Underwater power supply system based on wireless charging

Abstract

An underwater power supply system based on wireless charging comprises electric equipment and an underwater power supply. The electric equipment is provided with an equipment control unit and an equipment end antenna; the underwater power supply is provided with a power supply control unit, a power supply end antenna and a power supply battery; the electric equipment is detachably connected with the underwater power supply through the docking device, and the power receiving end and the charging end are oppositely arranged so that the equipment end antenna and the power end antenna can be aligned. According to the embodiment of the utility model, the underwater power supply supplies power to the underwater electric equipment in a wireless charging manner, no cable needs to be arranged, the laying difficulty is low, the cost is low, no wired charging connecting device needs to be arranged, the reliability is high, the underwater power supply can be replaced only by detaching the docking device, and the underwater power supply can be operated underwater, so that the working efficiency is improved. The operation is simple.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of underwater power supply, and particularly relates to an underwater power supply system based on wireless charging. Background Art

[0002] There are various types of underwater monitoring and operation equipment, including fixed equipment (such as fixed underwater acoustic monitors, cathodic protection monitors, structural strain monitors, etc.) and mobile equipment (such as ROVs, AUVs, etc.). The operation of the equipment requires continuous power supply. For fixed equipment, cable power supply is usually adopted, or the equipment is powered by its own battery; for mobile equipment, it is usually powered by its own battery. These power supply systems have the following deficiencies:

[0003] 1. Cable power supply is usually only applicable to equipment within a small range. For equipment with a wide distribution, cable laying will be very difficult, especially in the underwater environment, and the required length of the cable is long, and the cost is high;

[0004] 2. For the power supply method of regularly replacing the battery, since it is inconvenient to replace the battery underwater, the equipment usually needs to be moved to the water surface. However, the equipment is not only fixed underwater, but also in order to conduct monitoring, the equipment needs to be connected to the underwater object to be detected, and the connection needs to meet specific monitoring requirements. If the equipment is removed and moved to the water surface, the operation is extremely cumbersome. After replacing the battery, the equipment also needs to be fixed, and it is also relatively complex to restore the connection with the underwater object to be detected;

[0005] 3. If the underwater wired charging method is used to charge the battery in the equipment, the charging port and the power receiving port need to be connected underwater, that is, underwater wet connection. Especially for underwater wet connection in deep sea, the connection device has a complex structure, high cost, insufficient reliability, limited number of effective connections, and high requirements for docking accuracy. These factors limit the application of this method. Content of the Utility Model

[0006] Aiming at the deficiencies existing in the related technologies, the utility model provides an underwater power supply system based on wireless charging to solve the problems of difficult cable laying and high cost, difficult battery replacement operation, and high cost and insufficient reliability of the wired charging connection device in the current underwater equipment power supply.

[0007] The utility model provides an underwater power supply system based on wireless charging, including an electrical equipment and an underwater power supply;

[0008] The electrical equipment has an equipment housing, an equipment control unit and an equipment-side antenna are installed in the equipment housing. One end of the equipment housing is set as a power receiving end, and the equipment-side antenna is located at the power receiving end and is electrically connected to the equipment control unit;

[0009] The underwater power supply has a power supply housing, inside which a power control unit, a power terminal antenna, and a power supply battery are installed. The power supply battery is electrically connected to the power control unit. One end of the power supply housing is set as a charging end, and the power terminal antenna is located at the charging end and is electrically connected to the power control unit;

[0010] The electrical device is detachably connected to the underwater power supply through a docking device. The power receiving end is arranged opposite to the charging end to align the device terminal antenna with the power terminal antenna.

[0011] In some embodiments, the docking device includes a fixed seat and a fixed head. The fixed seat is installed on the device housing, and the fixed head is installed on the power supply housing. The fixed head is detachably connected to the fixed seat.

[0012] In some embodiments, the fixed head is plugged into the slot provided in the fixed seat through a set plug.

[0013] In some embodiments, the magnet provided on the fixed head is adsorbed on the iron plate provided on the fixed seat.

[0014] In some embodiments, a vehicle fixing seat is installed on the power supply housing.

[0015] In some embodiments, a device battery is installed in the device housing, and the device battery is electrically connected to the device control unit.

[0016] In some embodiments, a device terminal wireless communication unit is installed in the device housing, and the device terminal wireless communication unit is electrically connected to the device control unit.

[0017] In some embodiments, a power terminal wireless communication unit is installed in the power supply housing, and the power terminal wireless communication unit is electrically connected to the power control unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, a magnetic induction switch is installed on the charging end, and the magnetic induction switch is electrically connected to the power control unit. A trigger magnet is installed on the power receiving end, and the trigger magnet is aligned with the magnetic induction switch.

[0019] In some embodiments, the docking device is replaced by a fixed platform. The electrical device and the underwater power supply are both stacked on the horizontally arranged tabletop of the fixed platform. The electrical device is located on one side of the underwater power supply to set the power receiving end opposite to the charging end.

[0020] Based on the above technical solution, in the embodiment of the present utility model, the underwater electrical equipment is powered by an underwater power supply through wireless charging. There is no need to set up cables, the laying difficulty is small, and the cost is low. There is also no need to set up a wired charging connection device, and the reliability is strong. Only by disassembling the docking device can the underwater power supply be replaced, and the operation can be carried out underwater, with simple operation, solving the problems of difficult cable laying and high cost, difficult battery replacement operation, high cost and insufficient reliability of the wired charging connection device existing in the current underwater equipment power supply. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present utility model and constitute a part of this application. The schematic embodiments of the present utility model and their descriptions are used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present utility model. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is the principle block diagram of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 2 is the principle block diagram of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 3 is the principle block diagram of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model Figure 3 ;

[0025] Figure 4 is the structural schematic diagram of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 is the exploded view of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model after hiding part of the equipment shell and part of the power supply shell.

[0027] In the figure:

[0028] 1. Electrical equipment; 11. Equipment shell; 12. Equipment control unit; 13. Equipment end antenna; 14. Power receiving end; 15. Equipment battery; 16. Equipment end wireless communication unit;

[0029] 2. Underwater power supply; 21. Power supply shell; 22. Power supply control unit; 23. Power supply end antenna; 24. Power supply battery; 25. Charging end; 26. Vehicle fixing seat; 27. Power supply end wireless communication unit;

[0030] 3. Docking device; 31. Fixing seat; 32. Fixed head; 33. Plug; 34. Slot; 35. Assembly slot;

[0031] 41. Magnetic induction switch; 42. Trigger magnet;

[0032] 5. Fixed platform. Specific implementation mode

[0033] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present utility model, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0034] In the description of the present utility model, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "horizontal", "longitudinal", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present utility model.

[0035] The terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second", "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features.

[0036] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0037] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, in a schematic embodiment of the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging of the present utility model, the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging includes an electrical device 1 and an underwater power supply 2.

[0038] The electrical device 1 is fixed underwater, and detection devices such as probes and sensors it is equipped with extend out and are connected to the object to be detected underwater. The electrical device 1 has a device housing 11, and the device housing 11 encapsulates the electrical components in the electrical device 1. A device control unit 12 and a device-side antenna 13 are installed in the device housing 11. One end of the device housing 11 is set as a power receiving end 14, and the device-side antenna 13 is located at the power receiving end 14 and is electrically connected to the device control unit 12.

[0039] The underwater power supply 2 has a power supply housing 21, and the power supply housing 21 encapsulates the electrical components in the underwater power supply 2. A power supply control unit 22, a power supply-side antenna 23, and a power supply battery 24 are installed in the power supply housing 21. The power supply battery 24 is electrically connected to the power supply control unit 22. One end of the power supply housing 21 is set as a charging end 25, and the power supply-side antenna 23 is located at the charging end 25 and is electrically connected to the power supply control unit 22.

[0040] The underwater power supply 2 is detachably connected to the electrical device 1 through a docking device 3. The docking device 3 not only realizes the connection between the underwater power supply 2 and the electrical device 1, but also realizes the position limitation between the two, so that the power receiving end 14 and the charging end 25 are arranged opposite to each other. Since the power receiving end 14 and the charging end 25 are arranged opposite to each other, the end face of the power receiving end 14 faces the end face of the charging end 25, or the end face of the power receiving end 14 is attached to the end face of the charging end 25, thereby making the device-side antenna 13 and the power supply-side antenna 23 aligned with each other to establish a wireless charging channel. The power supply control unit 22 in the underwater power supply 2 transmits the electrical energy in the power supply battery 24 to the device control unit 12 through the power supply-side antenna 23 and the device-side antenna 13, so as to realize the power supply to the electrical device 1. The electrical energy is transmitted between the device-side antenna 13 and the power supply-side antenna 23 through the existing wireless charging method.

[0041] When the power supply battery 24 in the underwater power supply 2 has insufficient power, the docking device 3 is disassembled, and the underwater power supply 2 can be removed from one side of the electrical device 1, and a new underwater power supply 2 is connected to one side of the electrical device 1 through the docking device 3, so that the new underwater power supply 2 supplies power to the electrical device 1 through wireless charging, realizing the replacement of the underwater power supply. The connection and disassembly of the docking device 3, the removal of the underwater power supply 2 with insufficient power, and the placement of the new underwater power supply 2 can all be operated by an underwater robot through a manipulator, so that the replacement of the underwater power supply 2 can be completed underwater.

[0042] In the above-mentioned illustrative embodiment, in the underwater power supply system based on wireless charging, the underwater power supply supplies power to the electrical equipment by means of wireless charging. There is no need to lay cables or set up wired charging connection devices, and the reliability is strong. The problem of difficulty in laying cables caused by a large distribution range of equipment is eliminated, and the project cost is reduced by not using cables and wired charging connection devices. The underwater power supply can be replaced, which ensures the continuity of the electrical equipment underwater. The replacement operation is not only simple but also can be performed underwater, which solves the problems of the current power supply of underwater equipment, such as the difficulty and high cost of laying cables, the difficulty of replacing batteries, and the high cost and insufficient reliability of wired charging connection devices.

[0043] In some embodiments, Figures 4 to 5 As shown, the docking device 3 includes a fixing seat 31 and a fixing head 32 . The fixing seat 31 is mounted on the device housing 11 , and the fixing head 32 is mounted on the power supply housing 21 . The fixing head 32 is detachably connected to the fixing seat 31 .

[0044] When the fixed head 31 is aligned with the fixed seat 32 and connected thereto, not only the connection between the underwater power supply 2 and the electrical device 1 is realized, but also the positional relationship between the two is limited, so that the device-side antenna 13 is aligned with the power-side antenna 23, thereby realizing the establishment of a wireless charging channel, and enabling the power supply battery 24 in the underwater power supply 2 to transfer electrical energy to the electrical device through magnetic coupling between the antennas.

[0045] In some embodiments, the fixed head 32 is plugged into the slot 34 provided in the fixed seat 31 through the provided plug 33. The fixed head 32 and the fixed seat 31 are detachably connected by plugging. The structure is simple and can be limited. The underwater robot can pull out and insert the plug by grabbing and pushing and pulling, thereby ensuring the convenience of underwater operations. In order to ensure a firm plug-in, the plug 33 and the slot 34 are plugged in with an interference fit. In order to guide the plug 33 to dock with the slot 34, the end of the fixed head 32 is trapezoidal, so that it is wide inside and narrow outside. The plug 33 is arranged on the narrower end face, and a trapezoidal assembly groove 35 is correspondingly provided on the end face of the fixed seat 31. The slot 34 is arranged on the inner surface of the assembly groove. The inclined inner walls on both sides of the assembly groove can guide the center line of the end of the fixed head 32 to align, so that the plug 33 and the slot 34 can be accurately docked.

[0046] In some embodiments, a magnet (not shown in the drawings) provided on the fixed head 32 adsorbs on an iron plate (not shown in the drawings) provided on the fixed seat 31. The fixed head 32 and the fixed seat 31 are detachably connected by magnetic force. The structure is simple. The underwater robot can overcome the magnetic force to disconnect the connection by means of grasping and pulling. When the underwater robot operates, the magnet on the fixed head 32 is aligned with the iron plate on the fixed seat 31, and the accurate docking of the fixed head and the fixed seat can be achieved. The device housing 11 and the power supply housing 21 can be made of materials that cannot be attracted by magnets, so as to prevent the magnet on the fixed head 32 from adsorbing to the wrong position and ensure the accurate docking of the fixed head 32 and the fixed seat 31.

[0047] In some embodiments, a vehicle fixing seat 26 is installed on the power supply housing 21. The vehicle fixing seat 26 serves as a connection point or a grasping point. When the manipulator of the underwater robot is connected to or grasps the vehicle fixing seat 26, the underwater power supply 2 can be firmly and stably transported by the underwater robot, avoiding the dropping of the underwater power supply 2 during the transportation process. In addition, the vehicle fixing seat 26 has a smaller structural size than the power supply housing 21. The manipulator of the underwater robot does not need to grasp the entire underwater power supply 2. Only by grasping the vehicle fixing seat 26 can the underwater power supply 2 be stably connected, reducing the movement range of the manipulator when grasping the underwater power supply 2, enabling the manipulator to adopt a smaller size specification, reducing the weight of the manipulator, and reducing the load of the underwater robot during navigation. The vehicle fixing seat 26 is a prior art and can adopt a structure such as a handle that is convenient for grasping, or a seat body structure with slots, buckles, threaded holes, etc. that is convenient for detachable connection.

[0048] In some embodiments, a device battery 15 is installed in the device housing 11. The device battery 15 is electrically connected to the device control unit 12. When the underwater power supply 2 is replaced, the power end antenna 23 of the underwater power supply 2 is far from the device end antenna 13 of the electrical device 1, and the wireless charging channel is disconnected. At this time, the device control unit 12 extracts the electric energy from the device battery 15 to supply power to the electrical device 1, ensuring the continuity of the device operation. After the underwater power supply 2 is replaced, the electric energy of the power supply battery 24 in the underwater power supply 2 is transmitted to the device control unit 12 in the electrical device 1 through the wireless charging channel formed between the antennas. The device control unit 12 directly supplies power to the electrical components of the electrical device 1 with a part of the received electric energy, and charges the device battery 15 with the other part. This not only ensures the operation of the electrical device 1 but also ensures that the device battery 15 has sufficient power, so that the device battery 15 maintains the operation of the electrical device 1 when the underwater power supply 2 is replaced.

[0049] In some embodiments, a device - side wireless communication unit 16 is installed in the device housing 11, and the device - side wireless communication unit 16 is electrically connected to the device control unit 12. The device control unit 12 can transmit the operating state and the collected data of the electrical device 1 to the host computer through the device - side wireless communication unit 16, enabling the host computer to obtain the measurement data in real - time and timely grasp the state of the electrical device 1. When there is a device battery 15 in the electrical device 1, the device control unit 12 can upload the power of the device battery 15 to the host computer through the device - side wireless communication unit 16, so that when the power of the device battery 15 is insufficient, the underwater power supply 2 can be replaced in time to ensure sufficient standby power in the electrical device 1.

[0050] In some embodiments, a power - side wireless communication unit 27 is installed in the power supply housing 21, and the power - side wireless communication unit 27 is electrically connected to the power control unit 22. The power control unit 22 can obtain the power of the power supply battery 24 and upload it to the host computer through the power - side wireless communication unit 27, so as to timely learn that the power of the underwater power supply 2 is insufficient, and then replace the underwater power supply 2 in time to ensure the normal operation of the electrical device 1.

[0051] In some embodiments, a magnetic induction switch 41 is installed on the charging end 25, the magnetic induction switch 41 is electrically connected to the power control unit 22, and a trigger magnet 42 is installed on the power - receiving end 14. When the electrical device 1 is connected to the underwater power supply 2 through the docking device 3 and the device - side antenna 13 is aligned with the power - side antenna 23, the trigger magnet 42 is aligned with the magnetic induction switch 41. The magnetic induction switch 41 senses the magnetic field of the trigger magnet 42 and sends a signal to the power control unit 22. The power control unit 22 transfers the electrical energy of the power supply battery 24 to the electrical device 1 through the wireless charging channel between the antennas, realizing wireless charging after the underwater power supply 2 is connected in place, avoiding unnecessary startup of the underwater power supply 2, and preventing power consumption of the power supply battery 24 in a non - charging state.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the docking device 3 is replaced by a fixed platform 5, and both the electrical device 1 and the underwater power supply 2 are stacked on the horizontally - arranged tabletop of the fixed platform 5. The electrical device 1 is located on one side of the underwater power supply 2, so that the power - receiving end 14 and the charging end 25 are arranged opposite to each other, and then the device - side antenna 13 and the power - side antenna 23 are aligned with each other to establish a wireless charging channel, enabling the underwater power supply 2 to supply power to the electrical device 1 through wireless charging. When the electrical device 1 and the underwater power supply 2 are stacked on the same horizontal plane, the positions of both can be fixed, the alignment of the antennas can be achieved, and there is no need to disassemble the connection structure. The underwater robot can directly pick up the underwater power supply 2 from the tabletop and stack a new underwater power supply 2 on the tabletop to complete the replacement of the underwater power supply 2, further enhancing the convenience of battery replacement.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that the embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. For the same or similar parts among the embodiments, reference can be made to each other.

[0054] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation manners of the present invention or equivalent replacements can be made to some technical features. Without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, they should all be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater power supply system based on wireless charging, characterized in that, It includes an electrical device and an underwater power supply; The electrical device has a device housing, in which a device control unit and a device-side antenna are installed. One end of the device housing is set as a power receiving end, and the device-side antenna is located at the power receiving end and electrically connected to the device control unit; The underwater power supply has a power supply housing, in which a power supply control unit, a power supply-side antenna and a power supply battery are installed. The power supply battery is electrically connected to the power supply control unit. One end of the power supply housing is set as a charging end, and the power supply-side antenna is located at the charging end and electrically connected to the power supply control unit; The electrical device is detachably connected to the underwater power supply through a docking device. The power receiving end and the charging end are arranged opposite to each other to align the device-side antenna with the power supply-side antenna.

2. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, wherein The docking device includes a fixed seat and a fixed head. The fixed seat is installed on the device housing, and the fixed head is installed on the power supply housing. The fixed head is detachably connected to the fixed seat.

3. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 2, wherein, The fixed head is inserted into a slot provided in the fixed seat through a plug provided.

4. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 2, wherein A magnet provided on the fixed head is adsorbed on an iron plate provided on the fixed seat.

5. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that, A vehicle fixing seat is installed on the power supply housing.

6. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that, A device battery is installed in the device housing, and the device battery is electrically connected to the device control unit.

7. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that A device-side wireless communication unit is installed in the device housing, and the device-side wireless communication unit is electrically connected to the device control unit.

8. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that A power supply-side wireless communication unit is installed in the power supply housing, and the power supply-side wireless communication unit is electrically connected to the power supply control unit.

9. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, wherein A magnetic induction switch is installed on the charging end, and the magnetic induction switch is electrically connected to the power supply control unit. A trigger magnet is installed on the power receiving end, and the trigger magnet is aligned with the magnetic induction switch.

10. The underwater power supply system based on wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that The docking device is replaced with a fixed platform. The electrical device and the underwater power supply are both stacked on a horizontally arranged tabletop of the fixed platform. The electrical device is located on one side of the underwater power supply to arrange the power receiving end and the charging end opposite to each other.

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