BEAMED POWER TRANSMISSION FROM SOLAR POWER SATELLITES

1. INTRODUCTION

The desire of the modern man for more and more amenities and sophistication led to the unscrupulous
exploitation of natural treasure. Though nature has provided abundant source of resources. It is not
unlimited. Hence the exhaustion of the natural resources is eminent. The only exception to this is
sunlight.

Scientist who had understood the naked truth had thought of exploiting the solar energy and
started experimenting in this direction even from 1970. But the progress was very slow. Much
headway is yet to be made in this direction. However as the impotents source of non-conventional
energy and due to the limited source of conventional energy emphasis has given for the better
utilization of solar energy.

But the application of solar cell, photovoltaic cell etc, we are able to concert only a small
percentage of solar energy into electrical energy. But by using beamed power transmission from
solar power satellite we can envisage a higher percentage of conversion. By beamed power
transmission, we can extend the present system of two dimensional transmission network to three
dimensional, if does not have any environmental problem as well.

2. SOLAR POWER SATELLITE

The solar power satellite concept would place solar power plants in an above the earth
where they could convert sunlight to electricity and beam the ground based receiving station. The
satellite would be placed in sow called geostationary or earth synchronous orbit. 24 hour orbit that
is thus synchronous with earth rotation. so the satellite placed their will stay stationary overhead
from earths receiving antenna

The solar power satellite will consist of a large number of solar cells mounted on a frame
of steel reinforced lunarcrete. the solar cell produces electricity from sun with no moving part. the
only moving part of the satellite is the transmitter antenna, which slowly tracks the ground based
rectenna while solar array keeps facing the sun. each transmitter antenna is connected to solar
array by two sotary joints with slip rings.

Because solar panels generate low voltage dc, super conducting transmission line is used
for transmission to microwave beamer instead of conventional copper conductors. operating super
conducting transmission line at low voltage reduces the chance of voltage breakdown.

The vision is to generate a large Solar Power Satellite (SPS) system for space
applications. In contrast to classical designs of solar power stations, the solar energy collected by
the SPS system will not be beamed to the Earth's surface, but used to provide for the required
electrical and/or propulsive power for vehicles in Earth orbit (LEO, MEO and GEO) and/or deep
space vehicles. Transmission of the energy to these space vehicles is foreseen thought either
beamed microwave or laser power at a power level that can substantially rise above todays power
levels up to e.g. 20-50 kW per space vehicle (e.g. for a

telecommunications satellite in GEO). This power is received by a relatively low mass microwave or
laser collection and rectifying system on board of the satellite.

The use of beamed energy from a solar power satellite offers space vehicles the
advantage of omitting (part of) the heavy on-board power generation system and or maximizing
propulsive performance (in terms of propellant consumption), thereby allowing for a reduced launch
mass or an increased payload mass. It also allows us more flexibility in the power take-in thus
providing us with a capability for e.g. short high power applications without the need of relying on
costly batteries or to reduce power without the need to dissipate excess power. Other potential
advantages for the receiving vehicle are

• Omitting the solar wings frees up two faces of the satellite for e.g. the
installation of antenna's and/or other equipment;
• Reduction of thermal problems;
• Less complex structure.

-1-
 The physical separation of the power generation onto a separate platform allows for an
independent optimization of the power generation, without the need to consider the spacecraft. For
example, this could open up an opportunity to operate the power satellite at very low temperatures
ensuring high solar cell efficiency or to use other (more efficient) ways of harnessing solar power,
like dynamic heat engines (o.a. Stirling engines).

• Market demands: Size, power, number of users (satellites), power need

per satellite, etc.;
• Economic viability/business plan: System life, life cycle, date in operation,
laucher selection, development cost, etc.;
• Efficient power conversion both at SPS and receiving satellite (e.g.
dynamic or static conversion);
• High power transmission by laser and/or microwave: Size/mass of
receiver and/or transmitter, cooling requirements, etc.;
• Light weight structures (flexible or rigid);
• Pointing (accuracy & stability);
• Orbit (LEO, GEO or other);
• Impact onto space plasma environment;
• Impact of space debris;
• Safety (ISS, other spacecraft, launchers, etc).

As the needs of our planet's ever-increasing population grow to unprecedented highs, the
search for a new and more efficient way of powering our industries, businesses, and homes is
becoming a very pressing priority. The techniques we use today to generate power are simply
detrimental in the long run; burning fossil fuels or splitting atoms generate a lot of power, but also
damage the planet with pollution, and alternatives like wind and hydro power can be limited both
geographically and seasonally. As replacement technologies are pondered, one stands out. Instead
of manipulating existing elements of Earth, this inventive proposal plans to collect solar energy
from space and transmit it back to the surface using solar power satellites (SPS). Directly
harnessing the energy of the sun allows mankind to preserve the well-being and resources of Earth
while producing enough energy to satisfy the needs of the growing human race hundreds of times
over. First proposed

in 1968 by Dr. Peter Glaser of NASA, these satellites would use large solar panels in space to collect
the sun's light energy. Once collected, the energy would go through two conversion phases. First, it
would be sent through onboard photovoltaic cells to be converted into electrical energy. Afterwards,
the electrical energy would be channeled into large microwave generators where, using the
principles behind the wireless power transmission of energy (WPT), it would be converted into
controllable microwaves and beamed down to earth. On the surface, large antennas would pick up
the beam and reconvert the microwaves into electrical power, which could then be plugged into the
local power grid to use.

At first, solar power satellites were nothing more than hopeful dreams of scientists, but
recent advances have propelled them into the reaches of reality. Satellite technology has developed
to the point where telecommunication companies use satellites for everything from cell phones to
television transmission. The WPT system has also gone through comparable progress, especially
since the development of adequate antenna technology. Though energy conversion efficiencies
from electrical energy to microwaves and then back to electricity are currently around 54% , WPT
transmissions to a helicopter, a small aircraft, and a satellite from a launched rocket have all been
successful, demonstrating that WPT can indeed be used to power or receive power from flying
bodies. Computing technology is also advanced enough to control satellites and allow them to
change position without interrupting a running microwave beam.

Solar power satellites are attractive ventures for many reasons. Foremost, by using the
sun, humans could acquire all the necessary energy without causing pollution, threatening species,
or generally damaging the Earth. Second, the sun's power is limitless and perpetual. By carefully

placing the satellites on certain points over the equator, they would be exposed to sunlight 24
hours a day, ensuring a constant reception and flow of energy. The power output would then only
depend on how many satellites were in space; a whole network could potentially generate
exponential amounts of usable energy. A third reason solar power is attractive is because the
constant energy flow and bulky, expensive storage facilities would no longer be needed, minimizing
costs and increasing availability. Fourth, since there are no weather or atmospheric disturbances in
space, the solar panels would be exposed to more sunlight and have a greater efficiency than
panels placed anywhere on the Earth's surface .

-2-
 Unlike x-rays or ultra-violet radiation, microwaves are non ionizing and are one million
times too weak to cause harm (SUNSAT Energy). The only perceivable effect is heating, but since
the power density of the beam near the receivers on Earth is about 20 milliwatts per square
centimeter, one-fourth of natural sunlight, the heat generated is so slight that a person walking
through would feel nothing. Manufacturing costs are not a problem either, since materials would be
negligible Photovoltaic cells, satellite technology and microwave beams have all been explored and
researched sufficiently to operate solar power satellites.

Solar Power in Space

Although solar energy is abundant in the inner solar system, collecting enough of it to
provide electricity for a large population of humans is a non-trivial matter. The most
comprehensive studies of large-scale solar power generation in space were conducted over two
decades ago. Legend has it that the concept of Solar Power Satellites was first envisioned by Dr.
Peter Glaser as he sat in an early-1970's gas line. At the time there was an Arab oil

embargo, an energy crisis, and global concern about increasing use and decreasing availability of
energy. People sometimes waited hours in lines at the few stations that had not run out of gas,
sitting in cars that got 15 miles per gallon and had a range around 200 miles. There was plenty of
time to think.
The idea of using solar cells to generate electricity in space was nothing new. Communications
satellites had been doing that for years. Indeed, the most distinguishing characteristics of most
Earth-orbiting satellites, even today, are their arrangements of solar cells. A common configuration
is a cylindrical shape with the entire exterior covered in purplish-blue solar cells. Non-cylindrical
satellites have large "wings" covered with solar panels. The crewed laboratories Skylab, Mir, and
International Space Station all had or have large solar cell arrays that generate power for the
satellites' use.

The difference between existing satellites and Solar Power Satellites (SPS) is that an SPS
would generate more power--much more power--than it requires for its own operations. Studies in
the 1970's by Glaser, NASA, and major corporations produced a myriad of design concepts. Their
single most distinguishing characteristic is that they were huge-with up to 60 square miles of
surfaces covered with solar cells.A common goal of designers was to put enough solar cells on a
structure in space to generate 10 gigawatts, approximately equal to the output of ten nuclear
power plants. The idea was not entirely far-fetched; advantages over Earth-based solar power
facilities were that the GEO locations typically proposed for SPS were almost always in sunlight and
only rarely eclipsed, and the amount of energy available to a unit area of solar panels is seven to
ten times greater than for the same area of solar panels on Earth, because sunlight in space is not
filtered by atmosphere.
Once having generated electricity in space, however, it is necessary to get the power to where it is
needed on Earth's surface. The solution selected in the 1970's, and still valid today, was to convert
power into microwave energy that

could be beamed to Earth's surface. Microwaves pass through atmosphere, clouds, and
precipitation with no loss of energy. Experiments on Earth with transmission and reception of
energy converted to microwaves proved the concept. The antennas designed to transmit the huge
amounts of SPS power were, however, huge (although dwarfed by the sizes of the solar panel
arrays). Typical designs were a half mile or kilometer across; examples can be seen near the ends
of the design shown in the figure.

Antenna sizes were probably dictated not so much by constraints of materials or

technology as by concern for safety. A highly concentrated power beam would be a tough sell for
people concerned about airplanes being zapped out of the sky or entire migratory flocks of birds
being cooked en route. Large antennas in geosynchronous orbit, combined with the physics of an
expanding microwave beam, resulted in receiving antenna (rectenna) designs six to eight miles
across (10 to 13 kilometers), with maximum intensity at the center of the microwave beam less
than five times greater than standards for kitchen emissions from a microwave oven. These
facilities would convert the microwaves back to energy, and contribute their power to the energy
grid in the same manner as a hydroelectric dam, coal-fired plant, nuclear reactor, ground-based
solar facility, geothermal plant, or field of wind generators.

The benign radiation environments under these widely-dispersed beams would enable air
traffic, radio, TV, and birds to continue their normal activities with no impediments. Even so, safety
concerns (and the importance of not wasting power by beaming it away from the rectenna) dictated
that the microwave beam was kept centered on the target rectenna by a "guide beam" reflected
back to the SPS. Because the rectenna structures would be ten to twelve feet off the ground and
designed to capture all of the microwave

-3-
energy in the beam, the land under the rectenna would be available for agriculture. It was
speculated that birds would avoid the rectennas during Summer months and congregate in them
during Winter months, because they would experience a slight warming sensation. Dr. Peter Glaser
himself offered a standing bet that he would provide fine wine and salad to the person who would
eat the first fowl to venture into the microwave beam; his point was that the bird would be very
much alive and unwilling to be eaten until recently.

Occasional threats to energy supplies, projections that coal and oil reserves will
eventually be depleted, and concerns that burning hydrocarbons contributes to environmental
damage are providing inspiration for new interest in Solar Power Satellites. New technologies have,
however, changed some of the parameters involved in constructing a viable SPS. Solar cells can
now convert sunlight to power much more efficiently than when the first designs were envisioned,
resulting in new designs about half the size of the originals for the same amount of power
generation. Even so, any viable SPS of the future will still be huge.

The implication for a space settlement is that the need for power--assuming it is provided
from a solar source--will be a significant factor in the settlement's configuration and a major
feature of its design. The need to orient solar panels toward the sun or a rectenna toward its power
source will determine how the entire settlement is positioned in space. The Space Settlement
Design Competition organizers anticipate that future non-industrial human communities will require
about 10 megawatts per 5000 people. Industrial communities will require more. The physics of
microwave transmission have not changed. Whether a space settlement is designed with its own
solar panels or with a rectenna for receiving power generated elsewhere in space, the equipment
for providing power will be a major part of what is seen when the settlement is viewed by
approaching spacecraft.

3. PRINCIPLES OF MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

Schematic diagram of a beamed microwave power transmission system is

BEAMED MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

DC TO BEAM FREE SPACE RECEPTION

MICROWAVE FORMING TRANSMISSIO CONVERSIO
CONVERSION ANTENNA N N TO DC

70 – 90 % 70 – 97 % 5 – 95 % 85 – 92 %

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE DC TO DC EFFICIENCY ---- 76%

EXPERIMENTAL DC TO DC EFFICIENCY ----- 54%

The basic parts of a micro wave power transmission system: 1) DC to microwave

conversion (2) a beam forming antenna (3) free space transmission and (4) reception and
reconvertion to DC.

3.1 MICROWAVE POWER GENERATION

The DC power must be converted to microwave power at the transmitting end of the
system by using microwave oven magnetion. The heat of microwave oven is the high voltage
system. The nucleus of high voltage system is the magnetron tube. The magnetron is diode type
electron tube, which uses the interaction of magnetic and electric field in the complex cavity to
produce oscillation of very high peak power. It employs radial electric field, axial magnetic field,
anode structure and a cylindrical cathode.

The cylindrical cathode is surrounded by an anode with cavities and thus a radial electric
field will exist. The magnetic field due to two permanent magnets which are added above end below
the tube structure is axial. The upper magnet is North Pole and lower magnet is South Pole. The
electron moving through the space tends to build up a magnetic field around itself. The magnetic
field on right side is weakened because the self-induced magnetic field has the effect of subtracting

-4-
from the permanent magnetic field. So the electron trajectory bends in that direction resulting in a
circular motion of travel to anode. This process begins with a low voltage being applied to the
cathode, which causes it to heat up. The temperature rise causes the emission of more electrons.
This cloud of electrons would be repelled away from the negatively charged cathode. The distance
and velocity of their travel would increase with the intensity of applied voltage. Momentum is
provided by negative 4000 V DC. This is produced by means of voltage doubler circuit. The
electrons blast off from cathode like tiny rocket.

As the electrons move towards their objective, they encounter the powerful magnetic.
The effect of permanent magnet tends to deflect the electrons away from the anode. Due to the
combined affect of electric and magnetic field on the electron trajectory they evive to a path at
almost right angle to their previous direction resulting in an expanding circular orbit around the
cathode, which eventually reaches the anode. The whirling cloud of electrons forms a rotating
pattern. Due to the interaction of this rotating space chare wheel with the configuration of the
surface of anode, an alternating current of very high frequency is produced in the resonant cavities
of the anode. The output is taken from one of these cavities through waveguide. The low cost and
readily available magnetron is used in ground.

The same principle would be used but a special magnetron would be developed for space
use. Because of the pulsed operation of these magnetrons they generate much spurious noise. A
solar power satellite operating with 10 GW of radiated power would radiate a total power of one
microwatt in a 400 Hz channel width.

3.2 TRANSMITTING ANTENNA

The transmitting antennas are large active electronically steerable phased array. These
arrays are composed of radiation module that consists of a high gain phased locked magnetron and
directional amplifier that supplies microwave power to slotted waveguide array.

The antenna must have the ability to match the transmission line (source impedance) and
load (atmosphere 377Ω ). If impedance match is correct, the energy being transferred will be
radiated into the atmosphere.

An antenna is used to convert high frequency current into electromagnetic waves. It must
have the ability to transfer energy alternatively from electrostatic to electromagnetic.

A co axial cable is used to connect the microwave source to a waveguide adaptor. The
adaptor is connected to a ferrite circulator, which protects the microwave source from reflected
power.

A phase shifter is used to produce a difference in shift between the radiation modules.
Even though total difference in shift between radiation modules may be great, only a low power
level phase shifter of 360o is needed in each module. Phase reference at each module is adjusted to
some integral multiple of 360o relative to the source of reference.

The slotted waveguide antenna consists of 8 waveguide section with 8 slots on each
section. These 64 slots radiate power uniformly through space to antenna in ground.

3.3 FREE SPACE TRANSMISSION

There is no economic burden for the transmission through space. The transmitting and
receiving apertures are needed for transmission. The size and expense of this aperture has a direct
relationship with the wave length that is being used, the distance over which energy is being sent
and the desired efficiency of transmission. The parameter T in defined as

1/ 2 1/ 2
At Ar
T=
Dλ
At is the transmitter aperture area.
Ar is the receiver aperture area.
D is the separator distance between two apertures.

-5-
 λ is the wavelength that is being used.

We assume that transmitter and receiver areas are equal. Under these conditions

At = Ar = T D λ

Since aperture area varies with wavelength the advantages of going to higher frequency
are diminished if the aperture areas are approximately equal as they to be for total overall
economy.

When the radiation area may be limited and a particular intensity of the incident
microwave illumination is desired; we use the expression

Pα = A Pt / λ2 D 2

Pα is the power density at the center of receiving location.

Pt is the radiated power from transmitting antenna

Power density distributions across the transmitting and receiving antenna aperture for
various values of T are shown as:

R is the radius of transmitting or collecting antenna.

ρ is the radial distance from the center.

To achieve a desired valve of at the receiver site, while constrained by a transmitted power level, the
transmitting aperture area varies as the square of the wavelength of radiation. When area available for
transmitting is limited the short wavelength are attractive.

When microwaves are used to transmit power in the vacuum of space there is no resistive
loss, no limitation to power handling probabilities. The receiving and transmitting aperture areas
sediate any waste heat resulting from their inefficiencies directly to space. The radiation of waste
heat in space is directly proportional to the radiating area and the fourth power of temperature at
which heat is radiated. In case of the transmitter aperture in space the relation between the
microwave power per unit area to the generator efficiency and radiating temperature is

Pr = (n/(n-1) (5.67 K T4 X 10-8)

Pr = radiated microwave power density
T = temperature in degree Kelvin.
K = emissivity of radiating surface.
n = transmission efficiency

The same expression hold for the DC power density obtained from the receiving aperture
with Pr replaced by Pdc

where Pdc is the DC power output density of rectenna..

For the selection of best frequency for power transmission, the items that would have to
be considered are
• The size of aperture.
• The depending of overall system efficiency upon frequency.
• The heat radiation problem in space.
• Whether the transmission is all in space or in path through earth atmosphere.

• Existing state of the art of available components.

• The impact of the use of the selected frequency upon other users of electromagnetic
spectrum.

Transmission efficiency through the atmosphere as related to frequency and condition of

the atmosphere are shown as.

-6-
 RECTENNA

The rectenna is a unique device that was conceived and d eveloped for beamed
microwave power transmission. The functions of rectennal are power collecting harmonic filtering
and rectification into DC power. Rectenna rectifies received microwaves into DC current. It spread
out over the receiving aperture area and combines the function of an antenna and a rectifier. In it’s
simplest from rectenna consist of a collection of rectenna elements, each with a half wave dipole
that feeds a low pass filter circuit terminated in a rectifying diode. The output of the diode in the
local region feeds into a common DC bus.

The efficiency η can be expressed as product of three partial efficiencies: the efficiency
of the microwave beam energy intercepted by the rectenna η i, the efficiency of rectenna
rectification η i, and the DC power collection circuit efficiency η c.
PHF PRM PR
η = −η i ηrη c
PE PHF PRM
PHF = HF energy extracted by rectenna from the beam.
PE = is the power reedited by transmitting antenna multiplied by efficiency of transmission line.
PRM = Sum of output DC power obtained from all RRE under the condition of each RRE working into
the matched load.
PR =DC power in the rectenna load.
The incident power flux density Π over the rectenna with a circular aperture obeys the Gauss law
π r =π max e −2T ( r / 2 ) 2
Where
r is the variable radius.
π max is the energy flux density in the center of the rectenna

4. PROPERTIES OF MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM.

As a mean of transferring energy from one point to another. Beamed microwave power
transmission has these features.

• No mass either in the form of wire or ferrying vehicle.

• Energy can be transferred at velocity of light.
• The direction of energy transfer can be rapidly changed.
• No energy is lost in its transfer through vacuum of space and little is lost in
the earth atmosphere at the longer microwave length.
• The mass of power converters at the system terminal can be low because of
operation at microwave frequency.
• Every transfer between points is independent of difference in gravitational
potential between these points.

5. APPLICATIONS

Several applications of beamed power are

• High Altitude Long Endurance (hale) aircraft.

• Platforms for cellular voice and data services.
• Electric powered inter orbital vehicles.
• Satellite station keeping and maneuvering.
• Industries in orbital and on the moon.

The demand for wireless power is likely to unfold according to the following
• Ground to special satellite.
• Ground to inter orbital vehicle.
• Ground to HALE platform.
• Power utility satellite to inter orbital vehicle.
• Power utility satellite to industry in space.
• Power utility satellite to earth based consumers.

-7-
 It is hoped that this technology, which at present has an efficiency of 56%, will emerge
as an effective substitute for the existing technology in the near future.

6. CONCLUSION
The Beamed Power Transmission will surely shower the mankind with an inexhaustible
energy source and at the same time will lead to development of in-space industries. As per the
proposed design SPS and Rectenna array are quiet efficient and would posses no threat to
ecological imbalance. There is no significant advance in this technology till now in spite of the major
research works. Once the technology is developed Power Satellites will become the premier energy
source for Earth. The sooner, the better.

7. REFERENCE

• IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques, 1992

• www.google. Com
• www.seminartopics.info

-8-