Optimized 3D Printed Wireless Charging Infrastructure for Underwater Autonomous Vehicle

In this paper, an innovative charging system for autonomous underwater vehicles is introduced. The proposed architecture aims to guarantee high conversion efficiencies even in the presence of seawater. For this purpose, the structure geometry has been designed and optimised to ensure a strong anchorage even in rough sea conditions. This has also been achieved by utilizing Neodymium magnets. The geometries of the primary and secondary coils have been optimized to maximize the magnetic coupling through iterative FEM simulations, by identifying the best position of Ferrite Powder. The structure has finally been prototyped using additive manufacturing, to get a lightweight structure, with a high strength-to-weight ratio, which is beneficial for underwater applications. The performance of the proposed system has been experimentally evaluated under several environmental conditions by making the device work in air, fresh water and salt water.