Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT): Recent Advances and Future Challenges

Abstract

Initial efforts on Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) have concentrated towards long-distance transmission and high power applications. Nonetheless, the less efficiency of the transmission gained and potential health concerns arising due to high power applications, have caused limitations in their further developments. Due to tremendous energy consumption growth with ever increasing connected devices, alternative wireless information and power transfer techniques have been important not only for theoretical research interests but also for the operational costs saving and the sustainable growth of wireless communications. In this regard, Radio Frequency Energy Harvesting (RF-EH) for a wireless communications system presents a new paradigm that allows wireless nodes to recharge their batteries from the RF signals instead of fixed power grids and the traditional energy sources. In this approach, the RF energy is harvested from ambient electromagnetic sources or from the sources that directionally transmit RF energy for EH purposes. Notable research activities and major advances have occurred over the last decade in this direction. In this direction, this paper provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-art techniques, based on advances and research challenges presented by Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) and WPT assisted technologies. More specifically, in contrast to the existing works, this paper identifies and provides a detailed description of various potential emerging technologies for the fifth generation (5G) communications with SWIPT/WPT. Moreover, we provide some interesting research challenges and recommendations with the objective of stimulating future research in this emerging domain.

Microwave antennas—An intrinsic part of RF energy harvesting systems: A contingent study about its design methodologies and state‐of‐art technologies in current scenario

“…Hence, it can be taken as the broader area of exploration for research, where RF researchers can pursue modeling of antennas through soft computing techniques. A comparative focus on recent developments of microwave antennas in RF energy harvesting with concurrent analysis are shown in Table . The characteristics of microwave antennas are normally dealt with frequency of operation, realized gain, radiation characteristics, and antenna efficiency; followed by the properties of rectenna characterized with parameters such as input power levels, RF‐to‐DC PCE, and harvested voltage.…”

“…Prior to it, complete illustration about the microwave antennas in RF energy harvesting are presented with complete design perspective. A comparative study along with performatory analysis of microwave antennas are presented in Table ; keeping intact with rectenna characteristics: operating frequency, realized gain, polarization diversity, input power levels, and RF‐to‐DC power conversion efficiency, which was not in the scope of review papers for RF energy harvesting available in the open literature. Technically, to pursue clear understanding about tradeoffs of modern RF systems; five different cases of planar antennas (monopole antennas) at different bands with reflector surfaces and integrated with rectifier circuits are designed, simulated and analyzed by using FDTD domain solver (CST microwave studio) and circuit solver (advanced design system).…”

A New Green Prospective of Non-orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) for 5G

“…It is observed from the recent literature [44,[72][73][74][75][76][77] that with the advent of energy efficient techniques like energy harvesting, the resulting self-sustained networks are getting attention of the research community. Energy harvesting and transfer have recently taken the attention in the field of wireless communication networks as an energy efficient mechanism that leads to self-sustaining, cost-effective networks.…”

A Hybrid Energy Harvesting Design for On-Body Internet-of-Things (IoT) Networks

“…Most often, the IoT sensors are considered useful, until the power is supplied by a battery. Thus, the lifetime of the IoT network remains limited and less scalable, since it highly depends on the energy capacity stored in the battery [4]. Recently, many research efforts have been made to extend the lifetime of IoT sensor networks by improving their energy efficiency and reliability of communication.…”