Power generating and distribution system and method

• US 7,900,875 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David R. Criswell
• Original Assignee: David R. Criswell
• Inventors: Criswell, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US11/184,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 244/172.7, 244/172.8, 136/244, 136/292, 136/246, 602/81, 60/395.2, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.3, 455/13.4
• US Class Current: 244/172.7
• 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: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A system and method of generating and distributing power includes one or more microwave power transmitters at locations on Earth adjacent natural fuel or power resources such as natural gas, oil, solid fuel, or geothermal energy. The fuel or energy source is converted into electricity on site, and the electricity is then converted into microwave power beams transmitted from the microwave power transmitter towards a redirector satellite in orbit about the Earth. The redirector satellite then sends one or more microwave beams to rectennas located in consumer nations at appropriate sites for feeding the power grid or to additional redirector satellites for directing to rectennas located on the far side of the Earth.

Claims

1. A terrestrial based electrical power distribution system, comprising:

a terrestrial supply of fuel taken from the list of oil, natural gas or coal;

a terrestrial electrical power plant that uses these fuels to generate electricity;

a terrestrial microwave generator connected to the terrestrial electrical generator that generates terrestrial microwave signals;

a terrestrial microwave phased array transmitter, having a radiating aperture, that transmits and focuses a first microwave power beam, the terrestrial microwave transmitter receiving the terrestrial microwave signals from the terrestrial microwave generator;

a first terrestrial receiver rectenna coupled to a first electrical power grid;

a second terrestrial receiver rectenna coupled to a second electrical power grid, the second terrestrial rectenna being distant from the first terrestrial rectenna;

a first redirector satellite orbiting earth, the first redirector satellite comprising;

a satellite microwave receiver rectenna that receives the first microwave power beam from the terrestrial microwave transmitter;

a satellite electrical generator that converts the first microwave power beam from the satellite receiver into satellite electricity;

a satellite microwave generator connected to the satellite electrical generator that generates a plurality of microwave signals;

a plurality of satellite microwave phased array transmitters each having respective radiating apertures;

a satellite electricity management control that allocates the satellite electricity into a first portion that powers the first redirector satellite and a second portion provided to the satellite microwave generator;

the satellite microwave generator responsive to the electrical management control converts the second portion of satellite electricity into the plurality of satellite microwaves signals that are respectively provided to the plurality of satellite microwave transmitters suitable for independent simultaneous transmission;

a second redirector satellite orbiting earth comprising the elements corresponding to those elements of the first redirector satellite;

the first redirector satellite independently aims and independently focuses a second microwave powered beam onto the second redirector satellite and simultaneously a third microwave power beam onto the first terrestrial rectenna having a first power demand;

the second redirector satellite receives the second microwave power beam, converts the second microwave power beam into a fourth microwave power beam, and independently aims and independently focuses the fourth microwave power beam onto the second terrestrial rectenna having a second power demand;

the respective radiating apertures of the terrestrial microwave transmitter, the plurality of satellite microwave transmitters of the first redirector satellite and the plurality of satellite microwave transmitters of the second redirector satellite have respective diameters such that distances to the respective satellite microwave receiver of the first redirector satellite, the first terrestrial rectenna and the second terrestrial rectenna is less that the respective diameters squared divided by the respective wavelength of the respective microwave signals;

the satellite electricity control allocates the second portion of satellite electricity to the plurality of satellite microwave transmitters responsive to the respective power demands of respective rectenna; and

a satellite focus control that independently aims the respective microwave power beams to the associated receiving rectenna and further independently focuses the respective microwave power beams onto the associated rectenna.