Modular IPT Charging Systems for Drone Applications

This work presents the study, design, and simulation of a modular series-series compensated Inductive Power Transfer system tailored to charging Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, in particular drones used in modern applications. As battery-powered devices, drones face limitations in flight time and operational continuity. Wireless Power Transfer emerges as a promising solution for autonomous and safe energy replenishment. The first part of the work is devoted to providing a general overview of all the components involved in a UAV-WPT network, analyzing the structure and employment of modern drones, the evolution of WPT technologies, and current WPT industry standards (such as WPC Qi). A comprehensive market analysis of drones was carried out to define key electrical and mechanical parameters, guiding the dimensioning of the modular charging system rated at 100-120 W total power, with each module delivering approximately 33 W. Emphasis is placed on the design of coils and magnetic analysis via FEMM of market-ready solutions. The defined Tr30-Re50 with ferrite disk configuration was identified as the best-performing geometry. An interconnected and cooperative environment made up of Plexim PLECS, MathWorks MATLAB and Microsoft Excel was designed and served as the basis for the reasoning and results analysis of a solid 90'000 simulations batch. The built-from-scratch PLECS implementation allowed the evaluation of system behavior, with focus on power transfer and voltage across the load ripple, in different displacement (between the modules) scenarios: no displacement, equal displacement, half-period equal displacement, and random displacement. Another aspect under study has been the quantification of the impact of uncertainties on compensation capacitances. Outcomes highlight the importance of a proper module displacement control strategy and the benefit of frequency shifting to mitigate uncertainty on the component values' impact on the system performance.