Critical review on integrated real-time energy management strategy and digital twin applied to hybrid electric UAVs

The hybridization of energy sources in an electric UAV poses problems of instantaneous power management, efficient distribution of energy between the power sources, monitoring the state of the battery, saving energy and increasing UAV’s autonomy. Energy management strategies (EMS) are in great demand to solve these problems. To date, research efforts have largely focused on energy management strategies and algorithms tested through simulations. Despite the good results obtained in terms of energy optimization and maximizing flight autonomy in simulation situations, the EMS of hybrid electric UAVs continues to suffer from its lack of application in the real world. This paper proposes the concepts of integrated energy management strategy (iEMS) and digital twin (DT) to experiment with EMS for hybrid electric UAVs through flight testing. These approaches offer the capabilities of real-time EMS management, real-time optimization and monitoring, and remote access. This research aims to demonstrate the usefulness of integrated energy management strategy (iEMS) and digital twins (DT) for improving energy and thermal performance, as well as increasing the flight duration of hybrid electric UAVs under real flight conditions. This research not only describes iEMS and DT, but also outlines the technical, economic, operational and normative issues associated with their practical application in UAVs, as well as the respective countermeasures. It highlights recent research developments on the combined use of digital twins and digital technologies such as AI, ML, DRL, 5G/6G, Blockchain, cloud computing and IoT in drones. Readers will also find insights into future research, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives on how different fields (mechanical and materials engineering, electrical, computer science, data science, telecommunications, meteorology) can collaborate to optimize drone energy management.