SOLAR POWER SATELLITES

A PRESENTATION ON SOLAR POWER SATELLITES

WHAT IS SATELLITE?

A satellite is anything that revolves around something ex:- moon orbits the earth…so moon is a satellite of earth….

In communication context, it is a specialized wireless receiver/transmitter that can receive or transmit signals……as per the requirement

TYPES OF SATELLITES

Astronomical satellites Communication satellites Earth observation satellites Weather satellites Solar power satellite

WHAT IS SPS?

A solar power satellite or SPS is a proposed satellite built in high earth orbit that uses microwave power transmission to beam solar power to very large antenna on earth where it can be used in place of conventional power sources

The advantage to placing the solar collectors in space is the unobstructed view of the sun, unaffected by the day/night cycle, weather or seasons.

HISTORY OF SPS

Start in late 1968 Started by Peter Glaser a German

scientist in1975 on a high note Later joined by various aerospace

companies in 1980 Recently increase in demand of energy

speed up the SPS work

NEED OF SOLAR POWER SATELLITE

Growing energy needs Sustainable source of energy Environmental impact from terrestrial

energy sources Total cost of energy production

GROWING DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL DEMAND

COMPARISON OF POWER SOURCES

Power generation

Costs

Cost/Watt

Pros Cons

Nuclear Power

State of the art facilities can generate up to 366 Gigawatts

3-5 billion for the facility

$61.32

Extensive scientific data is available Technology has been established and used for decades in the other developed nations No greenhouse effects

Nuclear proliferation

Larger capital costs because of emergency, containment, radioactive and storage systems

Security and risks of containment breaches

Fossil Fuels

Dependent upon usage.

Currently oil is at $100 and expected to rise

$53.42

Inexpensive and established

Currently Abundant and highly Versatile

Extensive transportation systems to bring them to nationsSubject to political and economic instabilityLimited Supply will resulting increasing costs

Power Generation

Costs Cost/Watt

Pros Cons

Solar Power

19-56 watts per square meter. Max power generation limited only by size

at a rate of <$1.00, dependent upon the size of the station

<$1.00 (employing new technologies)

Free as long as sunlight is available

Requirement of special materials ….Current technology requires large amounts of land for small amounts of energy generation

Solar Powered Satellites

230 watts per square meter up to 8.75 terawatts

70-80 billion including launch costs

<$1.00 (employing new technologies)

Can produce electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Satellite can be moved to transmit power to different areas globally

Extremely expensive

OIL PRICES

DESCRIPTION OF SPS

The SPS essentially consists of three parts:-

1. A huge solar collector , typically made up of solar cells

2. A microwave antenna on the satellite, aimed at earth

3. An antenna occupying a large area on earth to collect the power

HOW IT WORKS ?

IMAGES

Power is beamed to a receiving station on earth and then distributed to customers

An early solar power satellite design

THUNDERSTORM SPS - TSPS

Introduction Numerical

simulation prediction of

“hook echo “area by using WRS-88D Doppler weather radar

MICROWAVE BEAM

COLD RAINY DOWNDRAFT

SOLAR SATELLITE

HOW WILL SPS AFFECT GLOBAL WARMING?

It decreases global warming

It decreases the probability of acid rain

Helps in saving endangered species

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR POWER SATELLITES

1. REDUCTION IN THE "GREENHOUSE EFFECT“ 2. "CLEAN" ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION 3. UNLIMITED AVAILABILITY OF CLEAN ELECTRIC POWER

WORLDWIDE WILL BENEFIT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SAVE THE RAIN FORESTS, AND ELIMINATE ACID RAIN

4. THE RECTENNAS RECEIVING THE MICROWAVE ENERGY ALLOW 80% OF THE SUNLIGHT TO PASS BY. BY MOUNTING THESE RECTENNAS ON FLOATING ISLANDS IN THE OCEAN, SIPHONING OFF SOME OF THE RECEIVED MICROWAVE ENERGY FOR USE IN DESALINIZATION OF SEAWATER, FOOD CAN BE GROWN IN ABUNDANCE TO FEED THE WORLD

5. MAKING WARS AND CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS UNLIKELY

CONTINUE…..

Used to stop mass fires Used to tackle with drought Faster production of crop by 3 to 4

times Used to raise temperature in cold

countries in winter

VULNERABILITY AND DEFENSIBILITY

Would SPS be attacked? How could SPS be attacked? Could SPS be defended? Who would attack?

WOULD SPS BE ATTACKED?

Some factors:- What kind of purpose it is serving? The SPS is owned by whom? whether it is expensive enough or

prestigious

WHO WOULD ATTACK?

Attack by technically sophisticated nations like USA and USSR

By small states also sometimes By terrorists

HOW COULD SPS BE ATTACKED?

Orbital debris Disruption or diversion Missile attack Nuclear attack

COULD SPS BE DEFENDED?

There are three ways of defense of SPS:- Evasion Hardening against explosions Anti missile weaponry

FUTURE OF SPS

Decade One Decade Two Decade Three Performance of Future SPS Technology

DECADE 1,2,3--- PROPOSED SPS TIMELINE

PERFORMANCE OF FUTURE SPS TECHNOLOGY

NO. OF LAUNCHES FOR 1 GW SPS

NO. OF LAUNCHES FOR 5 GW SPS

FOREIGN INTEREST

Europe Soviet Union Japan

THANK YOU