Electric Power Generation In Space

Innovation has delivered humanity from the caves to the ability to access the edge of space and to send robotic explorers deep into the solar system. It is the driving force in mankind's expansion, growth and technological development. Beamed energy technology could potentially lower the cost of access to space and transportation though space, thereby lowering the cost of transporting goods and people to many destinations in the solar system and beyond. Technology spin-off from space technology investments will benefit all of humanity. Spin-offs could have a huge positive impact in the areas of electronics and instrumentation, automotive, solar energy and lower cost space transportation. In order for humanity to move into space to settle this new frontier innovation in beamed energy technologies will be required. In this book we will look at the topic of space solar energy and the technologies that can be used to generate this energy. While some of the ideas in this book go back to the original concepts many of the ideas and concepts are new. It is hoped that others will apply these ideas into even new and better approaches so that we can move into space in a really big way, but also do this in ways that are cost effective and even profitable. Access to sun power in space is the key to developing its resources and those resources are required to support large scale space settlement. We don't need to wait decades to develop the technologies for space solar energy because these technologies already exist. We are just not using them. These technologies can provide us with the means to travel rapidly and cheaply though space. They can also be used to power our industry and homes on Earth. We have only to utilize the technology. The development of space will depend on the availability of power and lots of it. Once we have mastered that, all things become possible. We will be able to transport people and cargo to many destinations in our solar system, power the earth with clean and abundant energy, and tap the resources of asteroids and comets. Once we have settled the near Earth areas of the solar system, such as, the Moon, Mars and Venus we can strike out to other star systems. As the World's need for solar energy continues to grow driven by population growth and increased industrialization, new options for this type of energy will be needed. This is especially true given that reserves of conventional energy sources such as oil, gas and uranium are rapidly being depleted and that greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere are causing large scale damage to the Earth. We find that alternatives energy sources such as wind, ground solar and biomass have physical site limitations and while they are certainly desirable from an ecological prospective, are often high cost and cannot meet the Earth's future energy needs even if fully developed. The solar energy collected by an SPS would be converted into electricity, then into microwaves. The microwaves would be beamed to the Earth's surface, where they would be received and converted back into electricity by a large array of devices known as a rectifying antenna, or rectenna. Rectification is the process by which alternating electrical current, such as that induced by a microwave beam, is converted to direct current.

From Space to Earth tracks the evolution of the technology of photovoltaics, the use of solar cells to convert the sun's energy into electricity. John Perlin's painstaking research results in a fascinating account of the development of this technology, from its shaky nineteenth-century beginnings mired in scientific controversy to its high-visibility success in the space program, to its current position as a versatile and promising power source.

This book describes recent breakthroughs that promise major cost reductions in solar energy production in a clear and highly accessible manner. The authors address the three key areas that have commonly resulted in criticism of solar energy in the past: cost, availability, and variability. Coverage includes cutting-edge information on recently developed 40 efficient solar cells, which can produce double the power of currently available commercial cells. The discussion also highlights the potentially transformative emergence of opportunities for integration of solar energy storage and natural gas combined heat and power systems. Solar energy production in the evening hours is also given fresh consideration via the convergence of low cost access to space and the growing number of large terrestrial solar electric power fields around the world. Dr. Fraas has been active in the development of Solar Cells and Solar Electric Power Systems for space and terrestrial applications since 1975. His research team at Boeing demonstrated the first GaAs/GaSb tandem concentrator solar cell in 1989 with a world record energy conversion efficiency of 35, garnering awards from Boeing and NASA. He has over 30 years of experience at Hughes Research Labs, Chevron Research Co, and the Boeing High Technology Center working with advanced semiconductor devices. In a pioneering paper, he proposed the InGaP/GaInAs/Ge triple junction solar cell predicting a cell terrestrial conversion efficiency of 40 at 300 suns concentration. Having become today’s predominant cell for space satellites, that cell is now entering high volume production for terrestrial Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) systems. Since joining JX Crystals, Dr. Fraas has pioneered the development of various thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems based on the new GaSb infrared sensitive PV cell. Dr. Fraas holds degrees from Caltech (B.Sc. Physics), Harvard (M. A. Applied Physics), and USC (Ph.D. EE).

Communication satellites are a $144 billion industry. Is there any space-based industry that could possibly beat that market? 'Solar Power Satellites' shows why and how the space satellite industry will soon begin expanding its market from relaying signals to Earth to generating energy in space and delivering it to the ground as electricity. In all industrialized nations, energy demand is growing exponentially. In the developing world, the need for energy is as basic as food and water. The Sun's energy is available everywhere, and it is non-polluting. As business plans demonstrate its technical feasibility, commercial potential, and environmental acceptability, every country on Earth will look to space for the power it needs.