Energy-Efficient UAV Communication With Trajectory Optimization

Wireless communication with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a promising technology for future communication systems. In this paper, assuming that the UAV flies horizontally with a fixed altitude, we study energy-efficient UAV communication with a ground terminal via optimizing the UAV's trajectory, a new design paradigm that jointly considers both the communication throughput and the UAV's energy consumption. To this end, we first derive a theoretical model on the propulsion energy consumption of fixed-wing UAVs as a function of the UAV's flying speed, direction, and acceleration. Based on the derived model and by ignoring the radiation and signal processing energy consumption, the energy efficiency of UAV…