Fundamental Concepts, Problems and Algorithms for Wireless Power Transfer in Adhoc Communication Networks.

A Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system consists of chargers which transmit power wirelessly and receivers which harvest the radio frequency energy from the chargers. WPT has evolved to a very active research subject, as well as a topic of rapid technological progress and emerging practical development and commercial applications. However, a solid foundational and algorithmic framework seems still necessary for WPT to achieve its full potential. In this respect, the talk aims to discuss different characteristic abstract WPT models (scalar, vector, peer to peer) and present key optimization problems (power maximization, coverage, placement, radiation control). Relevant algorithmic design and analysis methods and performance properties (and their trade-offs) are also provided, as well as interesting WPT notions and concepts (such as super-additive and cancellation phenomena in the received power, notions of electromagnetic radiation control in dense, strong WPT fields and energy-aware distributed network formation in large populations of very weak mobile nodes).