Underwater power supply system

• US 9,467,005 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Niizuma, Motonao
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/484,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 307/104, 114/244
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/00 Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/002 unmanned
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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

An underwater power supply system is provided with an ascending/descending station that ascends and descends underwater between the water depth at which an underwater moving body works and the vicinity of the water surface, and a charging station that supplies electrical power wirelessly to the ascending/descending station in the vicinity of the water surface. At the aforementioned water depth, the underwater moving body moves adjacent to the ascending/descending station, and electrical power is supplied wirelessly from the ascending/descending station to the underwater moving body.

Claims

1. An underwater power supply system that supplies electrical power underwater to one or a plurality of underwater moving bodies, the system comprising:

an ascending/descending station that ascends and descends underwater between a water depth at which the underwater moving body works and the vicinity of the water surface, and has a rechargeable battery, a power-receiving coil and a power-supplying coil; and

a charging station that supplies electrical power wirelessly to the ascending/descending station in the vicinity of the water surface, wherein,

at the water depth, the underwater moving body moves adjacent to the ascending/descending station, and electrical power is supplied wirelessly from the ascending/descending station to the underwater moving body.

2. The underwater power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the underwater moving body has:

a first rechargeable battery;

a first power-receiving coil;

a first power-receiving circuit that supplies electrical power from the first power-receiving coil to the first rechargeable battery; and

a moving device by which the underwater moving body moves underwater,

the charging station has;

a first power-supplying coil; and

a first power-supplying circuit that is connected to an external electrical power supply and drives the first power-supplying coil in a voltage/current waveform that is suitable for a wireless power supply, and

the ascending/descending station has;

a second rechargeable battery which is said rechargeable battery of the ascending/descending station;

a second power-receiving coil which is said power-receiving coil of the ascending/descending station;

a second power-supplying coil which is said power-supplying coil of the ascending/descending station;

a power-reception/power-supply circuit that supplies electrical power from the second power-receiving coil to the second rechargeable battery, and that is connected to the second rechargeable battery and drives the second power-supplying coil in a voltage/current waveform that is suitable for a wireless power supply; and

an ascending/descending apparatus by which the ascending/descending station ascends and descends underwater.

3. The underwater power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

the ascending/descending station is provided with a signal emitter that outputs a signal indicating the position of the second power-supplying coil, and

the underwater moving body is provided with a movement control device that controls the moving device, by receiving the signal, such that the first power-receiving coil is positioned at a previously set distance away from the second power-supplying coil so as to form an electromagnetic coupling circuit between the first power-receiving coil and the second power-supplying coil.

4. The underwater power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the ascending/descending apparatus has an anchor that is positioned on the bottom of water, a guide cable that connects the anchor to the charging station and extends in a vertical direction, and a raising/lowering device that raises and lowers a main body of the ascending/descending station underwater.

5. The underwater power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the first power-receiving coil, the second power-receiving coil, and the second power-supplying coil are provided inside of a magnetic field transmissive component made of a material that has watertightness and pressure resistance to withstand the water pressure at the depth at which the underwater moving body works and that allows an electromagnetic field for wireless power supply to pass through the magnetic field transmissive component.

6. An underwater power supply system that supplies electrical power underwater to one or a plurality of underwater moving bodies, the system comprising:

an ascending/descending station that ascends and descends underwater between a water depth at which the underwater moving body works and the vicinity of the water surface; and

a charging station that supplies electrical power wirelessly to the ascending/descending station in the vicinity of the water surface, wherein

at the water depth, the underwater moving body moves adjacent to the ascending/descending station, and electrical power is supplied wirelessly from the ascending/descending station to the underwater moving body,

the underwater moving body has;

a first rechargeable battery;

a first power-receiving coil;

a first power-receiving circuit that supplies electrical power from the first power-receiving coil to the first rechargeable battery; and

a moving device by which the underwater moving body moves underwater,

the charging station has;

a first power-supplying coil; and

a first power-supplying circuit that is connected to an external electrical power supply and drives the first power-supplying coil in a voltage/current waveform that is suitable for a wireless power supply, and

the ascending/descending station has;

a second rechargeable battery;

a second power-receiving coil;

a second power-supplying coil;

a power-reception/power-supply circuit that supplies electrical power from the second power-receiving coil to the second rechargeable battery, and that is connected to the second rechargeable battery and drives the second power-supplying coil in a voltage/current waveform that is suitable for a wireless power supply; and

an ascending/descending apparatus by which the ascending/descending station ascends and descends underwater.

7. The underwater power supply system according to claim 6, wherein

the ascending/descending station is provided with a signal emitter that outputs a signal indicating the position of the second power-supplying coil, and

the underwater moving body is provided with a movement control device that controls the moving device, by receiving the signal, such that the first power-receiving coil is positioned at a previously set distance away from the second power-supplying coil so as to form an electromagnetic coupling circuit between the first power-receiving coil and the second power-supplying coil.

8. The underwater power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the ascending/descending apparatus has an anchor that is positioned on the bottom of water, a guide cable that connects the anchor to the charging station and extends in a vertical direction, and a raising/lowering device that raises and lowers a main body of the ascending/descending station underwater.

9. The underwater power supply system according to claim 6, wherein the first power-receiving coil, the second power-receiving coil, and the second power-supplying coil are provided inside of a magnetic field transmissive component made of a material that has watertightness and pressure resistance to withstand the water pressure at the depth at which the underwater moving body works and that allows an electromagnetic field for wireless power supply to pass through the magnetic field transmissive component.