Large-Scale Space-Based Solar Power Station: Packaging, Deployment and Stabilization of Lightweight Structures

• US 20160376037A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Pellegrino, Sergio, Atwater, Harry A., Hajimiri, Seyed Ali, Arya, Manan, Lee, Nicolas, Delapierre, Melanie
• Granted Patent: US 10,340,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/222 for deploying structures between a stowed and deployed state
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/283 using reaction wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/286 using control momentum gyroscopes (CMGs)
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/369 using gyroscopes as attitude sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/401 Liquid propellant rocket engines Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/403 Solid propellant rocket engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/405 Ion or plasma engines per se F03H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/407 Solar sailing
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/415 Arcjets or resistojets
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/428 Power distribution and management
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/44 using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays
• 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: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/40 Synchronising a generator for connection to a network or to another generator
• 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 50/30 : using light, e.g. lasers
• 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: H02S 10/40 : Mobile PV generator systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/25 : Roof tile elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 : Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/10 : Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/20 : Collapsible or foldable PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/30 : Electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 : characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 : Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/42 : Cooling means cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/052
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 : Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 : PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A space-based solar power station, a power generating satellite module and/or a method for collecting solar radiation and transmitting power generated using electrical current produced therefrom, and/or compactible structures and deployment mechanisms used to form and deploy such satellite modules and power generation tiles associated therewith are provided. Each satellite module and/or power generation tile may be formed of a compactable structure and deployment mechanism capable of reducing the payload area required to deliver the satellite module to an orbital formation within the space-based solar power station and reliably deploy it once in orbit.

Claims

1. A space-based solar power station comprising:

a plurality of unconnected compactible satellite modules disposed in space in an orbital array formation, wherein each of the compactible satellite modules comprises;

a plurality of structural elements moveably interconnected such that the dimensional extent of the satellite modules in at least one axis is compactible;

a plurality of power generation tiles disposed on each of the plurality of moveable elements, each of the power generation tiles having at least one photovoltaic cell and at least one power transmitter collocated thereon, the at least one photovoltaic cell and power transmitter in signal communication such that an electrical current generated by the collection of solar radiation by the at least one photovoltaic cell powers the at least one power transmitter, and where each of the at least one power transmitters comprises;

an antenna; and

control electronics that controls the phase of a radio frequency power signal that feeds the antenna so that the power transmitter is coordinated with power transmitters on other power generation tiles to form a phased array.

2. The space-based solar power station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of structural elements have a finite thickness and are foldable relative to each other by one of the following z-folding, fan-folding, double z-folding, Miura-ori, and slip-folding.

3. The space-based power station of claim 2, wherein the folded movably interrelated elements are further compacted by rotationally symmetric wrapping.

4. The space-based solar power station of claim 1, wherein adjacent structural elements fold together along a fold axis and slip a predetermined distance relative to each other along the fold axis, and wherein at least the edges of the structural elements transverse to the fold axis are continuously interconnected.

5. The space-based solar power station of claim 4, wherein material voids are formed along at least portions of the fold axis between the adjacent structural elements.

6. The space-based solar power station of claim 5, further comprising one or more interconnections that bridge the material voids.

7. The space-based solar power station of claim 6, wherein the interconnections comprise one or both ligament folds or hinges.

8. The space-based solar power station of claim 6, wherein the interconnections are one or more hinges selected from the group consisting of latchable, frictionless, and slippage.

9. The space-based solar power station of claim 4, wherein the structural elements are configured to fold along the plurality of fold axes into a stack of a plurality of structural elements compacted along an axis transverse to the fold axis.

10. The space-based solar power station of claim 9, wherein the stack of a plurality of structural elements is wrappable into a curved structure having a bend radius at which plastic deformation of the structural elements is prevented.

11. The space-based solar power station of claim 10, wherein the bend radius does not exceed a minimum bend radius R_min given by:

12. The space-based solar power station of claim 10, wherein the longitudinal ends of the stack of a plurality of structural elements undergo no slip during wrapping.

13. The space-based solar power station of claim 1, wherein the packaging efficiency, of the satellite module when in a compacted state, as determined by the ratio of the packaged volume of the compacted satellite module to the material volume of the satellite module, is greater than 50%.

14. The space-based solar power station of claim 1, wherein the dimensionalized length λ

of the structural elements ranges from 10³ to 10⁶ and the spacing φ

between the structural elements in a compacted state is between 1 and 1.5.

15. The space-based solar power station of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power generation tiles are formed of a plurality of movably interrelated elements such that at least the photovoltaic cell and power transmitter of each power generation tile are movable relative to each other such that the dimensional extent of the power generation tiles are reducible along at least one axis.

16. The space-based solar power station of claim 15, wherein the movably interrelated elements of the power generation tiles are interconnected through one or more resilient members.

17. The space-based solar power station of claim 15, wherein at least the photovoltaic cell and the power transmitter on each power generation tile are disposed on separate moveable elements such that the photovoltaic cell and power transmitter are displaceable relative to each other such that an offset transverse to the planes of the photovoltaic cell and power transmitter is opened therebetween.

18. The space-based solar power station of claim 17, wherein the separate moveable elements are interconnected through one or more resilient members.

19. The space-based solar power station of claim 18, wherein the resilient members are springs.

20. The space-based solar power station of claim 19, wherein the resilient members are compactable within the plane of one or both of the photovoltaic cell and the power transmitter.

21. The space-based solar power station of claim 17, further comprising one or more conductive elements that extend between the offset to conductively couple the power transmitter and the photovoltaic cell.

22. The space-based solar power station of claim 15, wherein each of the power generation tiles further comprise one or more collectors configured to concentrate incoming solar radiation onto each of the photovoltaic cells, and wherein the collectors are engageable with one or more expandable structures such that the collectors are displaceable into and out of the plane of the photovoltaic cell.

23. The space-based solar power station of claim 22, wherein the expandable structures are resilient members.

24. The space-based power station of claim 1, wherein the structural elements are prestressed such that a tensional force is distributed thereacross, the tensional force being sufficient to resist spatial deformation of the plane of the satellite module.

25. The space-based power station of claim 24, wherein the prestress tension is distributed across the structural elements by one or more stabilizing boom arms.

26. The space-based power station of claim 24, wherein the prestress tension is distributed across the structural elements by one or more weighted elements being subject to a centrifugal force applied by the rotation of the satellite module.

27. The space-based power station of claim 24, wherein adjacent structural elements are interconnected through slip-folds, and wherein the prestress tension is distributed anisotropically across the plurality of structural elements such that the tension applied along the slip-fold axis is much greater than the tension applied transvers to the slip-fold axis.

28. The space-based power station of claim 27, wherein the edges of the structural elements transverse to the slip-fold axis are continuously interconnected, and wherein the prestress tension is distributed to the plurality of structural elements through the edges of the structural elements.

29. The space-based power station of claim 24, wherein the edges of the structural elements are disposed in a parabolic profile.

30. The space-based power station of claim 24, wherein the structural elements comprise an outer supportive frame through which the prestress tension is applied, and wherein the power generation tiles are disposed within the outer supportive frame such that no prestress tension is distributed into the power generation tiles.

31. The space-based power station of claim 1, further comprising a deployment mechanism engageable with the plurality of structural elements to apply a force thereto such that the elements are moved relative to each other on application of the force.

32. The space-based power station of claim 31, wherein the deployment mechanism comprises one or more elongatable booms.

33. The space-based power station of claim 31, wherein the deployment mechanism comprises weighted elements, and wherein the force is applied by rotation of the satellite module.

34. A satellite module deployment mechanism comprising:

a cage defining an internal volume configured to contain a satellite module formed from a plurality of slip-wrapped structural elements therein, the cage being comprised of two separable halves of a hollow body, the separable halves further defining two aligned openings accessing the internal volume disposed opposite each other along the line of separation between the two halves;

an elongated clip configured to releasably retain a folded stack of the plurality of structural elements, the elongated clip being rotatably disposed within the internal volume of the cage and aligned such that the longitudinal ends of the folded stack of structural elements of the slip-wrapped satellite module are aligned with the two openings;

wherein the clip rotates about an axis within the cage as the longitudinal ends of the slip-wrapped structural elements of the satellite module are extended radially outward from the cage to form an elongated stack of structural elements; and

wherein the halves of the cage are drawn radially outward away from each other as the structural elements of the elongated stack of structural elements of the slip-wrapped satellite module are unfolded outward from the clip axis.

35. The satellite deployment mechanism of claim 34, wherein the clip provides a retaining force sufficient such that the plurality of structural elements are unfolded sequentially.

36. A wrapping guide plug comprising two rotationally symmetric halves of a cylinder having a curved slit running therethrough, wherein the slit has a thickness sufficient to retain a stack of structural elements between the halves of the cylinder such that the ends of structural elements extend beyond the diameter of the cylinder, and wherein the radius of the cylinder is sufficiently large such that wrapping the structural elements about the circumference of the cylinder does not induce a bend radius on the structural elements that exceeds a minimum bend radius that would result in the plastic deformation of one or more of the structural elements.

37. The wrapping guide plug of claim 36, wherein the structural elements are pre-slipped relative to each other such that when wrapped about the wrapping guide plug the longitudinal ends of the structural elements are aligned.

38. A method of packaging and deploying a satellite module of a space-based power station comprising:

providing a plurality of unconnected compactible satellite modules disposed in space in an orbital array formation, wherein each of the compactible satellite modules comprises;

a plurality of structural elements wherein adjacent structural elements fold together along a fold axis and slip a predetermined distance relative to each other along the fold axis, and wherein at least the edges of the structural elements transverse to the fold axis are continuously interconnected such that the dimensional extent of the satellite modules in at least one axis is compactible;

folding the plurality of structural elements together along an axis transverse to the fold axis such that the plurality of structural elements are compacted into a stack having a longitudinal axis and longitudinal ends transverse to the folding axis;

symmetrically rotating the two halves of the stack of the plurality of structural elements at the midpoint of the longitudinal length of the stack; and

wrapping the symmetrically rotate halves of the stack of the plurality of structural elements into a cylinder wherein the radius of wrapping does not exceed a minimum radius at which the structural elements would plastically deform.