Flexible wireless charger for automated guided vehicle in smart warehouses

Automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems in warehouses, used for transporting and sorting goods in automated production lines, are currently improving and automating each stage of the process using various AGV types. This paper presents a study on a converter designed for flexible and efficient wireless power conversion for multiple automated robots operating on a DC microgrid in a smart warehouse. The converter facilitates bidirectional power exchange via four ports integrated into one AGV and between different AGVs without requiring additional systems within the automated robot. The microgrid system will have a rigid structure, similar to a charging distribution grid designed for automated robots. With wireless power transmission, flexible energy exchange is possible between the DC microgrid and the automated robots in both directions, and between the robots themselves when not in proximity to a fixed charging point within the DC microgrid, particularly during transport. A basic design for a circular wireless transmission coil, suitable for the robot’s shape, is proposed. This design demonstrates how changes in coil area and eccentricity in communication directions impact transmission performance. A prototype, five times smaller in size, has been deployed and tested. It successfully transmitted an average of approximately 170 W of power over a distance of 12 cm with an efficiency of nearly 68.72%. This principle can be appropriately applied to various mobile and autonomous platforms with limited payload space, where remote power and renewable energy sources are needed.