Space photovoltaic power generation system, power satellite, and control satellite

• US 20010035207A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mikami, Izumi, Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi, Sato, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,492,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/173
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/428 Power distribution and management
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/292 Space - satellite

Abstract

A space photovoltaic power generation system comprises a plurality of power satellites (1) arranged in space, each of which converts electrical energy, into which sunlight has been photoelectric-converted, into a microwave, and transmits the microwave to an electric power base (4). The system can thus transmit a microwave of high power to the electric power base (4). As each of the plurality of power satellites (1) changes its attitude in space, and its relative location therefore changes, each of the plurality of power satellites (1) can adjust an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each of the plurality of power satellites will transmit. A control satellite (2) measures the location of each of the plurality of power satellites (1) for the phase adjustment, and calculates the amount of phase adjustment for each of the plurality of power satellites (1). The control satellite (2) then transmits the amount of phase adjustment to each of the plurality of power satellites (1).

Claims

1. A space photovoltaic power generation system comprising:

a plurality of power satellites each for generating electrical energy from sunlight in space, for generating a microwave from the generated electrical energy, and for transmitting the microwave;

an electric power base located at a remote site for receiving a plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, and for generating electric power from the plurality of microwaves received; and

a control means for controlling said plurality of power satellites so that the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites to said electric power base are in phase with one another.

2. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means includes a location measurement means for measuring a location of each of said plurality of power satellites, a phase adjustment amount calculation means for calculating an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites will transmit from the measured location, and a phase control means for adjusting a phase of the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites will transmit according to the amount of phase adjustment calculated by said phase adjustment amount calculation means so that the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites to said electric power base are in phase with one another.

3. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 2

, further comprising a control satellite including said location measurement means, said phase adjustment amount calculation means, and a transmission means for informing each of said plurality of power satellites of the amount of phase adjustment calculated for each of said plurality of power satellites.

4. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 3

, wherein each of said plurality of power satellites includes a receiving means for receiving the amount of phase adjustment from said control satellite, a target for enabling said control means to measure the location of each of said plurality of power satellites, a condensing means for focusing sunlight in space, a photoelectric conversion means for receiving and converting the sunlight focused by said condensing means into electrical energy, and a transmission means that also serves as said phase control means, for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said photoelectric conversion means, for adjusting the phase of the microwave according to the amount of phase adjustment received by said receiving means, and for transmitting the microwave to said electric power base.

5. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 4

, wherein said location measurement means of said control satellite is a means for measuring the location of each of said plurality of power satellites using said target disposed in each of said plurality of power satellites, and said transmission means of said control satellite is a means for transmitting a control signal including the amount of phase adjustment calculated by said phase adjustment amount calculation means to each of said plurality of power satellites.

6. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 2

, further comprising a control satellite including said location measurement means, and a transmission means for informing each of said plurality of power satellites of data on the location of each of said plurality of power satellites measured by said location measurement means, wherein each of said plurality of power satellites includes said phase adjustment amount calculation means and said phase control means, and adjusts the phase of the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites will transmit so that the microwave is in phase with any other microwave transmitted from any other one of said plurality of power satellites according to the calculated amount of phase adjustment.

7. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 6

, wherein each of said plurality of power satellites includes a target for enabling said location measurement means of said control means to measure the location of each of said plurality of power satellites, a condensing means for focusing sunlight in space, a photoelectric conversion means for receiving and converting the sunlight focused by said condensing means into electrical energy, and a transmission means that also serves said phase control means, for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said photoelectric conversion means, for adjusting the phase of the microwave according to the amount of phase adjustment calculated by said phase adjustment amount calculation means, and for transmitting the microwave to said electric power base.

8. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 7

, wherein said location measurement means of said control satellite is a means for measuring the location of each of said plurality of power satellites using said target disposed in each of said plurality of power satellites, and said transmission means of said control satellite is a means for transmitting a control signal including data on the location of each of said plurality of power satellites measured by said location measurement means to each of said plurality of power satellites.

9. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means transmits an identical reference signal to each of said plurality of power satellites, and each of said plurality of power satellites generates a microwave based on the reference signal received and transmits the microwave to said electric power base.

10. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 3

, wherein said electric power base includes a transmission means for transmitting a beacon signal to said control satellite, a receiving means for receiving the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, a microwave-to-DC conversion means for converting the plurality of microwaves received by said receiving means into DC electric power, and a DC electric power transmission means for transmitting the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion means.

11. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to

claim 6

, wherein said electric power base includes a transmission means for transmitting a beacon signal to said control satellite, a receiving means for receiving the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, a microwave-to-DC conversion means for converting the plurality of microwaves received by said receiving means into DC electric power, and a DC electric power transmission means for transmitting the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion means.

12. A power satellite comprising:

a condensing means for focusing sunlight in space;

a photoelectric conversion means for receiving and converting the sunlight focused by said condensing means into electrical energy; and

a transmission means for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said photoelectric conversion means, for adjusting a phase of the microwave so that the microwave is in phase with any other microwave transmitted by any other power satellite, and for transmitting the microwave to space.

13. A control satellite comprising:

a location measurement means for measuring a location of each of a plurality of power satellites, each of which generates a microwave from sunlight in space and transmits the microwave, by using a target disposed in each of said plurality of power satellites;

a phase adjustment amount calculation means for calculating an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites will transmit from the location of each of said plurality of power satellites measured by said location measurement means; and

a transmission means for transmitting a control signal including the amount of phase adjustment calculated by said phase adjustment amount calculation means to each of said plurality of power satellites.