2020 Volume 28 Issue 4 Pages 263-270
The seas around Japan are rich in energy and mineral resources. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that can move freely in the sea are effective for efficient investigation and utilization of these resources. AUVs are battery capacity-dependent and have a short time of activity, and must be pulled out of the sea each time they are recharged. This paper has examined the wireless power transfer technology in the sea for the efficient operation of AUVs. Experiments on wireless power transfer of high power in salt water have been conducted using a metal pressure vessel such as an AUV and transfer and receiving coils. We have shown that the proposal method has high degree of freedom of position and transfer efficiency. We also have studied the loss of wireless power transfer in the sea by simulation.
