What technologies are used in space energy
- Wireless transmission of energy
Wireless
Energy can be transferred using laserradiation or microwave at different frequencies depending on the design of the system. What choices were made to ensure that the transmission of radiation was non-ionizing, in order to avoid possible disturbances to the ecology or biological system of the energy-producing region?
The upper limit for the emission frequency is setsuch that the energy per photon does not cause ionization of organisms as it passes through them. Ionization of biological materials begins only with ultraviolet radiation and, as a result, manifests itself at higher frequencies, so a large number of radio frequencies will be available for energy transmission.
- Lasers
NASA researchers worked in the 1980s withthe ability to use lasers to emit energy between two points in space. In the future, this technology will become an alternative way of transmitting energy in space energy.
In 1991, the SELENE project began, which involved the creation of lasers for space energy, including laser energy emission to lunar bases.
In 1988, Grant Logan proposed using a laserplaced on Earth to power space stations, supposedly this could be done in 1989. It was proposed to use diamond solar cells at 300°C to convert ultraviolet laser light.
The SELENE project continued to work on thisconcept until it was formally closed in 1993 after two years of research and long-range testing of the technology. Reason for closure: high cost of implementation.
- Converting solar energy into electricity
In space energy, in existing stations and in the development of space power plants, the only way to efficiently obtain energy is the use of photovoltaic cells.
A photocell is an electronic device that converts photon energy into electrical energy. The first photocell based on the external photoelectric effect was created by Alexander Stoletov at the end of the 19th century.
The most efficient, from an energy point of view, devices for this are semiconductor photovoltaic converters (PVCs), since this is a direct, single-stage energy transition.
The efficiency of photocells produced on an industrial scale is on average 16%, with the best samples up to 25%. In laboratory conditions, an efficiency of 43% has already been achieved.
- Receiving energy from microwave waves emitted by a satellite
It is also important to emphasize the ways to obtainenergy. One of them is obtaining energy using rectennas. Rectenna is a device that is a nonlinear antenna designed to convert the energy of the field of a wave incident on it into direct current energy.
The simplest design option can be a half-wave vibrator, between the arms of which a device with one-way conductivity (for example, a diode) is installed.
In this version of the design, the antenna is combinedwith a detector, at the output of which, in the presence of an incident wave, an EMF appears. To increase the gain, such devices can be combined into multi-element arrays.
Pros and cons of space energy
Cosmic solar energy is the energy thatreceived outside the Earth's atmosphere. In the absence of gas pollution in the atmosphere or clouds, approximately 35% of the energy that entered the atmosphere falls on the Earth.
In addition, by choosing the right orbital trajectory,you can get energy about 96% of the time. Thus, photovoltaic panels in geostationary orbit of the Earth, at an altitude of 36 thousand km, will receive on average eight times more light than panels on the surface of the Earth, and even more when the spacecraft is closer to the Sun than to the surface of the Earth.
An added benefit is the fact that there is no problem with the weight or corrosion of metals in space due to the lack of an atmosphere.
On the other hand, the main disadvantage of spaceEnergy is high cost. The second problem of creating an IPS is large energy losses during transmission. When transmitting energy to the Earth's surface, at least 40-50% will be lost.
The main technological problems of space energy
According to a 2008 American study, there are five major technological challenges that science must overcome to make space energy readily available:
- Photovoltaic and electronic components must operate with high efficiency at high temperatures.
- Wireless transmission of energy must be accurate and secure.
- Space power plants must be inexpensive to manufacture.
- Maintaining a constant position of the station aboveenergy receiver: the pressure of sunlight will push the station away from the desired position, and the pressure of electromagnetic radiation directed to the Earth will push the station away from the Earth.
Who is going to extract energy from space
- China
China wants to become the first country to deploy a solar power plant in low-Earth orbit. The facility is planned to be used to collect and transmit the collected energy to Earth.
The structure is planned to be located ongeostationary orbit, at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers, where it will be able to constantly remain above a selected point on the Earth, said Long Lehao, chief designer of the Chinese Long March-9 series rockets.
The project provides for construction in orbitlarge solar panels. The advantage of the power plant will be the possibility of almost constant receipt of solar energy, regardless of weather conditions. It is planned to transmit energy to Earth using lasers or microwaves.
The energy of the sun's rays will be converted into electric current, and then transmitted to the Earth using microwaves or laser radiation.
By 2030, it is planned to launch a full-fledged megawatt-class power plant into orbit. Chinese scientists want to build a commercial gigawatt-class station in orbit by 2050.
- Japan
Information about Japan has most likely lost its relevance. However, the country announced in 2009 that it was starting construction of a space power plant.
To participate in a project worth $21 billioncontracted by Mitsubishi Electric and IHI corporations. Over the course of four years, they were required to develop and construct specific devices for transporting panels to a stationary orbit of 36 thousand km, assembling panels and transmitting electricity to Earth with minimal losses. However, they probably decided not to implement the project for some reason.
- Russia
The main scientific institution of Roscosmos is TsNIIMashtook the initiative to create Russian space solar power plants (KSPS) with a capacity of 1-10 GW with wireless transmission of electricity to ground consumers.
TsNIIMash draws attention to the fact that American and Japanese developers have taken the path of using microwave radiation, which today seems to be much less effective than laser radiation.
Project of FSUE NPO im.Lavochkin assumes the use of solar panels and radiating antennas on a system of autonomous satellites, controlled by a pilot signal from the Earth. For the antenna, use the short-wave microwave range up to millimeter radio waves. This will make it possible to form narrow beams in space with minimal sizes of generators and amplifiers. Small generators will also make receiving antennas an order of magnitude smaller.
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