Abstract:Simultaneous acoustic information and power transfer (SAIPT) is a promising technique for supporting self-sustainable Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) networks through concurrent data transmission and energy supplement. However, existing OFDM-based SAIPT studies are vulnerable to severe multipath propagation and Doppler effects in dynamic underwater acoustic channels. To address this issue, this paper proposes an orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS)-based SAIPT waveform design for dynamic underwater acoustic channels. The acoustic information transfer (AIT) and acoustic power transfer (APT) symbols are jointly designed, while the transducer conversion efficiencies and nonlinear rectifier characteristics are incorporated into the system model. Based on the derived achievable data rate and DC output expressions, a waveform optimization problem is formulated to maximize the harvested DC output under transmit power and minimum data-rate constraints. To solve the resulting non-convex problem, a successive convex approximation (SCA)-based algorithm is developed. Simulation results show that the proposed OTFS-based design outperforms the OFDM-based scheme in terms of DC output in the dynamic transmission scenarios. The effects of key system parameters are also analyzed, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed design in improving acoustic energy transfer efficiency.
Abstract:Simultaneous acoustic information and power transfer (SAIPT) plays a crucial role in enabling self-sustainable and maintenance-free Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) networks. This paper studies a multicarrier underwater SAIPT system that jointly considers the frequency-dependent characteristics of acoustic transducers and the nonlinear behavior of rectifier circuits. The waveform vector is firstly optimized using the successive convex approximation (SCA) method under constraints on average and peak transmit power for acoustic power transfer (APT). Then, in the SAIPT scenario, both the power splitting factor and waveform vectors are jointly optimized through an alternating optimization (AO) framework based on SCA, subject to transmit power and achievable rate constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that incorporating the transducer's frequency response, rectifier nonlinearity, and the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of multicarrier waveforms leads to a significant improvement in acoustic energy transfer efficiency. The results also show that the energy harvesting DC output can be further enhanced by properly choosing system parameters, such as the number of subcarriers and subcarrier spacing.