Solar Power Satellite

Contents:
Introduction
History
SERT
Design of Solar Power Satellites
Description of Solar Power Satellites
Wireless Power Transmission
Space craft sizing
Comparison of power sources
Advantages & Disadvantages
Conclusion

Introduction:
Producing electricity from sunlight in space is not a new or
untried technology. What has never been tried before is
transmitting that power back to Earth for our use.
The Solar Power Satellite (or "Space Solar Power," SPS) is a
concept to collect solar power in space, and then transport it to
the surface of the Earth by microwave beam, where it is converted
into electrical power for terrestrial use.
Being a clean and safe energy design, space-based solar power
has the potential to play a significant role in solving global energy
and environmental problems.

History:
The SPS concept, originally known as Satellite Solar Power System
("SSPS") was first described in November 1968.
In 1973 Peter Glaser was granted for his method of transmitting
power over long distances (e g from an SPS to the Earth's surface)
using microwaves from a very large (up to one square kilometer)
antenna on the satellite to a much larger one on the ground, now
known as a Rectenna.
Between 1978 and 1981 the US Congress authorized DOE and NASA
to jointly investigate. They organized the Satellite Power System
Concept Development and Evaluation Program.

SERT:
In 1999, NASA's Space solar power
Exploratory Research and Technology program (SERT) was initiated
for the following purpose:
Evaluate studies of the general feasibility, design, and
requirements.
Create conceptual designs of subsystems
Formulate a preliminary plan of action for the U.S.
Construct technology development and demonstration roadmaps
for critical Space Solar Power (SSP) elements.
SERT's conclusions:
The environmental impact of conventional power plants and their
impact on world energy supplies and geopolitical relationships can
be problematic.
Renewable energy is a compelling approach, both philosophically
and in engineering terms.
Space solar power systems appear to possess many significant

Design:
Space-based solar power
essentially consists of
three parts:
Collecting solar power
in space, for example
via solar cells or a heat
engine.
Transmitting power to
earth, for example via
microwave or laser.
Receiving power on
earth, for example via a
microwave antennas
(Rectenna).

Types:
Super synchronous Solar Power
Satellite
Fixed Geosynchronous Solar Power
Satellite
Fixed Design with integrated
microwave transmitter

er synchronous solar power sate

Design Details: Since the sun and
Earth are nearly the same direction,
it can feature:
Integrated solar concentrator
dish/microwave transmission dish
Integrated solar cell/solid state
transmitters
No rotating parts or slip-rings
Frequency: 30 GHz
Transmitter diameter: 3 km
Receiver diameter: 6 km
3 ground sites, receive 8 hours per
day
Total Mass 1,300 tonnes.
At assumed transmitter efficiency
33% (todays technology): 1 GW
power output
At assumed transmitter efficiency

d Geosynchronous solar power sate

ed Design with Integrated Microwave Transmit

Description:
The SPS essentially
consists of three
parts:
A solar collector,
typically made
up of solar cells
A microwave
antenna on the
satellite, aimed
at Earth
one or more
paired, and
much larger,
antennas
(rectennas) on
the Earth's
surface.

Continued
Spacecraft design:
Solar photons will be
converted to electricity
aboard the SPS spacecraft,
and that electricity will be
fed to an array of Klystron
tubes which will generate
the microwave beam.
Solar energy
conversion (solar
photons to DC current):
Two basic methods of
converting photons to
electricity have been
studied,
Solar dynamic (SD) and
Photovoltaic (PV).

Wireless Power Transmission

Wireless power transmission was early proposed to transfer
energy from collection to the Earth's surface. The power could
be transmitted as either microwave or laser radiation at a
variety of frequencies depending on system design.
The first technical session on solar power satellites (SPS) was
held in 1970 at the International Microwave Power Institute
Symposium.
Two types of WPT:
Ground based power transmission
Space based power transmission
But Space-based power transmission is preferred over Groundbased power transmission.

Space craft
sizing

The sizing will be

dominated by the distance
from Earth to
geostationary orbit
(22,300 miles, 35,700km),
the chosen wavelength of
the microwaves, and the
laws of physics,
specifically the Rayleigh
Criterion or Diffraction
limit, used in standard RF (
Radio Frequency) antenna
design.
A collection of LEO (
Low Earth Orbit) space
power stations has been
proposed as a precursor to

Rectenna:

Comparison of power sources

Power

Costs

Cost/Watt

$61.32

Pros

Cons

Generation
Nuclear

State of the art

3-5 billion for

Power

facilities can

the facility

Extensive scientific data

available

generate up to 366

Nuclear

Technology has been

Gigawatts

established and used for

decades
No greenhouse effects

FossilFuels

Dependent upon

Currently oil is

$53.42

Inexpensive and established

usage

at $100 a

Currently Abundant and

barrel and

highly Versatile

expected to

capital

costs

Security
and
risks
containment breaches

Pollution , acid rain and

global warming
Extensive transportation

19-56 watts per

at a rate of

<$1.00

Free as long as sunlight is

Requirement of special

square meter. Max

<$1.00,

(employing new

available

materials

power generation

dependent

technologies)

limited only by size

upon the size

large amounts of land for

of the station

small amounts of energy

Current technology requires

generation
Solar

230 watts per

70-80 billion

Powered

square meter up to

including

Satellites

8.75 terawatts

launch costs

of

Limited Supply Increasing

costs

rise
SolarPower

Larger

proliferation

<$1.00

Can produce electricity 24

(employing new hours a day, 7 days a week.

technologies)

Satellite can transmit power

to different areas globally

Extremely expensive

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:
Unlimited energy resource.
Energy delivered anywhere in the world.
Zero fuel cost.
Zero CO2 emission.
Minimum long-range environmental impact.
Solar radiation can be more efficiently collected in space.
Disadvantages:
Storage of electricity during off peak demand hours .
The frequency of beamed radiation is planned to be at 2.45 GHz
and
this frequency is used by communication satellites also.
The entire structure is massive.
High initial cost and require much time for construction.
Launch costs.
Would require a network of hundreds of satellites.
The size of the antennas and rectennas.
Geosynchronous satellites would take up large sections of
space.

Summary

Overview of SPS

Conclusion
Several new designs for solar power satellites were considered, in
an attempt to maximize the amount of power produced at peak
rates.
The challenges to the implementation of Space Solar Power are
significant, but then no major expansion of energy supply will be
easy. These challenges need to be tackled vigorously by the
space, energy and other communities.
The possibility of decrease of the wave beam expansion permits to
make the WPT systems less expensive. Such approach to the
problem of the continuous radiators and of the real antennas,
which can be created, is new.
A small SPS system could be economically justified to provide
otherwise unavailable emergency power for natural disaster
situations, urban blackouts and satellite power failures.