An Efficient Magnetic Coupler with Tight Coupling, Precise Alignment, and Low Leakage Shielding for UAV Wireless Charging

In this paper, an efficient magnetic coupler featuring tight coupling and precise alignment is proposed for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wireless charging systems. The design integrates ArUco markers for accurate landing guidance, a position-limiting guide groove to facilitate mechanical alignment, and a dual-coil tightly coupled configuration to significantly enhance charging efficiency. Specifically, the dual-coil structure is carefully optimized to maximize magnetic coupling and energy transfer performance. Additionally, an improved electromagnetic shielding structure is implemented to reduce electromagnetic leakage and further improve system efficiency. A suitable wireless charging circuit topology is then designed and thoroughly analyzed to match the proposed magnetic coupler, enabling constant-voltage charging operation. The performance of the system is validated through both finite element simulations using ANSYS Maxwell and experimental testing on a prototype setup. Results demonstrate that the integration of ArUco-based visual guidance with the mechanical alignment mechanism achieves a landing deviation of ±12.5 mm without requiring auxiliary positioning components, thereby simplifying system architecture. Under the tightly coupled configuration, the proposed system delivers 78.8 W of charging power to a UAV with a peak efficiency of 95.93%, confirming its effectiveness and high performance.