Solar Power Satellite and Microwave Power Transmission

Guide Dr. B. Visvesvara Rao Professor

By Naveen S 08E31A0436

Outline
Solar Power Satellite Purpose of SPS Construction of SPS Microwave Power Transmission Advantages Conclusion

Solar Power Satellite

Purpose of SPS
Liquid fossil fuels may peak before alternatives come on line causing inability for supply to match demand, shortages & economic shock, instability, and great power competition

Energy growth tracks vs population & demand

Continued
Following wood, coal, and oil, the 4th energy must be Non-depletable - to prevent resource conflicts Environmentally clean to permit a sustainable future [Continuously] Available to provide base-load security for everyone In a usable form to permit efficient consumption & minimal infrastructure Low cost - to permit constructive opportunity for all populations Source Clean Safe Reliable Base-load
Fossil Fuel Nuclear Wind Power Ground Solar Hydro Bio-fuels Space Solar No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Decades remaining Fuel Limited Intermittent Intermittent Yes Yes No No

Drought; Complex Scheduling Limited Qty Competes w/Food Yes Yes

Construction of SPS
The surface of SPS have been covered with 400 million solar cells & it has a transmitter The transmitter consists of DC to RF power converters & transmitting antenna The transmitting antenna on the satellite would have been about 1 km in diameter and consists of array of parabolic reflector antennas

Microwave Power Transmission

The conversion of direct power from the photovoltaic cells, to microwave power on the satellites on geosynchronous orbit above the Earth The formation and control of microwave beam aimed precisely at fixed locations on the Earths surface The collection of the microwave energy and its conversion into Power gets to Earth through micro waves electrical energy at the earths surface

continued
The conversion of dc to microwave is done by dc to RF coverters. Generally used dc to RF converters are magnetrons,klystrons, solid state amplifiers The microwave power output of the magnetron is channeled into an array of parabolic reflector antennas for transmission The angle of divergence of beam depends on the size of transmitting antenna The power would be beamed to the Earth in the form of microwaves at a frequency of 2.45 GHz

continued
Rectenna is the microwave to dc converting device and is mainly composed of a receiving antenna and a rectifying circuit Microwaves are received with about 85% efficiency Around 5km across(3.1 miles) 95% of the beam will fall on the rectenna

5,000MW Receiving Station (Rectenna). This station is about a mile and a half long.

continued

A simple radio control feedback system operating in FM band provides an appropriate control signal to the magnetron for adjusting its output level with fluctuation in the consumers demand at the receiving side

Advantages
If the largest conceivable space power station was built and operated 24 hours a day all year round, it could produce the equivalent output of ten 1 million kilowatt-class nuclear power stations Long Payback No Fossil Fuel Feed Renewable No pollution Heat spread into the space and global warming is reduced

Conclusions
More reliable than ground based solar power Green electronics is possible throw SPS The main barrier to the development of SPS is social, not technological In order for SPS to become a reality it several things have to happen Government support Cheaper launch prices Involvement of the private sector