Space photovoltaic power generation method and system

• US 6,528,719 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• 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:
  US09/871,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 136/292, 136/244, 136/246, 244/158, 244/159, 244/173, 322/2.R
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectories
• 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: Y10S 136/292 Space - satellite

Abstract

A space photovoltaic power 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 space photovoltaic power generation system divides the plurality of power satellites into a number of power satellite groups and adjusts the amount of phase adjustment to be made to a microwave which each of the plurality of power satellites included in each power satellite group will transmit so that a plurality of microwaves from the plurality of power satellites included in each power satellite group are in phase with one another. The beamwidth of the plurality of microwaves can be reduced without increasing the area of the aperture of a transmission antenna of each of the plurality of power satellites. If the plurality of microwaves transmitted from the plurality of power satellites included in each power satellite group interfere with microwaves transmitted from any other power satellite group, the beamwidth is reduced. To avoid the reduction in the beamwidth, each of the plurality of power satellites included in each power satellite group modulates the phase-adjusted microwave so as to generate an incoherent microwave so that the microwave does not interfere with other microwaves transmitted from any other power satellite group.

Claims

1. A space photovoltaic power generation method of generating electrical energy from sunlight and converting the generated electrical energy into microwaves by a plurality of power satellites arranged in space, transmitting the microwaves to an electric power base, and generating electric power by said electric power base, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing said plurality of power satellites into a plurality of power satellite groups each including a number of power satellites;

determining, via at least one control satellite, an amount of phase adjustment for a plurality of microwaves transmitted from the plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups so that the plurality of microwaves are in phase with one another;

adjusting the plurality of microwaves transmitted from the plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups based on the amount of phase adjustment determined in the determining step so that the plurality of microwaves are in phase with one another; and

making a plurality of microwaves to be transmitted from each of said plurality of power satellite groups incoherent so that the plurality of microwaves do not interfere with other microwaves transmitted from any other one of said plurality of power satellite groups, and transmitting the plurality of incoherent microwaves to said electric power base.

2. A space photovoltaic power generation system comprising:

a plurality of power satellite groups each including a plurality of power satellites each for generating electrical energy from sunlight in space, for generating a microwave from the generated electrical energy, for making the generated microwave incoherent so that the microwave does not interfere with other microwaves transmitted from any other one of said plurality of power satellite groups, and for transmitting the incoherent microwave;

a control means within at least one control satellite for controlling said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups so that a plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites are in phase with one another; and

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

3. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes a location measurement means for measuring a location of each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups, 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 included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups 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 included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups 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 included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups are in phase with one another.

4. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control satellite includes a plurality of control satellites that serve as said control means, said plurality of control satellites being associated with said plurality of power satellite groups, respectively.

5. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control satellite includes a plurality of control satellites associated with said plurality of power satellite groups, respectively, each of said plurality of control satellites including said location measurement means, and a transmission means for informing each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups of data on the location of each of said plurality of power satellites measured by said location measurement means, and

wherein each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups 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.

6. A space photovoltaic power generation system comprising:

a plurality of power satellite groups each including a number of power satellites each configured to generate electrical energy from sunlight in space, to generate a microwave from the generated electrical energy, to make the generated microwave incoherent so that the microwave does not interfere with other microwaves transmitted from any other one of said plurality of power satellite groups, and to transmit the incoherent microwave;

a control unit within at least one control satellite and configured to control said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups so that a plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites are in phase with one another; and

an electrical power base located at a remote site and configured to receive the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups, and to generate electric power from the plurality of microwaves received.

7. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one control satellite includes a location measurement unit configured to measure a location of each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups, a phase adjustment amount calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of phase adjustment to be made to the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups will transmit from the measured location, and a phase control unit configured to adjust a phase of the microwave which each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups will transmit according to the amount of phase adjustment calculated by said phase adjustment amount calculation unit so that the plurality of microwaves transmitted from said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellite groups are in phase with one another.

8. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one control satellite includes a plurality of control satellites associated with said plurality of power satellite groups, respectively.

9. The space photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one control satellite includes plurality of control satellites associated with said plurality of power satellite groups, respectively, each of said plurality of control satellite including said location measurement unit, and a transmission unit configured to inform each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellites groups of data on the location of each of said plurality of power satellites measured by said location measurement unit, and

wherein each of said plurality of power satellites included in each of said plurality of power satellites group includes said phase adjustment amount calculation unit and said phase control unit, 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.