Underwater power and data transfer system
First Claim
1. A power and data transfer system, comprising:
- a primary inductive coupler comprising a flat front face, a primary core and a primary winding wound around the primary core;
a secondary inductive coupler and a secondary core, the secondary inductive coupler separated from the flat front face of the primary inductive coupler by a fluid disposed there in-between, the secondary inductive coupler comprising a secondary winding wound around the secondary core, wherein the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler are magnetically coupled;
a power source coupled to the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler and configured to generate a first voltage across the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler to generate a magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler, wherein generating the magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler induces a second voltage in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler;
a sensor configured to monitor at least one of a voltage and a current of an electrical signal supplied to a load based on the voltage induced in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler, and further configured to generate charging data characterizing the at least one of the monitored voltage and the monitored current of the electrical signal;
a controller coupled to the power source, and configured to adjust the first voltage generated in the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler based on the charging data; and
a primary antenna coupled to the controller and a secondary antenna coupled to the sensor, wherein each of the prima antenna and the secondary antenna is physically separated from and located away from both the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, respectively, such that the secondary antenna is configured to communicate the charging data to the primary antenna through a location which is different from magnetic coupling, that the fluid is disposed both between the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, and between the primary antenna and the secondary antenna.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to the embodiments provided herein, power and data transfer system may include a primary inductive, a secondary inductive coupler, a power source, and a controller. The primary inductive coupler may forms a flat front face. The primary inductive coupler may include a primary winding wound around a primary core. The primary core may be adjacent to the flat front face. The secondary inductive coupler may be separated from the flat front face of the primary inductive coupler by a fluid. The secondary inductive coupler may include a secondary winding. The power source may generate a current in the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler and a magnetic field in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler. The controller may execute machine readable instructions to receive charging data via a feedback loop and adjust the current based upon the charging data.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A power and data transfer system, comprising:
-
a primary inductive coupler comprising a flat front face, a primary core and a primary winding wound around the primary core; a secondary inductive coupler and a secondary core, the secondary inductive coupler separated from the flat front face of the primary inductive coupler by a fluid disposed there in-between, the secondary inductive coupler comprising a secondary winding wound around the secondary core, wherein the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler are magnetically coupled; a power source coupled to the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler and configured to generate a first voltage across the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler to generate a magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler, wherein generating the magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler induces a second voltage in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler; a sensor configured to monitor at least one of a voltage and a current of an electrical signal supplied to a load based on the voltage induced in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler, and further configured to generate charging data characterizing the at least one of the monitored voltage and the monitored current of the electrical signal; a controller coupled to the power source, and configured to adjust the first voltage generated in the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler based on the charging data; and a primary antenna coupled to the controller and a secondary antenna coupled to the sensor, wherein each of the prima antenna and the secondary antenna is physically separated from and located away from both the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, respectively, such that the secondary antenna is configured to communicate the charging data to the primary antenna through a location which is different from magnetic coupling, that the fluid is disposed both between the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, and between the primary antenna and the secondary antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. The power and data transfer system of claim″
- , wherein the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler is potted in epoxy, such that the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler are waterproof and pressure tolerant.
-
18. An underwater power and data transfer system, comprising:
-
a primary inductive coupler comprising a flat front face, wherein the primary inductive coupler comprises a primary winding wound around a primary core of the primary inductive coupler; a secondary inductive coupler separated from the flat front face of the primary inductive coupler by water disposed there in-between, the secondary inductive coupler comprising a secondary winding wound around a secondary core, wherein the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler are magnetically coupled; primary resonant components coupled to the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler and configured to provide a voltage to the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler to generate a magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler, wherein generating the magnetic field in the secondary core of the secondary inductive coupler induces a voltage in the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler; secondary resonant components coupled to the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler and configured to generate an electrical signal based on the voltage at the secondary winding of the secondary inductive coupler, wherein the secondary resonant components are further coupled to a load, and wherein the secondary resonant components are tuned to resonate at a substantially similar frequency as the primary resonant components, and a power converter configured to condition the electrical signal according to one or more charging parameters of the load to generate a conditioned electrical signal; a sensor configured to monitor at least one of a voltage and a current of the conditioned electrical signal supplied to the load and to generate charging data characterizing the at least one of the monitored voltage and the monitored current of the electrical signal; a controller configured to adjust the voltage provided by the primary resonant components to the primary winding of the primary inductive coupler based upon the charging data; and a primary antenna coupled to the controller and a secondary antenna coupled to the sensor, wherein each of the primary antenna and the secondary antenna is physically separated from and located away from both the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, respectively, such that the secondary antenna is configured to communicate the charging data to the primary antenna through a location which is different from magnetic coupling, that the fluid is disposed both between the primary inductive coupler and the secondary inductive coupler, and between the primary antenna and the secondary antenna. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification