Joint optimization of transmission and propulsion in aerial communication networks

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Faqir, Omar J, Kerrigan, Eric C, Gündüz, Deniz
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 04.10.2017
• Subjects: Communication; Communication networks; Computer Science - Information Theory; Computer Science - Systems and Control; Computer simulation; Dynamic models; Energy transmission; Expenditures; Locomotion; Mathematics - Information Theory; Mathematics - Optimization and Control; Nodes; Nonlinear control; Optimal control; Optimization; Power control; Propulsion; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Wireless communications; Wireless networks
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1710.01529

Communication energy in a wireless network of mobile autonomous agents should be considered as the sum of transmission energy and propulsion energy used to facilitate the transfer of information. Accordingly, communication-theoretic and Newtonian dynamic models are developed to model the communication and locomotion expenditures of each node. These are subsequently used to formulate a novel nonlinear optimal control problem (OCP) over a network of autonomous nodes. It is then shown that, under certain conditions, the OCP can be transformed into an equivalent convex form. Numerical results for a single link between a node and access point allow for comparison with known solutions before the framework is applied to a multiple-node UAV network, for which previous results are not readily extended. Simulations show that transmission energy can be of the same order of magnitude as propulsion energy allowing for possible savings, whilst also exemplifying how speed adaptations together with power control may increase the network throughput.