Photovoltaic, thermoelectric and electromagnetic generation technologies applied in power systems for mobile unmanned systems

• Published in: Science China. Technological sciences 2023-03, Vol.66 (3), p.599-629
• Main Authors: Ding, Ning, Wang, XiangYang, Xian, XiaoYang, Cai, YeYun, Liu, DaoMing, Deng, Fang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Engineering; Renewable energy; Renewable resources; Review; Task complexity; Thermoelectricity
• ISSN: 1674-7321; 1869-1900
• DOI: 10.1007/s11431-022-2159-8

Unmanned systems are increasingly adopted in various fields, becoming an indispensable technology in daily life. Power systems are the lifeblood of unmanned systems, and affect the working time and task complexity. However, traditional power systems, such as batteries and fuels have a fixed capacity. Therefore, once the power supply is exhausted and cannot be replenished in time, the unmanned systems will stop working. Hence, researchers have increasingly begun paying attention to renewable energy generation technologies. The principles, advantages, and limitations of renewable energy generation technologies are different, and their application effects in different unmanned systems are also uneven. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the application and development status of photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and magnetoelectric generation technologies in four kinds of unmanned systems, including space, aviation, ground, and water, and then summarizes the adaptability and limitations of the three technologies to different systems. Moreover, future development directions are predicted to enhance the reliability of renewable energy generation technologies in unmanned systems. This is the first study to conduct a comprehensive and detailed study of renewable energy generation technologies applied in unmanned systems. The present work is critical for the development of renewable energy generation technologies and power systems for unmanned systems.