Power generation satellite and transmission antenna apparatus

• US 20030098058A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• 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: Mikami, Izumi, Satou, Hiroyuki, Naito, Izuru, Takada, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,727,425 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: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• 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 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/292 Space - satellite

Abstract

High-output transmitters are applied to a power generation satellite and a transmission antenna apparatus and a transmission antenna having an array antenna with a small number of element antennas and a reflecting mirror antenna is applied, thereby providing a power generation satellite and a transmission antenna apparatus in a space photovoltaic generation system comprising transmission antennas each having performance equivalent to that of a phased array antenna with a smaller number of transmitters and a smaller number of element antennas than those of a transmission antenna implemented as a phased array antenna.

Claims

1. A power generation satellite comprising:

a light condensing optical section for condensing sunlight in space;

a photoelectric conversion section for receiving light condensed in the light condensing optical section and generating electric energy;

a plurality of transmitters for generating microwaves from the electric energy generated by the photoelectric conversion section; and

a transmission antenna for sending the microwaves generated by the transmitters to space,

wherein the transmission antenna comprises;

an array antenna having an element antenna for emitting the microwave; and

a reflecting mirror antenna for reflecting the microwave emitted from the array antenna.

2. The power generation satellite according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter adjusts the phase of the generated microwave and outputs the microwave adjusted the phase thereof.

3. The power generation satellite according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion section is placed on a back of the reflecting mirror antenna.

4. A transmission antenna apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element for generating electric energy from incident sunlight;

a transmitter for generating microwave from the electric energy generated by the photoelectric conversion element; and

a transmission antenna for sending the microwave generated by the transmitters to space,

wherein the transmission antenna comprises;

an array antenna having an element antenna for emitting the microwave; and

a reflecting mirror antenna for reflecting the microwave emitted from the array antenna; and

wherein the photoelectric conversion element is placed on a back of the reflecting mirror antenna.