Coupling mechanism and system applied to underwater capture type docking wireless charging

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of underwater wireless charging, in particular to a coupling mechanism and system applied to underwater capture type docking wireless charging. The coupling mechanism comprises a connection end coupling mechanism and an aircraft end coupling mechanism. The connection end coupling mechanism comprises a connection end magnetic core and a connection end coil arranged on the outer side of the connection end magnetic core. The aircraft end coupling mechanism is of an opening and closing structure and comprises two aircraft end magnetic cores arranged symmetrically and two aircraft end coils arranged on the inner sides of the aircraft end magnetic cores. After the aircraft end coupling mechanism surrounds the outer side of the connection end coupling mechanism, the bidirectional electric energy transmission function can be achieved. According to the invention, docking between underwater vehicles of different sizes and the same connection node can be realized, so that the universality of the wireless charging system is improved; and two-way transmission of energy is achieved, and the requirements of diversified underwater operation are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater wireless charging, and in particular to a coupling mechanism and system for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging. Background Art

[0002] Underwater vehicles play an irreplaceable role in the fields of marine science, resource development, military defense and marine engineering, and provide important technical means and support for human beings to deeply understand the marine environment, utilize marine resources and ensure maritime safety. When performing tasks, they usually rely on built-in lithium batteries to provide power. Lithium batteries are subject to the dual limitations of load capacity and lightweight requirements. Although lithium battery technology has brought significant improvements in energy density, underwater vehicles still face the challenge of limited endurance. Traditional underwater vehicle energy replenishment methods are divided into two types: salvage recovery charging and wet plug charging. The former involves a large amount of manpower and material resources, the operation process is less safe, and the cost is high; the latter has safety issues such as short circuit and electric sparks, and has low reliability. However, the development of wireless charging technology in recent years has provided a new solution for underwater vehicles. Through non-contact power transmission, safe, reliable and efficient power replenishment is achieved, which significantly improves the flexibility and durability of underwater operations.

[0003] At present, underwater wireless charging technology is mainly developed for guided docking. The underwater vehicle needs to dock with the guide cover of the docking node and then drive into the node and be mechanically fixed to achieve wireless charging operation. This docking node can only be used for underwater vehicles of fixed size, which limits the versatility and scope of application of the wireless charging system. In addition, the current wireless charging coupling mechanism is mostly one-way transmission, which limits the ability of underwater vehicles to serve as a power source to supply power to other underwater equipment, and cannot meet the diverse needs of underwater operations. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a coupling mechanism and system for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging, so as to solve the problem that the existing wireless charging coupling mechanism is a one-way transmission and cannot meet the diversified needs of underwater operations.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] On one hand, the present invention provides a coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging, including a docking end coupling mechanism and a vehicle end coupling mechanism; the docking end coupling mechanism includes a docking end magnetic core and a docking end coil arranged outside the docking end magnetic core;

[0007] The aircraft end coupling mechanism is an open-close structure, comprising two symmetrically arranged aircraft end magnetic cores and two aircraft end coils arranged inside the aircraft end magnetic cores;

[0008] After the coupling mechanism at the aircraft end is wrapped around the outer side of the coupling mechanism at the docking end, a bidirectional power transmission function can be realized.

[0009] The connection end magnetic core is an annular magnetic core and is installed outside the mooring cable at the connection point; the connection end coil is an arc-shaped coil and is closely attached to the outer periphery of the connection end magnetic core.

[0010] The two aircraft end coils are arc-shaped coils, and during wireless charging operation, the two aircraft end coils are surrounded by the outside of the docking end coil; the two aircraft end magnetic cores are arc-shaped magnetic cores, which are respectively attached to the outside of the two aircraft end coils.

[0011] The width of the connecting end coil is less than 10 mm of the connecting end magnetic core, and the connecting end coil is attached to and wraps the connecting end magnetic core 360 ​​degrees;

[0012] The aircraft end coil has the same width as the docking end coil, and the aircraft end magnetic core has the same width as the docking end magnetic core.

[0013] The connection end magnetic core and the spacecraft end magnetic core are both soft magnetic cores.

[0014] The docking end coupling mechanism and the aircraft end coupling mechanism are both connected to the wireless charging control module. When the docking end coupling mechanism serves as a transmitting end, the aircraft end coupling mechanism serves as a receiving end; or, when the aircraft end coupling mechanism serves as a transmitting end, the docking end coupling mechanism serves as a receiving end.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a system for underwater capture docking wireless charging, comprising an underwater vehicle, a guiding mechanism, a locking mechanism, and the coupling mechanism as described above;

[0016] The locking mechanism is arranged on the underwater vehicle, and the coupling mechanism at the vehicle end is arranged on the locking mechanism, and opening and closing are realized by driving the locking mechanism; the guiding mechanism is arranged on the underwater vehicle and is located at the front end of the locking mechanism, and the guiding mechanism is used to guide the mooring cable equipped with the coupling mechanism at the docking end into the locking mechanism, and the coupling mechanism at the vehicle end is docked with the coupling mechanism at the docking end through the driving of the locking mechanism to form a magnetic circuit coupling and perform charging and discharging operations.

[0017] The locking mechanism comprises a locking bracket, a linear module, a connecting rod, a parallelogram linkage and a locking claw, wherein the locking bracket is connected to the aircraft body, the front ends of the locking bracket are respectively hinged to two sets of parallelogram linkages, the ends of the two sets of parallelogram linkages are respectively connected to two locking claws, and the opening and closing parts of the coupling mechanism at both sides of the aircraft end are installed on the two locking claws;

[0018] The linear module is arranged on the locking bracket, and the output end is hinged to one end of the two connecting rods, and the other ends of the two connecting rods are respectively hinged to two sets of parallel four-links. The linear module provides power for the opening and closing of the coupling mechanism at the aircraft end.

[0019] The guiding mechanism comprises two guiding rods which can be opened and closed.

[0020] The locking mechanism is provided with an axial in-place sensor for detecting whether the mooring cable is in place; the coupling mechanism at the vehicle end is provided with a radial in-place sensor for identifying the coupling mechanism at the docking end; after successful identification, the radial in-place sensor drives the locking mechanism to complete the locking action, so that the coupling mechanism at the vehicle end tightly embraces the coupling mechanism at the docking end, thereby realizing the docking of the underwater vehicle and the mooring cable.

[0021] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging provided by the present invention is suitable for the capture docking mode, and can realize the docking of underwater vehicles of different sizes with the same docking node, thereby improving the versatility of the wireless charging system; the coil spacing of the coupling mechanism at the docking end and the vehicle end is relatively close, which effectively reduces the eddy current loss and is conducive to improving the efficiency of the wireless charging system; at the same time, the coupling mechanism at the docking end and the vehicle end can both serve as the transmitting end and the receiving end to realize the two-way transmission of energy, which is suitable for the needs of diversified underwater operations.

[0023] 2. The present invention provides a system for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging, including the coupling mechanism, which is applied to the capture-type docking method, wherein the coupling mechanism at the docking end and the coupling mechanism at the vehicle end can realize a two-way power transmission function, and can serve as a transmitting end and a receiving end of power respectively, and both are connected to a wireless charging control module. After the capture-type docking is successful, the coupling mechanism at the navigation end locks the coupling mechanism at the docking end in all directions through the locking operation of the locking mechanism to form a magnetic circuit coupling, and perform charging and discharging operations. The entire process is not affected by environmental factors such as ocean currents, thereby maintaining a stable coupling degree between the coils. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a coupling mechanism applied to underwater capture-type docking wireless charging in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the wireless charging operation state of a coupling mechanism applied to underwater capture-type docking wireless charging in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 is an axonometric view of a connection end magnetic core in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a wireless charging system for underwater capture docking in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a locking mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 1. mooring cable; 2. guiding mechanism; 3. locking mechanism; 31. locking bracket; 32. linear module; 33. connecting rod; 34. parallelogram linkage; 35. locking claw; 4. coupling mechanism at the docking end; 41. coil at the docking end; 42. magnetic core at the docking end; 5. coupling mechanism at the spacecraft end; 51. coil at the spacecraft end; 52. magnetic core at the spacecraft end; 6. axial position sensor; 7. radial position sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging, including a docking end coupling mechanism 4 and a vehicle end coupling mechanism 5; the docking end coupling mechanism 4 includes a docking end magnetic core 42 and a docking end coil 41 arranged on the outside of the docking end magnetic core 42; the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 is an open and closed structure, including two symmetrically arranged vehicle end magnetic cores 52 and two vehicle end coils 51 arranged on the inside of the vehicle end magnetic core 52; the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 can realize a bidirectional power transmission function after being wrapped around the outside of the docking end coupling mechanism 4.

[0032] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the docking end magnetic core 42 is a ring-shaped magnetic core, and is installed around the outside of the docking point mooring cable 1; the docking end coil 41 is a curved surface design, and is closely attached to the outer periphery of the docking end magnetic core 42. The two aircraft end coils 51 are curved surface coils, and the two aircraft end coils 51 surround the outside of the docking end coil 41 during the wireless charging operation; the two aircraft end magnetic cores 52 are arc-shaped magnetic cores, which are respectively attached to the outside of the two aircraft end coils 51.

[0033] Furthermore, the width of the docking end coil 41 is smaller than the docking end magnetic core 42 by 10 mm, and the docking end coil 41 is attached to and 360 degrees wraps the docking end magnetic core 42; the aircraft end coil 51 is the same width as the docking end coil 41, and the arc of the two separate coils of the aircraft end coil 51 is half of the corresponding diameter circle; the aircraft end magnetic core 52 is the same width as the docking end magnetic core 42, and the two aircraft end magnetic cores 52 are respectively attached to the outside of the two aircraft end coils 51, and the arc length of the aircraft end magnetic core 52 is half of the corresponding diameter size.

[0034] Specifically, the connection end magnetic core 42 and the spacecraft end magnetic core 52 are both highly flexible and bendable soft magnetic cores. The soft magnetic core material is nanocrystalline, has good flexibility, can be bent and fit, and has the advantages of high magnetic permeability and light weight.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, the docking end coupling mechanism 4 is arranged at the docking node mooring cable 1, and the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 is arranged at the locking mechanism 3 of the underwater vehicle, and the underwater vehicle and the docking node adopt a capture-type docking method. The docking end coupling mechanism 4 and the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 are both connected to the wireless charging control module. When the docking end coupling mechanism 4 is used as the transmitting end, the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 is used as the receiving end; or, when the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 is used as the transmitting end, the docking end coupling mechanism 4 is used as the receiving end. When the capture-type docking is successfully completed and the wireless charging operation is started, the overall structure is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, from inside to outside are the mooring cable 1, the connection end magnetic core 42, the connection end coil 41, the spacecraft end coil 51, the spacecraft end magnetic core 52 and the locking mechanism 3.

[0036] The coupling mechanism for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging provided by the present invention breaks through the limitation that the existing wireless charging technology is only applicable to guided docking, allows underwater vehicles of different sizes to dock with the same docking node, and improves the versatility of the wireless charging system.

[0037] See also Figure 4 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention provides a system for underwater capture docking wireless charging, including an underwater vehicle, a guide mechanism 2, a locking mechanism 3 and a coupling mechanism as in the above embodiment; wherein the locking mechanism 3 is arranged on the underwater vehicle, and the vehicle-end coupling mechanism 5 is arranged on the locking mechanism 3, and is opened and closed by the driving of the locking mechanism 3; the guide mechanism 2 is arranged on the vehicle body and is located at the front end of the locking mechanism 3, and the guide mechanism 2 is used to guide the mooring cable 1 equipped with the docking end coupling mechanism 4 into the locking mechanism 3, and the vehicle-end coupling mechanism 5 is docked with the docking end coupling mechanism 4 by the driving of the locking mechanism 3 to form a magnetic circuit coupling to perform charging and discharging operations.

[0038] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 3 is provided with an axial position sensor 6 for detecting whether the mooring cable 1 is in place; the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 is provided with a radial position sensor 7 for identifying the docking end coupling mechanism 4; after successful identification, the radial position sensor 7 drives the locking mechanism 3 to complete the locking action, so that the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 tightly embraces the docking end coupling mechanism 4, thereby realizing the docking of the underwater vehicle and the mooring cable 1.

[0039] See also Figure 5As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism 3 includes a locking bracket 31, a linear module 32, a connecting rod 33, a parallelogram 34 and a locking claw 35, wherein the locking bracket 31 is connected to the underwater vehicle, and the two sides of the front end of the locking bracket 31 are respectively hinged to the two groups of parallelograms 34, and the ends of the two groups of parallelograms 34 are respectively connected to the two locking claws 35, and the opening and closing parts of the coupling mechanism 5 on both sides of the vehicle end are installed on the two locking claws 35; the linear module 32 is arranged on the locking bracket 31, and the output end is hinged to one end of the two connecting rods 33, and the other ends of the two connecting rods 33 are respectively hinged to the two groups of parallelograms 34, and the linear module 32 provides power for the opening and closing of the coupling mechanism 5 on the vehicle end.

[0040] Specifically, the guiding mechanism 2 includes two guiding rods that can be opened and closed, and the two guiding rods are arranged in a trumpet shape when opened.

[0041] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a system for underwater capture docking wireless charging, wherein the specific docking process is as follows:

[0042] The underwater vehicle autonomously drives to the lower end of the mooring cable 1 through the sound and light combined system, and deploys the guide mechanism 2 to capture the mooring cable 1. After passing through the guide mechanism 2, the mooring cable 1 slides into the vehicle capture section and is identified by the axial position sensor 6, which drives the guide mechanism 2 to close to prevent the mooring cable 1 from slipping out. Subsequently, the underwater vehicle floats up as a whole, and identifies the docking end coupling mechanism 4 through the radial position sensor 7. After successful identification, the locking mechanism 3 is driven to complete the locking, ensuring that the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 tightly embraces the docking end coupling mechanism 4, and finally realizes the stable docking of the underwater vehicle and the mooring cable 1. After the docking process is completed, the wireless charging operation begins. The docking end coupling mechanism 4 and the vehicle end coupling mechanism 5 can be used as the receiving end and the transmitting end of electric energy respectively to realize the two-way transmission of electric energy.

[0043] The present invention provides a coupling mechanism and system for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging, which supports two-way transmission of energy and meets the diverse needs of underwater operations. The compact coil spacing improves the wireless charging efficiency. With the assistance of the locking mechanism, the stable coupling between the coils is guaranteed, further enhancing the reliability and stability of the system.

[0044] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, expansion, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging, characterized in that: It comprises a docking end coupling mechanism (4) and a spacecraft end coupling mechanism (5); The docking end coupling mechanism (4) comprises a docking end magnetic core (42) and a docking end coil (41) arranged outside the docking end magnetic core (42); The aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) is an open-close structure, comprising two symmetrically arranged aircraft end magnetic cores (52) and two aircraft end coils (51) arranged inside the aircraft end magnetic cores (52); After the aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) is wrapped around the outside of the docking end coupling mechanism (4), a bidirectional power transmission function can be achieved.

2. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The connection end magnetic core (42) is an annular magnetic core and is installed outside the connection point mooring cable (1); the connection end coil (41) is an arc-shaped one and is closely attached to the outer periphery of the connection end magnetic core (42).

3. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The two aircraft end coils (51) are arc-shaped coils, and during wireless charging operation, the two aircraft end coils (51) surround the outside of the docking end coil (41); the two aircraft end magnetic cores (52) are arc-shaped magnetic cores, and are respectively attached to the outside of the two aircraft end coils (51).

4. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The width of the connecting end coil (41) is 10 mm smaller than that of the connecting end magnetic core (42), and the connecting end coil (41) is attached to and wraps the connecting end magnetic core (42) at 360 degrees; The aircraft end coil (51) and the connection end coil (41) have the same width, and the aircraft end magnetic core (52) and the connection end magnetic core (42) have the same width.

5. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The connection end magnetic core (42) and the spacecraft end magnetic core (52) are both soft magnetic cores.

6. The coupling mechanism for underwater capture-type docking wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking end coupling mechanism (4) and the aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) are both connected to the wireless charging control module; when the docking end coupling mechanism (4) serves as a transmitting end, the aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) serves as a receiving end; or, when the aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) serves as a transmitting end, the docking end coupling mechanism (4) serves as a receiving end.

7. A system for underwater capture docking wireless charging, characterized in that: It comprises an underwater vehicle, a guiding mechanism (2), a locking mechanism (3) and a coupling mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; The locking mechanism (3) is arranged on the underwater vehicle, and the vehicle-end coupling mechanism (5) is arranged on the locking mechanism (3), and is opened and closed by driving the locking mechanism (3); the guiding mechanism (2) is arranged on the underwater vehicle and is located at the front end of the locking mechanism (3), and the guiding mechanism (2) is used to guide the mooring cable (1) equipped with the docking-end coupling mechanism (4) into the locking mechanism (3), and the vehicle-end coupling mechanism (5) is connected to the docking-end coupling mechanism (4) by driving the locking mechanism (3) to form a magnetic circuit coupling, so as to perform charging and discharging operations.

8. The system for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking mechanism (3) comprises a locking bracket (31), a linear module (32), a connecting rod (33), a parallelogram (34) and a locking claw (35), wherein the locking bracket (31) is connected to the aircraft body, the two sides of the front end of the locking bracket (31) are respectively hinged to two groups of parallelograms (34), the ends of the two groups of parallelograms (34) are respectively connected to two locking claws (35), and the opening and closing parts of the two sides of the aircraft end coupling mechanism (5) are installed on the two locking claws (35); The linear module (32) is arranged on the locking bracket (31), and the output end is hinged to one end of two connecting rods (33), and the other ends of the two connecting rods (33) are respectively hinged to two sets of parallel four-linkages (34). The linear module (32) provides power for the opening and closing of the coupling mechanism (5) at the aircraft end.

9. The system for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 7, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism (2) comprises two guiding rods which can be opened and closed.

10. The system for underwater capture docking wireless charging according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking mechanism (3) is provided with an axial position sensor (6) for detecting whether the mooring cable (1) is in place; the vehicle-end coupling mechanism (5) is provided with a radial position sensor (7) for identifying the docking-end coupling mechanism (4); after successful identification, the radial position sensor (7) drives the locking mechanism (3) to complete the locking action, so that the vehicle-end coupling mechanism (5) tightly embraces the docking-end coupling mechanism (4), thereby achieving docking between the underwater vehicle and the mooring cable (1).

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