Polyphase contactless induction power transfer system for transferring electrical power across gap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11489367-B2
Application number	US-201916437744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Jun 11, 2019
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

An inductive power transfer system is used for transferring electrical power across a gap, such as an air gap or a liquid gap, such as to unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs). The power transfer system is a polyphase system that creates a travelling magnetic field in the air or liquid gap, implementing a resonant electro-magnetic (EM) field to allow larger gap separations and less precise alignments. The power transfer system may have a polyphase dynamoelectric machine attached to primary mechanical-inertial storage device with multiple stator and rotor ports connected to a polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitter apparatus. The system may be of use in transferring power to underwater vehicles in a subsea salt water environment. Such a power transfer system may part of a larger system for underwater power transfer, for instance at depths of at least 10 km, and/or at distances of 1 to 50 km.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power transfer system comprising:
a polyphase dynamoelectric machine, wherein the dynamoelectric machine includes multiple electrical ports, including primary and secondary electrical ports; wherein the ports include multiple secondary output ports;
a mechanical-inertial energy storage device coupled to the polyphase dynamoelectric machine;
polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitters coupled to respective of the multiple secondary output ports; wherein the multiple secondary electrical output ports provide output power having a first frequency to the polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitters; and
polyphase traveling-wave power receivers inductively coupled to the transmitters; wherein the polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitters transmit electrical power having a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency to the polyphase traveling-wave receivers; wherein the polyphase traveling-wave receivers provide the electrical power to loads.

2. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the ports further include a primary input port; and further comprising a DC-AC power converter coupled to the primary input port that derives power from a power generation source, through a transmission line configured to provide variable-frequency power to the primary input port.

3. The power transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the polyphase dynamoelectric machine further includes respective electrical resonant circuits between the secondary output ports and the respective of the polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitters, configured to enhance power transfer efficiency to the transmitter.

4. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical-inertial energy storage device includes a flywheel that is operatively coupled to a rotor of the dynamoelectric machine, with the energy storage device configured to have substantially equal charge and discharge rates to and from the flywheel.

5. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamoelectric machine and the mechanical-inertial energy storage device are fully bidirectional in power and energy flow, and capable of returning energy to a power generation source and capable of directing energy to loads coupled to the receivers.

6. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the induction transmitters accept input power over a range of frequencies, and create a traveling magnetic wave with a corresponding range of traveling speeds, to enable the transmitters to produce a controllable longitudinal propulsive force on the receivers.

7. The power transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the induction transmitters each have at least four poles.

8. The power transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the induction transmitters have a pole pitch of at least 15 cm (6 inches).

9. The power transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the receivers are configured to use the longitudinal propulsive force to assist docking between the transmitters and the receivers.

10. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamoelectric machine is a wound DC-field synchronous machine, with controllable excitation.

11. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamoelectric machine is a permanent magnet synchronous machine.

12. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamoelectric machine is a doubly-fed induction machine.

13. The power transfer system of claim 12 , wherein the dynamoelectric machine is a wound DC-field synchronous machine, with controllable excitation; and further comprising an electrochemical energy storage device operatively coupled to the rotor, for providing variable-frequency excitation or direct-current excitation to the rotor.

14. The power transfer system of claim 1 , wherein one of the receivers is a vehicle receiver that is part of a vehicle.

15. The power transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle receiver is operatively coupled to an additional energy storage device, which serves to provide electrical power to one of the loads, in addition to the power provided by the vehicle receiver.

16. The power transfer system of claim 15 , wherein the additional energy storage device includes a pulse forming network, which is configured to shape and control electrical pulses for power the one of the loads.

17. The power transfer system of claim 15 , wherein the additional energy storage device includes an electrochemical energy storage device, which is configured to provide power to the one of the loads, and is rechargeable by the vehicle receiver.

18. The power transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the coupling between the vehicle receiver and the one of the transmitters allows for bidirectional energy transfer in either direction across a liquid or gaseous gap.

19. A method of electric power control between a power transfer system and a vehicle, the method comprising:
inductively coupling, across a liquid or gaseous gap, a polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitter of the power transfer system, and a receiver of the vehicle; and
providing power to one of the transmitter or the receiver, for transfer of the power to the other of the transmitter or the receiver; wherein the providing power to the one of the transmitter or the receiver includes providing power from a dynamoelectric machine that is electrically coupled to the transmitter; and further comprising providing bidirectional power to the dynamoelectric machine from a power source, and from the dynamoelectric machine to the power source, with excess energy from an energy storage device of the vehicle capable of being returned to the power source.

20. A power transfer system comprising:
a power source;
a pair of polyphase dynamoelectric machines operatively coupled to the power source; and
a pair of transmitter-receiver pairs operatively coupled to respective of the dynamoelectric machines; wherein each of the transmitter-receiver pairs includes:
a polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitter; and
a polyphase travelling-wave power receiver inductively coupled to the transmitter, wherein the polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitter transmits electrical power having a frequency that is higher than a frequency of an input power received by the polyphase traveling-wave inductive power transmitter; wherein the polyphase traveling-wave power receiver provides electrical power to loads.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Kuznetsov Stephen

Classifications

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• B60L53/12

  Inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02K41/025

  Asynchronous motors · CPC title

• Y02E60/16

  Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids · CPC title