470 likes | 489 Views
This article discusses the limitations of solar power generation on Earth and proposes the concept of solar power satellites to overcome these limitations. It explores the advantages of solar power satellites, the methods of solar to electric conversion, and the main parameters for consideration in photovoltaic power generation on satellites.
E N D
Dr. P.S. Tiwari, Group Director & Faculty Mentor, TIT Group of Institutions, Bhopal. & S.R. Awasthi, Consultant, CECL, Bhopal MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF SOLAR POWER CONVERSION TO SUPPLEMENT TERRESTRIAL POWER SYSTEMS.BY
CONVENTIONAL RESOURCES • FOSSIL FUELS • HYDRO RESOURCES • NUCLEAR RESOURCES USING FISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF ENERGY • TRADE-OFF BETWEEN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT • ECOLOGICAL UNBALANCE • GLOBAL WARMING • RADIATION HAZARDS
NON-CONVENTIONAL RESOURCES • SOLAR ENERGY • WIND ENERGY • BIOMASS ENERGY • OCEAN WAVE ENERGY • OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION • GEOTHERMAL ENERGY • OCEAN TIDAL ENERGY AND • NUCLEAR FUSION
LIMITATIONS OF SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION INSTALLATIONS ON EARTH • Effects of day/night cycles • Shadowing due to clouds, fog, snow, precipitation etc. • Weather effects • Reduced solar-radiation intensity • Overall variable and discontinuous power output
LIMITATIONS OF SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION INSTALLATIONS ON EARTHContd…. HENCE: SOLAR POWER SATELLITE CONCEIVED
SALIENT ADVANTAGES OF SPS • More intense (about eight times on average) solar radiation available • Unaffected by weather, clouds etc. • SPS illuminated almost all the time (except eclipse periods). Hence expensive storage not required • Lack of gravity simplifies structure • Waste heat re-radiated back into space, instead of warming the biosphere.
SOLAR TO ELECTRIC CONVERSION • THERMAL ELECTRIC CONVERSION • SOLAR DYNAMIC CONVERSION • DIRECT CONVERSION THROUGH PHOTOVOLTAICS
SOLAR TO ELECTRIC CONVERSION Contd…. POINTS FOR CHOICE: • Energy conversion efficiency • Cost effectiveness • Material and system transportation convenience • Technology status • Specific feasibility problems
MAIN PARAMETERS FORCONSIDERATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION ON SPS • Energy conversion efficiency • Life-expectancy • Tolerance to space-radiation environment • Power-production capacity per unit area • Production cost including material cost and processing cost
MAIN PARAMETERS FORCONSIDERATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION ON SPS Contd….. • Amenability to mass production • Consideration for optimized mass • Overall bulk and portability
BRIEF HISTORICAL MILESTONES • 1899-1900 NIKOLA TESLA Proposed use of radio waves power transmission • 1930’s Use of microwaves proposed for power transmission • 1945 Clarke putforth the concept of geo-stationary satellite in Science-fiction • 1962 Satellite communication begins with Telstar I first rectenna build
BRIEF HISTORICAL MILE-STONES Contd…. 1963 First rectenna built 1964 W.C. BROWN succeeded in microwave powered helicopter using 2.45 GHz. 1964 IEEE Conference on Energy Sources organized session on Microwave Power Transmission 1965-66 Commercial Satellite Communication Service Introduced 1968 PETER GLASER proposed Solar Power Satellites 1973-74 Glaser was granted a patent for possible microwave power transmission from SPS to earth
BRIEF HISTORICAL MILE-STONES (Contd….) • 1975 84% efficient microwave to DC conversion demonstrated • 1983 US Patent for a system for power transmission from SPS & direct conversion to 60 Hz, 3-Phase • 1999-2000 SPS Exploratory Concept examined by NASA
BRIEF HISTORICAL MILE-STONES • 2001-2002 Technology Maturation program for SPS pursued by NASA • 2004 A Report on possible design of SPS prepared by NASA • 2007-2010 many nations in the world considering such projects. Japan announced plans to have its first SPS in operation by 2040.
POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUES MICROWAVES LASER BEAMS
METHODOLOGY OF TRANSMISSION AND UTILIZATION • DIRECT TRANSMISSION (OF MICROWAVE POWER) TO HOMES BY SMALLER ANTENNA FEEDING TO UTILITY SYSTEM/EQUIPMENT • TRANSMISSION TO LARGE CENTRAL EARTH STATION & FEEDING TO TERRESTRIAL POWER SYSTEM (POWER GRID)
MAIN SUBSYSTEMS OF SOLAR POWER SATELLITE • SOLAR POWER COLLECTOR AND SUB-TRACKER SUB-SYSTEM • POWER CONVERSION SUB-SYSTEM • POWER TRANSMISSION SUB-SYSTEM • TELEMETRY, TRACKING & COMMAND SUB-SYSTEM • ANTENNA SUB-SYSTEM • PROPULSION & ATTITUDE STABILIZATION SUB-SYSTEM
SOLAR POWER SATTELLITE LOCATION OPTIONS • GEO-SYNCHRONUS-STATIONARY ORBIT (3600 KM FROM EARCH) • MEDIUM EARTH ORBIT (MEO: AROUND 10000 KM) • LOW EARCH ORBIT (LEO: AROUND 800-1000 KM) • HIGH ALTITUDE PLATFORM (HAP: LESS THAN 100 KM)
VACUUM DEVICES High Power Capability Higher Frequency Capability Large Bulk & High Cost Devices Level Integration Difficulty SOLID STATE DEVICES Performance Superiority Lower Voltage Requirement Small size and Rugged Compatible with MIC Flexibility in Circuit Configurations Easy portability Robustness MICROWAVE VACUUM DEVICESV/S SOLID STATE DEVICES
POWER COMBINING OPTIONS • DEVICE LEVEL • CIRCUIT LEVEL • SYSTEM LEVEL
POWER COMBINING OPTIONSContd…. CHOICE GOVERNED BY • EFFICIENCY • BAND WIDTH/SPECTRAL PURITY • ISOLATION • HIGHER ORDER MODES • COMBINER LOSSES • COMPLEXITIES
IMPORTANT ANTENNA PARAMETERS • Far Field • Directivity and its controllability • Efficiency • Gain • Impedance • Bandwidth • Beam width and spread
IMPORTANT ANTENNA PARAMTERS Contd….. • Steerability • Beams multiplicity • Polarization • Size • Complexity
SOME TYPICAL ENVISAGED DATA • FOR ABOUT 5 TO 10 GW OF GENERATED POWER • Solar Collectors 50 To 150 Sq.Km. depending on quality of PV Cells and sun-trackers design • Satellite Transmitting Antenna Size Between 1 and 1.5 Km. diameter • Ground Rectenna around 14 Km. by 10 Km
SOME TYPICAL ENVISAGED DATA (Contd…..) • ACCORDING TO SUNSAT ENERGY COUNCIL (AFFILIATED TO UNO), THE MICROWAVE BEAM WOULD BE SO LOW IN DENSITY THAT PERSONS CAN WALK THROUGH IT; SAFE FOR AEROPLANES, BIRDS ETC.
SOME TYPICAL ENVISAGED DATA (Contd…..). • ACCORDING TO A PHYSICIST AND VISIONARY GERARD O’ NEILL, (1992) OVER 99% OF MATERIAL FOR SPS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM LUNAR MATERIALS AND REDUCE THE COST OF SPS CONSTRUCTION BY 97%.
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION • CROWDING OF GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT • LIMITS OF REDUCED ANGULAR SEPARATION • ALIGNMENT AND HAND OVER PROBLEMS WITH MEO AND LEO • SATELLITE DIMENSIONS • NEEDS LARGE SPACE STATION
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION (Contd….) • SOLAR SAILS DIMENSIONS • SATELLITE ECLIPSES • ANTENNA SIZE • FOLDING/UNFOLDING TECHNIQUES FOR ANTENNA & SOLAR SAILS • EFFICIENT CONVERSION OF D.C. POWER TO MICROWAVE POWER • OPTIMIZING SOLAR CELLS POWER OUTPUT UNDER HARSH SPACE ENVIRONMENT.
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION (Contd….) • ACTIVE & PASSIVE DEVICES OF HUGE POWER CAPABILITY • EFFECTS OF FREE SPACE ATTENUATION AND OTHER LOSSES ON TRANSMISSION EFFICIENCY AND COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES • MICROWAVE INTERFERENCE TO TERRESTRIAL SYSETMS
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION (Contd…..) • EXPLORING TECHNIQUES FOR DIRECT CONVERSION OF MICROWAVE ENERGY TO 50 HZ 3-PHASE SUPPLY • ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY • TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY • RADIATION HAZARDS & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS • EFFECTS ON SURROUNDINGS/ENVIRONMENT • SOCIAL & POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF SPACE ENVIRONMENT FOR DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT OF SOLAR CELLS • MULTIPLE RADIATIONS MAY DAMAGE THE SOLAR CELLS. DAMAGE BY HIGH ENERGY ELECTRONS AND PROTONS IS SERIOUS IN MEOs PASSING THROUGH VAN ALLEN’S BANDS. NEIGHBOURHOOD OF DIFFERRENT PLANETS AFFECTS DIFFERENTLY: e.g., NEIGHBOURHOOD OF JUPITER PROVIDES HIGH RADIATION ENVIRONMENT.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF SPACE ENVIRONMNET FOR DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT OF SOLAR CELLS (Contd…) • SUNLIGHT IN SPACE, UNFILTERED BY EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE HAS A DIFFERENT SPECTRUM, NEEDING DIFFERENT SOLAR CELL DESIGN AND MATERIALS • SATTELITES IN HIGH EARTH ORBITS EXPERIENCE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE LEADING TO EXTREME THERMAL STRESSES AND IN TURN BIG POWER SURGES
SPECIAL FEATURES OF SPACE ENVIRONMENT FOR DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT OF SOLAR CELLS (Contd…) • MATERIAL PROPERTIES UNDER TYPICAL SPACE ENVIRONMENT NEED SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY.
PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATIONS • USE OF LEO/MEO • HIGH ALTITUDE PLATFORMS • META-MATERIALS FOR ANTENNAS • SUPER-DIRECTIVE FEATURES FOR ANTENNAS • USE OF NANO-TECHNOLOGY FOR MORE EFFICIENT PV CELLS
PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATIONS (Contd….) • NEWER LAUNCHING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE SPACE ELEVATORS • REPLENISHMENT TECHNOLOGY FOR SPS IN ORBIT • USE OF LUNAR MATERIALS BY TRANSPORTATION FROM MOON TO SPS • EFFICIENT DIRECT TECHNIQUES FOR CONVERSION OF MICROWAVE POWER TO COMMERCIAL FREQUENCY POWER.
EPILOGUE • SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A SCHEME IS STILL INDISTINCT • FURTHER RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION REQUIRED FOR ANY REALISATION • APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING TECHNIQUE • MANY NATIONS HAVE ASSIGNED AND STARTED EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS • IT IS WISHED THAT INDIA SHOULD ALSO INITIATE WORK IN THIS DIRECTION • SPS COULD BE A SOLUTION FOR A COUPLE OF CENTURIES UNTIL NUCLEAR FUSION ESTABLISHES ON A FIRM FOOTING.
ENERGY SECTORS • DOMESTIC SECTOR (HOUSE AND OFFICES) • TRANSPORTATION SECTORS • AGRICULTURE SECTOR • INDUSTRY SECTOR