Energy efficiency optimization in a parallel relay-assisted UWOC system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer

In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency optimization for a parallel relay-assisted underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) over an aggregate channel. In this system, relay nodes are equipped with energy harvesting devices, getting energy from the direct current component of the received signal transmitted by the source node. These nodes utilize the harvested energy to transmit the signal to the destination node with the decoding and forwarding strategy. The harvested energy for each relay node is derived by the Gauss-Laguerre quadrature formula and the outage probability is deduced by the Meijer-G function. Then, the system's energy efficiency can be calculated and an energy efficiency maximization problem is built up with respect to the bias current. We propose a three-level-iteration algorithm to solve this problem. In the first level, the Dinkelbach method is used to represent energy efficiency in a parametric subtractive form. In the second level, we use the penalty function method to convert the object function and constraint. In the third level, the objective function is transformed into a quadratic function by using a successive convex approximate method, thereby solving for the bias current. The effects of system parameters on energy efficiency are also analyzed. Theoretical results and Monte Carlo simulations suggest that employing the solved bias current can significantly improve the system's energy efficiency.