Wireless power supply system

• US 9,564,759 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Niizuma, Motonao
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/813,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20150333540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• 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: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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 wireless power supply system includes a first underwater vehicle that has a power-receiving coil for wirelessly receiving electric power and a second underwater vehicle that has a power-supplying coil for wirelessly supplying electric power and transmits electric power between the power-receiving coil and the power-supplying coil while moving in parallel to the first underwater vehicle.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply system comprising:

a first underwater vehicle that has a power-receiver for wirelessly receiving electric power; and

a second underwater vehicle that has a power-transmitter for wirelessly supplying electric power and transmits electric power between the power-receiver and the power-transmitter while moving in parallel to the first underwater vehicle,

wherein the second underwater vehicle is driven with a storage battery, and

wherein the wireless power supply system further comprising;

a power-supplying station that supplies electric power to the storage battery; and

a controller for making the second underwater vehicle return to the power-supplying station based on a state of charge of the storage battery.

2. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the controller stops the wireless supply of electric power and makes the second underwater vehicle return to the power-supplying station when the state of charge of the storage battery is equal to or less than a threshold value.

3. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the controller repetitively updates the threshold value based on a distance of the second underwater vehicle from the power-supplying station.

4. The wireless power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the power-transmitter supplies electric power stored in the storage battery.

5. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the power-transmitter supplies electric power stored in the storage battery.

6. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner for positioning the power-receiver and the power-transmitter when performing the wireless supply of electric power.

7. The wireless power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the positioner includes a suction device for attaching the first underwater vehicle and the second underwater vehicle by suction.

8. The wireless power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the positioner includes a magnetic attachment for magnetically attaching the first underwater vehicle and the second underwater vehicle.

9. The wireless power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the positioner includes:

a marker that is installed in the first underwater vehicle; and

a marker detector installed in the second underwater vehicle so as to detect the marker.