A
Paper
On
SOLAR POWER
SATELLITES
Wireless power transmission
Presenter : K.S.S.V.Keshav
Department : E.E.E
College : S.B.I.T, khammam
Contact : 9908810293 / 9700634011
Email : keshavrocks91@gmail.com
ABSTRACT:
Can’t we generate solar power during night times? Yes my paper suggest a solution to
generate solar power during night times. It is probably well known that we are running out of fossil
fuel. Most of the energy sources we are using are non renewable. Oil and gas are not to last longer
than about fifty years, whereas coal will probably last another two or three centuries. Uranium and
nuclear plants will not last forever either. So, in order to provide the generations to come with energy,
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we have to find the way to use unlimited sources. And this is where SPS gets in action. It provides
solutions to use one of the most renewable and unlimited source on earth : the SUN.
SPS : a great idea !
Still someone might ask why using SPS and not solar panels on the
surface of the earth ? With the SPS, problems such as daylight and bad-weather conditions, which one
might have to deal with , when using solar panels, do not exist. Neither does the need of storage in
order to have continual provision of energy and especially considering our inability for adequate
energy storage on earth. With SPS the maximum energy loss due to eclipses is only a hundred and
twenty hours a year. Furthermore the energy received by the rectennas on earth is ten times more than
that received by solar panels of the same surface.
The solar panels used on the surface of the earth prevent sun beams to go through
them and consequently prevent any kind of cultivation of the earth under them. But with SPS the
photo voltaic cells are in space, so we have no problem with the area needed. In addition the rectennas
on earth are semi-transparent allowing sun light to go through them and making possible the
cultivation of the soil. So we have no waste of space.
Probably in the future there will be other sources of energy such as fusion, in fact we are already using
renewable sources like either hydroelectricity or geothermal energy. SPS might be one of several
renewable energies we will use in the future .
Now that we have seen several reasons why SPS could be a great project, let's keep our feet on the
ground. There are still some problems to solve before we can see the first SPS working.
INTRODUCTION TO SPS:
The Solar Power Satellite (SPS) concept would place solar power plants in orbit
above Earth, where they would convert sunlight to electricity and beam the power to ground-based
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receiving stations. The ground-based stations would be connected to today's regular electrical power
lines that run to our homes, offices and factories here on Earth.
Why put solar power plants in space? The sun shines 24 hours a day in
space, as if it were always noontime at the equator with no clouds and no atmosphere. Unlike solar
power on the ground, the economy isn't vulnerable to cloudy days, and extra generating capacity and
storage aren't needed for our nighttime needs. There is no variation of power supply during the course
of the day and night, or from season to season. The latter problems have plagued ground based solar
power concepts, but the SPS suffers none of the traditional limitations of ground-based solar power.
INTRODUCTION TO RECTENNA:
A rectenna is a rectifying antenna, a special type of antenna that is used to directly
convert microwave energy into DC electricity. Its elements are usually arranged in a mesh pattern,
giving it a distinct appearance from most antennae.
A simple rectenna can be constructed from a Schottky diode placed between antenna dipoles. The
diode rectifies the current induced in the antenna by the microwaves. Schottky diodes are used
because they have the lowest voltage drop and therefore waste the minimum power.
Rectennae are highly efficient at converting microwave energy to electricity. In laboratory
environments, efficiencies above 90% have been observed with regularity. Some experimentation has
been done with inverse rectennae, converting electricity into microwave energy, but efficiencies are
much lower—only in the area of 1%.
Due to their high efficiency and relative cheapness, rectennae feature in most microwave power
transmission
BLOCK DIAGROM OF SPS MODEL:
The satellites would be placed in so-called "geostationary" or "Earth synchronous"
orbit, a 24-hour orbit which is thus synchronized with Earth's rotation, so that satellites placed there
will stay stationary overhead from each's receiving antenna. (Likewise, today's communications
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satellites are put into geostationary orbit, and each TV satellite dish on the ground is pointed towards
one satellite "stationary" in orbit.) The receiving antenna is called a "rectenna" (pronounced
"rektenna").
Geostationary orbit is very high, 36,000 km (22,500 miles) above the surface of
the Earth. It is far above the range of the Space Shuttle, which has a maximum range of about 1000
km (600 miles) above Earth's surface
The SPS will consist of a large sheet of solar cells mounted on a frame of steel-
reinforced lunarcrete or astercrete. The solar cells produce electricity from sunlight with no moving
parts. The only moving part on the satellite is the transmitter antenna(s) which slowly tracks the
ground-based rectenna(s) while the solar cell array keeps facing the sun. Each transmitter antenna is
connected to the solar cell array by two rotary joints with sliprings.
The transmitter on the SPS is an array of radio tubes (klystrons), waveguides, and heat radiators. They
convert the electricity from the SPS solar cell power plant into a radio or microwave beam. The
ground-based rectenna consists of an array of antennas and standard
electronics to convert the energy into regular AC electricity which can then be
supplied into today's power lines.
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MODELS OF TRANSMITTER AND RECTENNA RECEIVER:
TRANSMISSION OF POWER:
The rectenna consists of an array of dipole antennas connected to diodes to
convert the radio frequency energy to DC voltage, which is then converted to regular AC electricity and
wired to homes, factories, etc. While DC to AC conversion can occur at the rectenna, if the consumers are
a long distance away, e.g., in another state, it may be more efficient to transmit by DC power lines and
then to convert to AC at a local power grid.
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The efficiency of the SPS is often stated in terms of "DC to DC efficiency", i.e., from the DC input at
the solar cells to the DC output of
the rectenna. The DC to DC efficiency is generally estimated at 63%, with losses shown in the figure
below
The satellites can have a useful lifetime of many decades. As space development takes
off, they are more likely to become obsolete than to be taken out of service due to
problems. Old SPSs can be either upgraded (e.g., the transmitter or the solar array) or
sold off to a less developed country and moved to that country's space in geosynchronous
orbit.
Compared to today's energy sources
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Currently, the world gets about 95% of its energy from coal, oil and natural gas, and almost all of the
other 5% from nuclear power and hydroelectric dams.
Suppliable
Cost per Environmentally
Source on large Versatility Limits
megawatt challenging?
scale?
acid rain, CO2,
Coal Low Yes electric ~none
mining, waste
yes
low acid rain, CO2,
Oil (peaks transport exhaustible
(pre-peak) spills
~2010)
yes electric, heat,
low CO2, some
Natural gas (peaks LNG for ~exhaustible
(pre-peak) acid raid
~2025) transport
Hydroelectric Low no (~4%) flooding electric econ. sites
radiation,
Nuclear fission Low Yes electric none
terrorism
Fusion High far future radiation electric none
sunny
Photovoltaic sunny,
Medium daytimes OK electric
(ground-based) south
(unreliable)
sunny
winters,
Solar space heating Low n/a OK space heat
new
structures
sunny
Solar thermal
Medium daytimes OK electric sunny south
electric (ground)
(unreliable)
sunny
Solar thermal
Medium daytimes OK thermal sunny south
ind. heat (ground)
(unreliable)
Wind energy OK No loud electric some coasts
Alcohol fuels Livable OK OK transport ~OK
Biomass gas Livable No OK gas ~OK
Ocean thermal High No OK electric OK
brine, sulfur,
Geothermal Medium No electric few sites
toxic metals
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The SPS concept appears to have inherent promise to be a most economical source of electric power
to our economies, relative to today's electricity sources and all other energy sources seriously projected
for the forseeable future.
The mass of the rectenna would be a little bit less that a coal fired power plant with the same output,
assuming a safe, low power density SPS beam, and the satellite in space is about a tenth the mass of a
coal fired power plant, to give you a picture of what we're dealing with.
Once built, the SPS and rectenna would continuously supply energy passively with no pollution. In
contrast, a coal fired plant of equal power output to an SPS would have to burn tonnages of coal in
excess of 20 TIMES the combined weight of the SPS and its ground-based rectenna, and also mine,
transport, process and dispose of the ash of these tonnages, each and every year!! This is a massively
expensive operation, yet it is the least expensive electricity source today which can reliably supply
electrical energy in quantities large enough for our demands.
A nuclear power plant is much more complex than a coal plant, i.e., composed of an even greater variety of
specialized and expensive components. A nuclear power
plant is about twice as massive as a rectenna, considering just the power plant and not all the facilities required
for nuclear fuel mining, transport, purification, enrichment, rod fabrication, spent fuel temporary storage,
reprocessing and disposal facilities. Nuclear power plants have very high front-end capital costs (especially with
ever-changing safety regulations and the need for nuclear safety), but lower operating costs compared to coal-
fired plants. Nuclear power also has long pending nuclear waste disposal issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS-THE SPS MICROWAVE BEAM
This section puts the SPS beam into a bigger perspective in a general sense. The SPS beam is
basically a radio beam. When people hear the word "microwave", they think of a microwave oven.
The SPS beam intensity does not need to have the power intensity anything near a microwave oven,
and current designs have the intensity as hundreds of times less above the rectenna, indeed a power
intensity about one-tenth that of sunlight. Also, a microwave oven is designed to operate at a
frequency which is absorbed by water (which is why dry stuff doesn't heat up well in a microwave).
The SPS will operate at a frequency designed to NOT be absorbed by water in the atmosphere, and to
pass through clouds and rain.
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Microwave frequencies are harmlessly used in communications, using different microwave
frequencies which avoid absorption by water in the atmosphere so that they travel a long distance. The
SPS beam will use a frequency tuned for minimal absorption by the atmosphere, clouds and storms.
Microwaves cause heating, but not much else. The intensity would not be anything near that inside a
microwave oven -- a microwave oven operates at power densities hundreds of times higher.
The reason why microwave "radiation" is safer is that it is of much lower frequency or energy than the
ultraviolet light you receive from sunlight outdoors, and from the x-rays coming from your TV and
computer screen. X-ray and ultraviolet radiation are ionizing radiation which can disrupt molecules in
the body. Microwave radiation by the SPS is even less potent than infra-red radiation from heaters and
stoves. If the SPS beam is significantly absorbed by biota, it would produce only heating, and usually
not significant heating
EFFECT OF SPS ON COMMUNICATION:
Microwaves are Effects of the SPS on communications is another "environmental" topic that has been
studied by a number of professionals. Frequencies near the proposed 2.45 GHz SPS beam frequency
are currently being used by some communications sectors, but they're a tiny segment of the
communications services. Those operating at 2.45 GHz would probably want to switch frequencies,
though ameliorative measures are feasible for frequencies close to 2.45 GHz in areas not near a
rectenna. The SPS can be made to not interfere with other communications in general.
A major factor in setting the "baseline" SPS beam power density to peak at 23 milliwatts per square
centimeter was its effects on the ionosphere, a layer of the upper atmosphere used to bounce some
kinds of traditional communications, e.g., long range radio, TV (non-satellite and non-cable), and
microwave relay of telephone calls. Only the spots of the ionosphere above rectennas would be
affected, and those spots may not work as well in reflecting (actually, refracting) these kinds of
communications back down to the Earth's surface if the beam intensity is pushed too high. Whether
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the SPS would significantly affect users of those kinds of communications in certain areas has yet to
be determined, but it was later thought that the 23 mW/cm2 setting was considerably lower than the
threshold for significant effects on the ionosphere. However, with fiber optics, larger satellites, and
internet, those traditional ionosphere-reliant methods of communications are being phased out.
Experiments were conducted transmitting a 2.45 GHz beam up through the ionosphere (using the
large Platteville, Colorado and the Arecibo, Puerto Rico high frequency transmission dishes) and
taking many measurements over time. (171-177) "Experiments have shown that the limit is too low,
and theory now suggests that the threshold is soft. The current consensus is that the limit of 23
mW/cm2 can be at least doubled, and perhaps more, pending further tests." (178) Further, it was
concluded that atmospheric heatingcould be reduced by 80% by switching to the 5.8 GHz frequency.
There are 10 different bandwidths used for communications -- EHF, SHF, UHF, VHF, HF, MF, LF,
VLF, VF and ELF. The SPS beam falls within the UHF band.
There would be interference with some communications operating at the 2.45 GHz frequency of the
SPS beam and some of its harmonics. 2.45 GHz falls within the UHF part of the communications
spectrum. The SPS beam of 2.45 GHz is located in the microwave area of the radio communications
spectrum, near the TV and FM radio frequencies, and falls within the 2.3 GHz to 2.5 GHz bandwidth
allocated for police, taxi, citizen's band, mobile, radiolocation, amateur, amateur-satellite and ISM
(industrial, scientific and medical) applications -- the UHF band. The vast majority of these other
applications do not use 2.45 GHz but use other frequencies near or somewhat near to 2.45 GHz.
Many of these applications (except FM and UHF TV) have also been allocated frequencies in other
bandwidths (outside UHF) by the authorities.
However, analytic studies concluded: "With the exception of sensitive military and research systems,
equipment more than 100 km [60 miles] from a rectenna site should not require modification or
special design to avoid degradation in performance," (157) and that conventional mitigative
techniques would even permit operation of almost all devices at the rectenna boundary by filtering,
nulling, minor circuit modifications and other mitigative techniques (158-162) which would cost
between 0.1 to 5% of the unit cost to modify. Tests confirmed the effectiveness of these mitigative
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techniques. Sensitive military equipment would generally not be affected as long as the closest
rectenna was more than 400 km (250 miles) away.
Pacemakers and other medical electronic devices would not be affected.
In summary, some kinds of communications would be adversely affected by the 2.45 GHz SPS
beam, but the vast majority of today's communications would be unaffected.
However, the benefits to communications due to large scale space development would be immense.
. COMMUNICATION SATELLITES BENEFITS:
Looking at the effects of SPSs on communications satellites is a waste of time unless we consider the
revolutionary effects of large scale space infrastructure associated with SPSs. If SPSs are put into
place, satellite communications will boom due to the related space-based manufacturing. Currently,
satellites are small with weak transmission powers and small reception antennas. Satellites are not
constructed in space at all, but are small, compact objects built on Earth and deployed in space.
Space development will bring about large satellite platforms and "Orbiting Antenna Farms" (OAFs),
allowing many times the number of satellites to be placed in geostationary orbit, and solving crowding
problems. Bigger antennas in space mean smaller footprints on Earth, mitigating interference and
allowing multiple use of each frequency. Larger power sources and larger antennas also make for
clearer signals and smaller Earth ground stations. New frequencies currently not used due to partial
atmospheric absorption will become usable. Linking satellites together on large platforms will lead to
enhanced services. Fuel propellants from non terrestrial materials will be used to ferry up satellites,
provide station keeping in geostationary orbit, and extend the life of satellites (e.g., selling old satellite
to less developed countries).
As for satellites in lower orbit passing through the beam on occasion, "Improved electromagnetic
shielding and other minor modifications would be expected to eliminate or substantially reduce effects to
allow normal performance." (169) e NOT like ultraviolet and other "ionizing" radiation which you get from
walking in the sun.
Make your own rectenna!
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The components required to construct rectenna are :
SHOTKEY DIODE
LIGHT EMITTING DIODE
MICROWAVE SOURCE( i.e, MICROWAVE OVEN)
It is very easy to construct, you just have to put the "plus" side of the LED with the "minus"
side of the schottky. Still, you have to be careful not to bend the schottky and leave its
connectors straight for them to act as an antenna.
Now we got a rectenna, lets try it .We have a closed microwave oven, which we turn on, and
then when we are moving our rectennas around the oven, and it lights. "How is this
possible" .
Initially the electrons in the conductor are in rest position,when a microwave
of 2.4GHZ hits the electron ,the electron gets excited and enters in to shottkey
diode ,the entered electron does’t go back and the negative charge density
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increases on one side because of this the electrons come out from another
side and enters in to the LED which makes it glow.From this experiment we
can conclude that we got wireless power which makes the LED glows.
conclusion
SPS : what the future energy production could become
From all the reasons above we can conclude that SPS is the major way to face the demand
of electricity. If we develop this project we need not bother about the exhaustment of natural
resources which are used in generation of power. If this project succeeds it will become boon
to the next generations
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