Space photovoltaic power generation system, power satellite, and electric power base

• US 6,495,751 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mikami, Izumi, Konishi, Yoshihiko, Takada, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mutschler, Brian L
• Application Number:
  US09/871,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 136/292, 136/244, 136/246, 244/158.R, 244/159, 244/173, 322/2.R
• US Class Current: 136/246
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• 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: 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: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A space photovoltaic generation system including a plurality of power satellites 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. The system can thus transmit a microwave of high power to the electric power base. Each of the plurality of power satellites modulates the generated microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave before transmitting it to the electric power base, thus reducing the power density of the electric power transmitted to the electric power base on the earth and hence a loss in the total amount of energy transmitted to the electrical power base on the earth.

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 an incoherent microwave from the generated electrical energy, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave;

a control satellite having a control means for calculating an amount of phase adjustment for each of the plurality of power satellites based on a measured location of each of the plurality of power satellites, and for generating a control signal to be transmitted to each of the plurality of power satellites, said control signal being used by each of the plurality of power satellites for generating the incoherent microwave; and

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

2. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of power satellites includes a condensing and power generating means for focusing sunlight in space and for converting the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and a transmission means for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating means, for modulating the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave to space.

3. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 2, wherein said condensing and power generating means includes a plurality of condensing and power generating units each for focusing sunlight in space and for converting the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and said transmission means includes a plurality of transmission units each for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating means, for modulating the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave to space.

4. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, wherein said electric power base includes a receiving means for receiving the plurality of incoherent microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, a microwave-to-DC conversion means for converting the plurality of incoherent microwaves received by said receiving means into DC electric power, and a transmission means for transmitting the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion means.

8. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power satellites further uses the control signal to make respective reference signals in the plurality of power satellites in phase with one another.

5. A power satellite comprising:

a condensing and power generating means for focusing sunlight in space and for converting the focused sunlight into electrical energy;

a transmission means for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating means, for modulating the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave to space; and

a receiver means for receiving a control signal from a control satellite in communication with the power satellite, said control signal including an amount of phase adjustment for the power satellite based on a measured location of the power satellite and being used by the power satellite for generating the incoherent microwave.

6. The power satellite according to claim 5, wherein said condensing and power generating means includes a plurality of condensing and power generating units each for focusing sunlight in space and for converting the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and said transmission means includes a plurality of transmission units each for generating a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating means, for modulating the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave to space.

9. The power satellite according to claim 5, wherein the power satellite further uses the control signal to make a reference signal in the power satellite in phase with a reference signal of other power satellites.

7. An electric power base comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a plurality of incoherent microwaves transmitted from a plurality of power satellites;

a microwave-to-DC conversion means for converting the plurality of incoherent microwaves received by said receiving means into DC electric power; and

a transmission means for transmitting the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion means,

wherein the plurality of incoherent microwaves are generated by the plurality of power satellites based on a control signal transmitted by a control satellite in communication with the plurality of power satellites and the electric power base, said control signal including an amount of phase adjustment for the plurality of power satellites based on a measured location of the plurality power satellites.

10. The electric power base according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of power satellites further uses the control signal to make respective reference signals in the plurality of power satellites in phase with one another.

11. A space photovoltaic power generation system comprising:

a plurality of power satellites each configured to generate electrical energy from sunlight in space, to generate an incoherent microwave from the generated electrical energy and to transmit the incoherent microwave;

a control satellite having a control unit configured to calculate an amount of phase adjustment for each of the plurality of power satellites based on a measured location of each of the plurality of power satellites, and to generate a control signal to be transmitted to each of the plurality of power satellites, said control signal being used by each of the plurality of power satellites to generate the incoherent microwave; and

an electric power base located at a remote site and configured to receive a plurality of incoherent microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, and to generate electric power from the plurality of incoherent microwaves received.

12. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of power satellites includes a condensing unit and a power generating unit configured to focus sunlight in space and to convert the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and a transmission unit to generate a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating units, to modulate the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and to transmit the incoherent microwave to space.

13. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 12, wherein said condensing and power generating units include a plurality of condensing and power generating units each configured to focus sunlight in space and to convert the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and said transmission unit includes a plurality of transmission units each configured to generate a microwave based on the electrical energy from said plurality of condensing and power generating units, to modulate the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and to transmit the incoherent microwave to space.

14. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 11, wherein said electric power base includes a receiving unit configured to receive the plurality of incoherent microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites, a microwave-toDC conversion unit configured to convert the plurality of incoherent microwaves received by said receiving unit into DC electric power, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion unit.

15. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of power satellites further uses the control signal to make respective reference signals in the plurality of power satellites in phase with one another.

16. A power satellite comprising:

a condensing and power generating unit configured to focus sunlight in space and to convert the focused sunlight into electrical energy;

a transmission unit configured to generate a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating unit, to modulate the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and to transmit the incoherent microwave to space; and

a receiver unit configured to receive a control signal from a control satellite in communication with the power satellite, said control signal including an amount of phase adjustment for the power satellite based on a measured location of the power satellite and being used by the power satellite to generate the incoherent microwave.

17. The power satellite according to claim 16, wherein said condensing and power generating units includes a plurality of condensing and power generating units each configured to focus sunlight in space and to convert the focused sunlight into electrical energy, and said transmission unit includes a plurality of transmission units each configured to generate a microwave based on the electrical energy from said condensing and power generating units, to modulate the microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave, and to transmit the incoherent microwave to space.

18. The power satellite according to claim 16, wherein the power satellite further uses the control signal to make a reference signal in the power satellite in phase with a reference signal of other power satellites.

19. An electric power base comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a plurality of incoherent microwaves transmitted from a plurality of power satellites;

a microwave-to-DC conversion unit configured to convert the plurality of incoherent microwaves received by said receiving unit into DC electric power; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the DC electric power obtained by said microwave-to-DC conversion unit,

wherein the plurality of incoherent microwaves are generated by the plurality of power satellites based on a control signal transmitted by a control satellite in communication with the plurality of power satellites and the electric power base, said control signal including an amount of phase adjustment for the plurality of power satellites based on a measured location of the plurality power satellites.

20. The electric power base according to claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of power satellites further uses the control signal to make respective reference signals in the plurality of power satellites in phase with one another.