Advanced Magnetic Coupler Design With Multi-Directional Anti-Misalignment Capabilities for Wireless Charging Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This brief introduces a design of the magnetic coupler tailored for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), distinguished by its robust capability to counteract misalignments, ensuring consistent and reliable charging. This resilience extends beyond mere angular misalignment, also encompassing x - and y - deviations, a testament to the efficacy of the presented magnetic coupling design. The transmitter (T-X) incorporates eight solenoid coils, establishing a magnetic field that spans from the core to the periphery. To capitalize on this magnetic field, two rectangular coils have been strategically mounted on the landing gears, aligning with the inherent geometry and space constraints of standard commercial UAV landing apparatus. The employment of air-core receivers also serves to mitigate on-board weight. This meticulously crafted coupling mechanism empowers the system with an impressive capacity to accommodate a full 360 degrees of angular misalignments, in addition to a considerable horizontal offset range of (-50 mm, -50 mm) <= O = (x, y) <= (50 mm, 50 mm). Both finite element analysis (FEA) and an experimental prototype have been employed in this brief. The outcomes align congruently with theoretical projections, showcasing output voltage variations of +/- 0.3%, +/- 1.8%, and +/- 1.4% for angular, x -axis, and y -axis misalignments, respectively.