An economically viable space power relay system

Bekey, I.; Boudreault, Richard

doi:10.1016/s0265-9646(99)00013-2

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This does not mean that SSP is hopeless. Bekey [28] proposed a power exchange from North America to a receiver centered on a lake in Japan, through a GEO satellite, citing the high difference in prices of power which permitted an exchange despite the low efficiency of reception. Landis [23] pointed to the opportunities arising from the steep temporal and geographical variations in price of electric power, such as the sharp differences in industrial and urban centers.…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Millimeter wave Space Power Grid architecture 2011

Komerath

Dessanti

Shah

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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The Space Power Grid architecture jump-starts the move towards Space Solar Power (SSP) by setting up a power exchange between terrestrial power plants and customers through Space. A constellation of low-mass, low-risk waveguide satellites starts the first phase. With technical and policy issues settled and the market risk reduced, expansion to full SSP is done using high-altitude ultralight sunlight reflector satellites and 1 GWe converter satellites in mid to low orbits. The baseline architecture published at the 2011 IEEE Aerospace Conference showed the parameter values needed to break even at modest selling price of power and return on investment, inside 50 years from project start, at a total installed level of over 3.4 Terawatts. This architecture is updated with several large improvements and reductions in uncertainty. The waveguide satellites of Phase 1 are now refined using a conceptual design process, and shown to come in under the projected mass. An Intensified Efficient Conversion Architecture (InCA) is used to develop 1 GWe satellites using primary Brayton cycle conversion instead of photovoltaics, delivering very high efficiency and specific power. Several optional paths are explored to reduce power cost and accelerate SSP deployment well beyond 4 Terawatts.

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Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Millimeter wave Space Power Grid architecture 2011

Komerath

Dessanti

Shah

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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“…These earth-space and space-space transmissions no doubt involve losses, but this has to be factored into the total system efficiency, and the business case for the power transaction. There are large differences in the price of power from time to time and place to place, 3 which offer opportunities for profitable exchange of power, as realized by Bekey et al 6 Phase 2 commences when the SPG breaks even, and gradually replaces the constellation with satellites augmented with solar collectors and converters. In Phase 3 which proceeds as soon as Phase 2 puts enough converters in orbit, large, ultra-light solar collectors in medium-height orbits (a few thousand kilometers) will reflect broadband sunlight to the LEO converters.…”

Section: A Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our system, certain parts of the SPG will indeed be far more profitable than others. 6 considered a segment with a 35 percent IRR); however, limiting participation to those markets will not permit expansion through the subsequent phases. 16 as published on the internet with an interactive applet.…”

Section: G Internal Rate Of Returnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parameter Selection for a Space Power Grid

Komerath

Venkat

Butchibabu

2008

AIAA SPACE 2008 Conference &Amp; Exposition

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This paper continues work on an evolutionary, revenue-generating approach to Space Solar Power. In previous work, a 3-stage, self-sustaining program was proposed, that enables growth to full Space Solar power in 20 to 30 years. The approach is to first use a constellation of spacecraft in sun-synchronous orbits as a microwave power grid connecting renewable energy plants situated around the world. This step generates revenue primarily from the large temporal and geographic variations in cost and supply of electric power. It enables location of new renewable power plants in remote locations, and minimizes reserve needs for baseload qualification. In a second phase, replacements for the first generation satellites would incorporate converters from solar power to microwave beams, followed by placement of large ultralight collectors in high orbits to beam sunlight directly to the converters. Recent developments have improved options in the near millimeter wave regime. In this paper, the Phase 1 architecture is altered to investigate the minimum power level at which the system will pay for itself in 30 years. Cost estimates are related to the published literature and shown to be conservative. Parameter choices are systematically related to the Net Present Value.

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Satellite solar power: Renewed interest in an age of climate change?

Macauley¹,

Shih²

2007

Space Policy

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An economically viable space power relay system

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Millimeter wave Space Power Grid architecture 2011

Millimeter wave Space Power Grid architecture 2011

Parameter Selection for a Space Power Grid

Satellite solar power: Renewed interest in an age of climate change?

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