Parametric Design Approach for Wireless Power Transfer System: UAV Applications

Adopting Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) involves adding extra components, which may impact the drone’s overall weight and performance. This paper aims to enhance UAV performance by designing a lightweight WPT system through a parametric design approach. This method explores novel perspectives by identifying the most suitable combination of parameters in terms of efficiency, weight, and feasibility. Various parameters such as the compensation topology, number of turns of coils, and frequency were studied. The system was analyzed through a coupled simulation approach, where electromagnetic modeling of the coupler using the finite element method (FEM) was combined with electrical circuit simulations, providing a more accurate assessment of the overall system efficiency and behavior considering variations in the coupling factor due to misalignment. A prototype of the resulting configuration was designed and tested experimentally versus misalignment at reduced power using a specific test bench. The results show a 70% efficiency level with SP compensation that was improved to 80% with SS compensation.