FACULTY OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Solar Engineering ME 416 TERM PROJECT SOLAR POWER IN SPACE

Solar power for space satellite: a case study of the International Space Station (ISS) Space Based Solar Power (SBSP, SSP)

PREPARED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

IBUKUN OLUWOYE (20072389) Dr Lida E. VAFAE

NICOSIA 2011

Abstract
Ever since the third industrial generation, man had been venturing into better way of producing energy to enhance his technology development. Being better means a cheaper and environmental - friendly energy supply which leads to renewable energy. The dependable renewable energy still remains; nuclear, wind and solar energy. Solar energy being one of the favorite has been integrated and used in various ways. House hold and industrial use for example In this term project, the use of solar energy in space will be research and discussed pick pointing the case of the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, since increasing the efficiency of solar energy is very important, a newer approach of doing that will also be discussed in this research project. The approach involves the use of Space Based Solar Power system which eliminate loss of efficiency due to particles in the earth atmosphere.

Table of Contents
Abstract..i Table of contents ii Part 1 1. Introduction 1 1.1 introduction to spacecraft 1.2 historical background of ISS 1.3 details and specification of ISS 1.4 uses of ISS 2. Solar technology and Space science 5 2.1 Solar system 2.2 Space environment 2.3 Solar wings used in space 2.4 ISS Photovoltaic arrays Part 2 3. Space Based Solar Power (SBSP/SSP) 12 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Advantages of SSP 3.3 Disadvantages of SSP 3.4 Requirements for SSP 4. Conclusion and Suggestions .15

5. References 16

1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction to Spacecraft For centuries, perhaps since our earliest ancestors walked on the planet, human beings have dreamed of travelling into space for space exploration; the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. The romantic lure of leaving the Earth was as strong to the ancients as it was to the pioneers whose experiment in interplanetary travel turned the dream into reality earlier this century. One of the earliest writing on the subject comes from 2nd century B.C Greece, where Lucian of Samoa described a journey to the Moon. [1] Ever since, the conquest had begun, starting from the worlds first liquid fueled rocket was launched by Robert Goddard in Massachusetts in 1926 to rocketry and satellite. 1.2 Historical background of ISS The following is a brief analogy of the historical background of ISS. [2]

1.3 Details and specifications of ISS

Along with the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan, Canada is a partner in the International Space Station (ISS), a unique, orbiting research laboratory. Since the first module of the Station was launched in 1998, the Station has circled the globe 16 times per day at 28 000 km/h at an altitude of about 370 km, covering a distance equivalent to the Moon and back daily. Once complete, the Station will be

as long as a Canadian football field, and will have as much living space as a fivebedroom house. [3]

Picture of the ISS. [4] Dimensions and cost: The ISS is four times larger than MIR. Capable of staying in the orbit much longer (10- 15 years) than the space shuttle which orbit for three weeks, The cost estimates for the ISS range from 35 billion to 160 billion dollars Size Solar Panel Area Mass Position Altitude Observation Coverage 250 statute miles with an inclination of 51.6 degrees 85% of Earth and 95% of its population. [5] 356 feet across 290 feet long 1 acre 1,040,000 pounds

Modules of ISS. [6] 1.4 Uses of ISS; Educational and scientifically benefits
The ISS will be used mostly for scientific research in the unique environment of microgravity. The ISS will be four times larger than Mir, and capable of staying in orbit much longer than the space shuttle, which orbits for three weeks. Researchers from governments, industry and educational institutions will be able to use the facilities on the ISS. The types of research that will be done include.

Microgravity science
Gravity influences many physical processes on Earth. For example, gravity alters the way that atoms come together to form crystals. In microgravity, near-perfect crystals can be formed. Such crystals can yield better semi-conductors for faster computers, or for more efficient drugs to combat diseases.

Life science
Life as we know it has evolved in a world of gravity. Our body shape and plan have been influenced by gravity. We have skeletons to help support us against the force of gravity. Our senses can tell us which direction is up or down, because we can sense gravity. But exactly how does gravity influence living things? The ISS gives us the opportunity to study plants and animals in the absence of gravity. For example, when a plant seed sprouts, the roots grow down and the shoots or leaves grow up (gravitropism); somehow, the young plant must sense gravity to do this. So what would happen if seeds were to grow in microgravity? These types of experiments will be done on the ISS. Long-term exposure to weightlessness causes our bodies to lose calcium from bones, tissue from muscles and fluids from our body. These effects of weightlessness are similar to the effects of aging (decreased muscle strength, osteoporosis). So exposure to

microgravity may give us new insights into the aging process. If we can develop countermeasures to prevent the degrading effects of microgravity, perhaps we can prevent some of the physical effects of aging. The ISS will provide long-term exposure to microgravity that could not be obtained by using other spacecraft.

Earth science
ISS's orbit will cover 75 percent of Earth's surface for observation. With on-board instruments, the astronauts will be able to study climate and weather, study geology, gather information on atmospheric quality, map vegetation, land use and mineral resources, monitor health of rivers, lakes and oceans

Space science
The ISS will be an orbiting platform above the Earth's atmosphere. Like the Hubble Space Telescope on board the ISS will have clear views of the sun, stars and planets, without the interference of the Earth's atmosphere. Instruments on board the ISS will look for planets around other stars and search in distant galaxies for clues to the origin of the universe. Instruments on the ISS will be able to be repaired and interchanged more easily than those on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Engineering research and development

Much of the ISS engineering research and development will go toward studying the effects of the space environment on materials and developing new technologies for space exploration, including: New construction techniques for building things in space; New space technologies, including solar cells and storage; New satellite and spacecraft communications systems; Advanced life-support systems for future spacecraft

Commercial product development

As mentioned above, more perfect crystals can be grown aboard the space station, which will help to develop better drugs, catalysts for extracting oil, and semi-conductors. Again, the ISS will have dedicated laboratories for manufacturing these products, and a much longer time in orbit than could be achieved by the space shuttle. [7]

Educationally, the ISS will provide a better way of understanding all around us. More knowledge will be impose on us all.

2. Solar Technology and Space Science

2.1 Solar System Structure overview At the heart of the solar system is the sun. The four planets nearest to it are rocky, terrestrial worlds Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. After that are the four giant d ball of gas; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Between the orbits of Mars and Neptune. Jupiter lies the asteroid belt, which includes the dwarf planet Ceres. Beyond the orbit of Neptune one finds the disk-shaped Kuiper belt, in which dwarf planet Pluto disk shaped resides, and far beyond that are the giant, spherical Oort cloud and the teardropshaped heliopause. [8]

The SUN The Sun is the Solar System's star, and by far its chief component. Its large mass (332,900 Earth masses) produces temperatures and densities in its core great enough to sustain nuclear fusion, which releases enormous amounts of energy, fusion mostly radiated into space as electromagnetic radiation, peaking in the 400700 nm , 400 band we call visible light light. The Sun is classified as a type G2 yellow dwarf, but this name is misleading as, , compared to the majority of stars in our galaxy, the Sun is rather large and bright. , brigh Stars are classified by the Hertz sprungRussell diagram, a graph that plots the , brightness of stars with their surface temperatures. Generally, hotter stars are . brighter. Stars following this pattern are said to be on the main sequence, and the sequence Sun lies right in the middle of it. However, stars brighter and hotter than the Sun are rare, while substantially dimmer and cooler stars, known as red dwarfs, are common, dwarfs making up 85 percent of the stars in the galaxy. percen

It is believed that the Sun's position on the main sequence puts it in the "prime of life" for a star, in that it has not yet exhausted its store of hydrogen for nuclear fusion. The Sun is growing brighter; early in its history it was 70 percent as bright as it is today. The Sun is a population I star; it was born in the later stages of the universe's evolution, and thus contains more elements heavier than hydrogen and helium ("metals" in astronomical parlance) than older population II stars.[18] Elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were formed in the cores of ancient and exploding stars, so the first generation of stars had to die before the universe could be enriched with these atoms. The oldest stars contain few metals, while stars born later have more. This high metallicity is thought to have been crucial to the Sun's developing a planetary system, because planets form from accretion of "metals". [9]

NASA: Aerial photograph of the Sun. [10] 2.2 Space environment Space environment, branch of astronautics, aerospace engineering and space physics that seeks to understand and address conditions existing in space that affect the operation of spacecraft. A related subject - space weather - deals with dynamic processes in the solar-terrestrial system that can give rise to effects on spacecraft, but that can also affect the atmosphere, ionosphere and geomagnetic, giving rise to several other kinds of effects on human technologies.[11]

Working environment for Spacecraft. [12] upon all facts, the space environment still made it very possible to power all spacecraft and satellites in space due to the effect of radiation.

Solar system with its environment

Radiation in space. 2.3 Solar wings used in space Solar wings are large arrays of solar panels used to power space satellites in space. They are made of normal convectional solar panels. A solar panel (photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel) is a packaged interconnected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells. The solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Because a single solar panel can only produce a limited amount of power, many installations contain several panels. This is known as a photovoltaic array. A photovoltaic installation typically includes an array of solar panels, an inverter, batteries and interconnection wiring. Photovoltaic systems are used for either on- or off-grid applications, and on spacecraft. [13] 2.4 ISS Photovoltaic Array The electrical system of the International Space Station is a critical resource for the International Space Station (ISS) because it allows the crew to live comfortably, to safely operate the station, and to perform scientific experiments. The ISS electrical system uses solar cells to directly convert sunlight to electricity. Large numbers of cells are assembled in arrays to produce high power levels. This method of harnessing solar power is called photovoltaic.

The process of collecting sunlight, converting it to electricity, and managing and distributing this electricity builds up excess heat that can damage spacecraft equipment. This heat must be eliminated for reliable operation of the space station in orbit. The ISS power system uses radiators to dissipate the heat away from the spacecraft. The radiators are shaded from sunlight and aligned toward the cold void of deep space.

Solar array wings: Each ISS solar array wing (often abbreviated "SAW") consists of two retractable "blankets" of solar cells with a mast between them. Each wing uses nearly 33,000 solar cells and when fully extended is 35 m (115 ft) long and 12 m (38 ft) wide. When retracted, each wing folds into a solar array blanket box just 51 cm (20 inches) high and 4.57 m (15 ft) long. The ISS now has the full complement of eight solar array wings. The solar arrays normally track the Sun, with the "alpha gimbal" used as the primary rotation to follow the Sun as the space station moves around the Earth, and the "beta gimbal" used to adjust for the angle of the space station's orbit to the ecliptic. Several different tracking modes are used in operations, ranging from full Suntracking, to the drag-reduction mode ("Night glider" and "Sun slicer" modes), to a drag-maximization mode used to lower the altitude. See more details in the article at Night Glider mode.

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Battery Since the station is often not in direct sunlight, it relies on rechargeable nickel-hydrogen batteries to provide continuous power during the "eclipse" part of theorbit (35 minutes of every 90 minute orbit). The batteries ensure that the station is never without power to sustain life-support systems and experiments. During the sunlit part of the orbit, the batteries are recharged. The batteries have a working life of 6.5 years which means that they must be replaced multiple times during the expected 20-year life of the station.[4] The batteries, and the battery charge/discharge units (BCDUs), are manufactured by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), under contract to Boeing [14].

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PART B 3. Space Based Solar Power (SBSP/SSP)

3.1 Introduction The United States and the world need to find new sources of clean energy. Space Solar Power gathers energy from sunlight in space and transmits it wirelessly to Earth. Space solar power can solve our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems. Not just help, not just take a step in the right direction, but solve. Space solar power can provide large quantities of energy to each and every person on Earth with very little environmental impact. The solar energy available in space is literally billions of times greater than we use today. The lifetime of the sun is an estimated 4-5 billion years, making space solar power a truly long-term energy solution. As Earth receives only one part in 2.3 billion of the Sun's output, space solar power is by far the largest potential energy source available, dwarfing all others combined. Solar energy is routinely used on nearly all spacecraft today. This technology on a larger scale, combined with already demonstrated wireless power transmission, can supply nearly all the electrical needs of our planet. Another need is to move away from fossil fuels for our transportation system. While electricity powers few vehicles today, hybrids will soon evolve into plug-in hybrids which can use electric energy from the grid. As batteries, super-capacitors, and fuel cells improve, the gasoline engine will gradually play a smaller and smaller role in transportation but only if we can generate the enormous quantities of electrical energy we need. It doesn't help to remove fossil fuels from vehicles if you just turn around and use fossil fuels again to generate the electricity to power those vehicles. Space solar power can provide the needed clean power for any future electric transportation system. While all viable energy options should be pursued with vigor, space solar power has a number of substantial advantages over other energy sources.

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3.2 Advantages of SSP Unlike oil, gas, ethanol, and coal plants, space solar power does not emit greenhouse gases. Unlike coal and nuclear plants, space solar power does not compete for or depend upon increasingly scarce fresh water resources. Unlike bio-ethanol or bio-diesel, space solar power does not compete for increasingly valuable farm land or depend on natural-gas-derived fertilizer. Food can continue to be a major export instead of a fuel provider. Unlike nuclear power plants, space solar power will not produce hazardous waste, which needs to be stored and guarded for hundreds of years. Unlike terrestrial solar and wind power plants, space solar power is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in huge quantities. It works regardless of cloud cover, daylight, or wind speed. Unlike nuclear power plants, space solar power does not provide easy targets for terrorists. Unlike coal and nuclear fuels, space solar power does not require environmentally problematic mining operations. Space solar power will provide true energy independence for the nations that develop it, eliminating a major source of national competition for limited Earth-based energy resources. Space solar power will not require dependence on unstable or hostile foreign oil providers to meet energy needs, enabling us to expend resources in other ways. Space solar power can be exported to virtually any place in the world, and its energy can be converted for local needs such as manufacture of methanol for use in places like rural India where there are no electric power grids. Space solar power can also be used for desalination of sea water. Space solar power can take advantage of our current and historic investment in aerospace expertise to expand employment opportunities in solving the difficult problems of energy security and climate change. Space solar power can provide a market large enough to develop the low-cost space transportation system that is required for its deployment. This, in turn, will also bring the resources of the solar system within economic reach. 3.3 Disadvantages of SSP High development cost. Yes, space solar power development costs will be very large, although much smaller than American military presence in the Persian Gulf or the costs of global warming, climate change, or carbon sequestration. The cost of space solar power development always needs to be compared to the cost of not developing space solar power. 3.4 Requirements for SSP

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The technologies and infrastructure required to make space solar power feasible include:

Low-cost, environmentally-friendly launch vehicles. Current launch vehicles are too expensive, and at high launch rates may pose atmospheric pollution problems of their own. Cheaper, cleaner launch vehicles are needed. Large scale in-orbit construction and operations. To gather massive quantities of energy, solar power satellites must be large, far larger than the International Space Station (ISS), the largest spacecraft built to date. Fortunately, solar power satellites will be simpler than the ISS as they will consist of many identical parts. Power transmission. A relatively small effort is also necessary to assess how to best transmit power from satellites to the Earths surface with minimal environmental impact.

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4. Conclusion and Suggestions

All of these technologies are reasonably near-term and have multiple attractive approaches. However, a great deal of work is needed to bring them to practical fruition. In the longer term, with sufficient investments in space infrastructure, space solar power can be built from materials from space. The full environmental benefits of space solar power derive from doing most of the work outside of Earth's biosphere. With materials extraction from the Moon or near-Earth asteroids, and space-based manufacture of components, space solar power would have essentially zero terrestrial environmental impact. Only the energy receivers need be built on Earth. Space solar power can completely solve our energy problems long term. The sooner we start and the harder we work, the shorter "long term" will be. [15]

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5. References
[1] : The Encyclopedia of Space, Nicholas Booth, page 9, 1990. [2] : A Vision of future space Transportation, Tim McElyea, page 12-13, 2003 [3] : http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/default.asp [4] : http://www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/index.html [5] : http://www.aerospace-technology.com [6] : http://www.visual.merriam-webster.com [7] : http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-station5.ht [8] :http://www.space.com/56-our-solar-system-facts-formation-and-discovery.html [9]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System [10] : http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/PIA03149.jpg [11] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_environment [12]: http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/army/ref_text/chap5im.htm [13] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel [14] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_system_of_the_International_Space_Station [15] : http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/

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