Power transmission device

• US 10,549,652 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Deguchi, Futoshi, Koyanagi, Yoshio, Eguchi, Kazuhiro, Okamoto, Katsuya, Hasaba, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Borroto, Alfonso Perez
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas G
• Application Number:
  US15/746,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 19/00 Marine propulsion not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/502 the energy repeater being integrated together with the emitter or the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power transmission device is configured to transmit power underwater to an underwater vehicle having a power reception coil. The power transmission device includes a power transmission coil configured to transmit power to the power reception coil through a magnetic field, a power transmission unit configured to transmit an alternating current voltage having a frequency a 10 kHz or lower to the power transmission coil, and a first capacitor connected to the power transmission coil and configured to form a resonance circuit resonating at the frequency with the power transmission coil.

Claims

1. A power transmission device configured to transmit power underwater to an underwater vehicle having a power reception coil, the power transmission device comprising:

a power transmission coil configured to transmit power to the power reception coil through a magnetic field;

a power transmission unit configured to transmit an alternating current voltage having a frequency of 10 kilohertz (kHz) or lower to the power transmission coil;

a first capacitor connected to the power transmission coil and configured to form a resonance circuit resonating at the frequency with the power transmission coil;

at least one repeating coil configured to transmit power to the power reception coil using the magnetic field generated from the power transmission coil;

at least one second capacitor connected to the at least one repeating coil and configured to form a resonance circuit resonating at the frequency with the at least one repeating coil;

a connector disposed underwater and configured to connect the power transmission coil and the at least one repeating coil to each other with a gap; and

another connector configured to connect the at least one repeating coil to each other with a gap, wherein the at least one repeating coil are disposed substantially parallel to each other, and more than half of opening surfaces formed by the at least one repeating coil overlap to each other.

2. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission coil is disposed underwater,

the power transmission device further comprising:

an electrical wire that connects the power transmission coil and the power transmission unit through a connecting device.

3. The power transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein a distance of the gap between the at least one repeating coil is greater than or equal to a radius of each of the at least one repeating coil.

4. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission coil is configured to transmit power in a direction substantially perpendicular to a water surface.

5. The power transmission device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a reflection coil configured to reflect a magnetic field generated from the power transmission coil to a water bottom.

6. The power transmission device according to claim 5, wherein the reflection coil is provided between the power transmission coil and the water surface.

7. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission coil is configured to transmit power in a direction along a water surface or a water bottom.

8. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission coil is configured to transmit data in addition to the power.

9. A power transmission device configured to transmit power underwater to an underwater vehicle having a power reception coil, the power transmission device comprising:

a power transmission coil configured to transmit power to the power reception coil through a magnetic field;

a power transmission unit configured to transmit an alternating current voltage having a frequency of 10 kilohertz (kHz) or lower to the power transmission coil;

a first capacitor connected to the power transmission coil and configured to form a resonance circuit resonating at the frequency with the power transmission coil;

at least one repeating coil configured to transmit power to the power reception coil using the magnetic field generated from the power transmission coil;

at least one second capacitor connected to the at least one repeating coil and configured to form a resonance circuit resonating at the frequency with the at least one repeating coil;

a connector disposed underwater and configured to connect the power transmission coil and the at least one repeating coil to each other with a gap; and

another connector configured to connect the at least one repeating coil to each other with a gap, wherein a distance of the gap between the at least one repeating coil is greater than or equal to a radius of each of the at least one repeating coil.

10. The power transmission device according to claim 9, wherein the power transmission coil is disposed underwater,

the power transmission device further comprising:

an electrical wire that connects the power transmission coil and the power transmission unit through a connecting device.