Critical Review of Recent Development of Wireless Power Transfer Technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown immense potential in military and civilian applications. However, the limited endurance of UAVs poses a crucial challenge to their widespread adoption and development. Fortunately, wireless power transfer (WPT) technology has emerged as a promising solution to address this issue. In contrast to the previous papers on the topic, this review aims to provide a holistic top-down view of WPT technology for UAVs. More specifically, it introduces the fundamental principles of WPT technology firstly. Then, the design and optimization methods of coupling mechanisms, especially for UAVs, are introduced and compared. Numerous different and significant designs are reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, the compensation topology and control strategies are elaborated in detail subsequently. Finally, the key technical challenges faced by WPT for UAVs are put forward and future directions for development is proposed. Therefore, this review can be considered as an expedient reference for researchers conducting studies in the field of WPT technology for UAVs. Keeping this in mind, we present meaningful perspective for each of the analyzed key aspects, providing inspiration for what follows.