing couplers exhibit poor compatibility with UAV tripods, making it challenging to achieve a conformal design. This paper proposes an omnidirectional misalignment-tolerant UAV-WPT system based on a conformal coupler. The transmitter consists of two coaxially wound solenoid coils connected in series, while the receiver comprises two vertically oriented solenoid coils wound in the same direction and connected in series. This design enables the transmitting coil to generate a ring-shaped, enhanced, uniform magnetic field, significantly improving misalignment tolerance. Additionally, the receiver’s adaptability to various UAV tripod configurations enhances the system’s flexibility and conformability. First, the architecture of an omnidirectional, highly misalignment-tolerant UAV-WPT system based on a conformal magnetic coupler is introduced. The system comprises a DC power supply, a full-bridge inverter, a transmitter resonant compensation network, transmitting coils, receiving coils, a receiver resonant compensation network, a synchronous rectifier filter circuit, a load, and a PID control unit. Next, a magnetic field model of the coupler is established using the Biot-Savart law. The magnetic field distribution and the underlying physical principle enabling high misalignment tolerance are analyzed. The theoretical analysis is validated through COMSOL simulations. Furthermore, a circuit model of the system is developed based on Kirchhoff's Voltage Law, followed by an in-depth evaluation of the system’s misalignment tolerance and coupler conformity. Finally, the impact of coupler parameters on system performance is examined. A structured design flowchart is provided along with the final optimized coupler parameters. A COMSOL simulation model is developed. Simulation results indicate that the mutual inductance decreases by no more than 1.2 μH under ±20 mm misalignment along the x-axis, y-axis, and θR=45° radial directions. When the receiver shifts 20 mm along these directions and subsequently rotates from 0° to 180° around point O′, the mutual inductance variation remains within 0.3 μH. Additionally, when the receiver's tilt angle changes from 0° to 20°, the mutual inductance decreases by only 0.325 μH. An experimental platform is constructed. Experimental results demonstrate that the system maintains a stable output voltage of 25.16 V and achieves an efficiency of 86.6% under ±20 mm planar misalignment. Furthermore, with a rotational misalignment of 180°, the system continues to deliver a constant output voltage of 25.16 V, with efficiency ranging from 85% to 90.2%. Unlike existing designs, the proposed conformal coupler generates a uniform, annularly enhanced magnetic field, which significantly improves the system’s tolerance to planar and rotational misalignments. Moreover, the receiver of the proposed magnetic coupler is highly adaptable, accommodating UAVs equipped with pole-type, inverted-π, and inverted-T tripods. This enhanced compatibility broadens the system’s applicability, making it suitable for various UAV tripod configurations.
左志平, 李英杰, 彭博, 戴欣, 陈绍南. 基于共形式磁耦合机构的全方向偏移容忍性无人机无线电能传输系统[J]. 电工技术学报, 2025, 40(14): 4355-4368.
Zuo Zhiping, Li Yingjie, Peng Bo, Dai Xin, Chen Shaonan. Omnidirectional Misalignment Tolerant An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System with Conform Magnetic Coupler. Transactions of China Electrotechnical Society, 2025, 40(14): 4355-4368.
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