Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
29 Automatic Drone Wireless Charging Station
 Jason Wuerffel
Pranshu Teckchandani
Samuel Fakunle
 Matthew Qi design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
photo1.jpeg
photo2.jpeg
presentation1.pdf
proposal2.pdf
proposal1.pdf
video
# Title
**Automatic Drone Wireless Charging Station**

Team Members:
- Samuel Fakunle (sof2)
- Pranshu Teckchandani (pat4)
- Jason Wuerffel (jasonmw2)

# Problem

Drone technology is becoming more vital for our modern society because it improves productivity and precision for several applications. Despite this, the operation time continues to be a key technological challenge because of the drone’s battery life limitations. As a result, our project aims to address this issue by implementing an automated drone charging system that extends the drone’s flight time without human intervention.

# Solution

Our group aims to use resonant inductive coupling to develop a wireless drone charging station that allows the drone to land and charge its battery within an acceptable distance from the transmitter. In addition, our implementation should allow for efficient charging anywhere or in multiple locations on the charging pad, indicate when sufficient charging has been completed, and should start power transfer only when the drone lands on the pad. We may also add an optional feature where the drone can track back to the pad when low on battery but it is an additional feature we will implement only if time permits.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1: DC-AC Converter to Transmission Coil

This inverter is responsible for converting DC power to AC power for the activated transmitting coil

- Circuit consisting of resistors, capacitors, inductors, switches, etc.
- Could use renewable power supply or power bank (undecided)


## Subsystem 2: Transmitting and Receiving Coil for Charging

This subsystem focuses on the coils used in order for contact to be made between the drone and charging station.

- Both coils made of metal (likely aluminum or copper)
- Transmitting coil keeps the drone an adequate distance above the ground and is constrained by the size of the drone
- Receiving coil attached to drone acts as secondary part of transformer
- Charging pad made up of several transmitting coils to allow for no need for precise landing
- Microcontroller will be used to determine the optimal transmitting coil from the transmitting coil array on the charging pad in order to achieve maximum efficiency. This would be done by calculating each coil’s input impedance, and then activating the coil that results in the highest input impedance. The microcontroller will indicate when charging is complete using an LED indicator
- If time permits, we could develop an app that shows charging progress of the drone

Microcontroller: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/espressif-systems/ESP32-DEVKITC-VIE/12091811?utm_adgroup=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax%20Shopping_Product_Low%20ROAS%20Categories&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_id=go_cmp-20243063506_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-12091811_sig-CjwKCAiA8NKtBhBtEiwAq5aX2Nvf7wYlrJvAtHab7cw0ecC0E7rdqjRA_Iy8-0jjQLlCNVKipQhMVRoCslsQAvD_BwE&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8NKtBhBtEiwAq5aX2Nvf7wYlrJvAtHab7cw0ecC0E7rdqjRA_Iy8-0jjQLlCNVKipQhMVRoCslsQAvD_BwE


## Subsystem 3: AC-DC Converter

This subsystem includes a full bridge rectifying circuit with a low pass filter. Converts AC power from the receiving coil to DC power for the voltage regulator

- Circuit consists of resistors, diodes, capacitors, inductors, etc.

## Subsystem 4: Voltage regulator

This subsystem will be a voltage regulator responsible for supplying regulated DC power to the drone’s battery.

## OPTIONAL(IF TIME PERMITS) - Subsystem 5: Drone Control System

This subsystem includes the sensors that allow the drone to find its way back to the charging station.

- Proximity sensors for drone to know when it is close to charging station
- Low battery indicator
- Tracking tags and camera to detect the charging station

Proximity Sensor - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/sharp-socle-technology/GP2Y0E02B/4103879?utm_adgroup=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax%20Shopping_Product_High%20ROAS%20Categories&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8NKtBhBtEiwAq5aX2OJn1KocKkbImYp4gjIzr5wiMJSYczVw6uVYCuu517q7w6XyPQFocxoCQjMQAvD_BwE

# Criterion For Success - Base Project

1. Successful Conversion: Converter circuits are able to correctly convert DC to AC and vice versa.
2. Wireless Power Transfer: Charging pad is able to charge the drone efficiently without human intervention. We will have a lower bound for acceptable efficiency.
3. Battery Indicator : The charging pad indicates when the battery is completely charged.
4. Charging only in close proximity: Start charging only when the charging pad detects that the drone is in close proximity.

If do complete the above criteria in time, we will try to accomplish the following:

- (Optional) Navigational Success: Drone is able to navigate to the charging station and dock.

Control System and User Interface for Hydraulic Bike

Iain Brearton

Featured Project

Parker-Hannifin, a fluid power systems company, hosts an annual competition for the design of a chainless bicycle. A MechSE senior design team of mechanical engineers have created a hydraulic circuit with electromechanical valves, but need a control system, user interface, and electrical power for their system. The user would be able to choose between several operating modes (fluid paths), listed at the end.

My solution to this problem is a custom-designed control system and user interface. Based on sensor feedback and user inputs, the system would change operating modes (fluid paths). Additionally, the system could be improved to suggest the best operating mode by implementing a PI or PID controller. The system would not change modes without user interaction due to safety - previous years' bicycles have gone faster than 20mph.

Previous approaches to this problem have usually not included an electrical engineer. As a result, several teams have historically used commercially-available systems such as Parker's IQAN system (link below) or discrete logic due to a lack of technical knowledge (link below). Apart from these two examples, very little public documentation exists on the electrical control systems used by previous competitors, but I believe that designing a control system and user interface from scratch will be a unique and new approach to controlling the hydraulic system.

I am aiming for a 1-person team as there are 6 MechSE counterparts. I emailed Professor Carney on 10/3/14 and he thought the general concept was acceptable.

Operating modes, simplified:

Direct drive (rider's pedaling power goes directly to hydraulic motor)

Coasting (no power input, motor input and output "shorted")

Charge accumulators (store energy in expanding rubber balloons)

Discharge accumulators (use stored energy to supply power to motor)

Regenerative braking (use motor energy to charge accumulators)

Download Competition Specs: https://uofi.box.com/shared/static/gst4s78tcdmfnwpjmf9hkvuzlu8jf771.pdf

Team using IQAN system (top right corner): https://engineering.purdue.edu/ABE/InfoFor/CurrentStudents/SeniorProjects/2012/GeskeLamneckSparenbergEtAl

Team using discrete logic (page 19): http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/86206/ME450?sequence=1