Space photovoltaic power generation system

• US 20030098057A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroyuki, Mizuno, Tomohiro, Mikami, Izumi, Naito, Izuru
• Granted Patent: US 6,723,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/428 Power distribution and management
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/4282 for transmitting power to earth or other spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/00 PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/292 Space - satellite

Abstract

A power generation satellite has a photoelectric conversion unit for converting sunlight into electric energy, a transmission frequency conversion unit for performing frequency conversion of the electric energy to a microwave, a microwave control unit for controlling the amplitude, the phase, or the amplitude and the phase of the microwave, and a transmitting antenna for radiating the microwave. A plurality of the power generation satellites are placed in space to form a power generation satellite group and an array antenna having the transmitting antennas of the power generation satellites in the power generation satellite group as element antennas is formed.

Claims

1. A space photovoltaic generation system comprising:

a plurality of power generation satellites each having;

a photoelectric conversion unit for converting sunlight into electric energy;

a transmission frequency conversion unit for performing frequency conversion of the electric energy provided by the photoelectric conversion unit to a microwave;

a microwave control unit for controlling at least one of the amplitude and the phase of the microwave output by the transmission frequency conversion unit; and

a transmitting antenna for radiating the microwave, and

a power base having;

a receiving antenna for receiving the microwave radiated from the power generation satellites; and

a reception frequency conversion unit for performing frequency conversion of the microwave received at the receiving antenna to one of DC and low-frequency commercial power,

wherein the plurality of power generation satellites are placed in space to form a power generation satellite group; and

wherein a first array antenna having the transmitting antennas of the power generation satellites in the power generation satellite group as element antennas is formed.

2. The space photovoltaic generation system according to claim 1, wherein the aperture amplitude distribution of the transmitting antenna is made a tapered distribution.

3. The space photovoltaic generation system according to claim 1, wherein electric power transmitted from each of the power generation satellites is changed like a taper in response to the distance from a center position of the power generation satellite group.

4. The space photovoltaic generation system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna of the power generation satellite is an second array antenna.

5. The space photovoltaic generation system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna of the power generation satellite is an array-fed reflector antenna.