Wireless Power Transmission Technologies for Solar Power

Satellite
Susumu Sasaki
1,2)
, Koji Tanaka
1)
, and Advanced Mission Research Group
2)

1)
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science(ISAS/JAXA)

, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan
2)
Aerospace Research and Development Directorate(ARD/JAXA)

, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8505, Japan
Abstract Solar Power Satellite (SPS) is an energy system
which collects solar energy in space and transmits it to the
ground. It has been believed as a promising infrastructure to
resolve global environmental and energy problems for human
beings. One of the most important technologies for the SPS is the
wireless power transmission from the geostationary orbit to the
ground. Microwave power transmission has been investigated
and demonstrated for more than 40 years, but still requires
further research regarding high-efficiency power conversion and
high-accuracy beam control for SPS application. This paper
introduces the concept of SPS, and presents microwave power
transmission technologies necessary for SPS, their demonstration
experiments both on the ground and in space in the near future,
and future prospects towards commercial SPS.
Index Terms Solar power satellite, wireless power
transmission, microwave.
I. INTRODUCTION
Energy and environment is one of the most important
global issues to be resolved to sustain our society. 80 % of
energy in our life comes from fossil fuels. If we continue to
use the fossil fuel resources at the current consumption rate,
they will be completely lost within 100-150 years.
Furthermore, the huge amount of consumption of fossil fuel
increases CO
2
concentrations in the atmosphere, which raises
serious environmental concerns. If we continually depend on
the fossil fuel, we will experience substantial degradation of
life quality within this century.
The global problem in the closed earth system will be
effectively solved by a paradigm shift to the open earth-space
system. There is unlimited constant solar energy supply in
space free from the whether conditions, quite different from
that on the earth. The concept of the SPS is to tap the solar
energy using a large-scale photovoltaic array in space and to
transmit it to the ground using microwave or laser beam. It has
a great potential for a large-scale clean energy system to
replace the fossil fuel plants. Figure 1 shows the configuration
of space solar power systems consisting of SPS and associated
ground segments. The time average power per unit area in
space is 5-10 times larger than that on the ground, while the
power loss for the wireless power transmission/reception is
expected less than 50%. Thus the SPS has a competitive
advantage over the solar power plants on the ground.
The SPS was first proposed by Peter Glaser [1] in 1968,
followed by NASA/DOE studies [2] in the 1970s. Since the
early investigations, various types of the SPS have been
proposed more than 30 in the world. They are categorized into
5 types as shown in Fig.2. Most of the SPS models proposed
so far uses microwave rather than laser for the wireless power
transmission, because the power efficiency both at the
transmitter and receiver is generally higher and attenuation
through the atmosphere is lower for microwave as compared
with laser.
II. MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION FOR SPS
Microwave frequency for SPS has been selected in a range
of 1-10 GHz, compromising between antenna size and
atmospheric attenuation. If we choose a frequency in the
industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands, 2.45 or
5.8 GHz is the potential candidate. 2.45 GHz was selected in
the early phase study, but 5.8 GHz has been recently
considered as a more desirable frequency due to recent
accelerated progress in C-band RF technologies.
As for the microwave generator, tubes such as magnetron,
klystron, and TWT have been proposed for the SPS use
because the power conversion efficiency is reasonably high
more than 70 % at low cost. Semiconductor amplifier is
Sun Light
Solar Power
Satellite
in orbit
DC
Solar Array
Panel
Microwave Circuit
Transmitting
Antenna(Spacetenna)
Microwave
Receiving Antenna
(Rectenna)
DC
DC/AC Conversion
AC)
Power Utility
Ground
Power
Facility
Space Solar
Power
Systems

Fig.1 Configuration of space solar power systems, consisting
of solar power satellite and ground segments.

IWPT-PL-1



Fig.2 Various types of SPS, categorized into 5 types.
another potential candidate as the power efficiency has been
considerably improved to 60-70 % with low cost expectation.
Besides the power efficiency, beam pointing technologies to
transmit the microwave power beam precisely to the receiving
site are essential for the power transmission. They are peculiar
to the wireless power transmission, not covered by the existing
communication technologies. A beam angle 100 rad with a
10 rad pointing accuracy is required for the 5.8 GHz
transmission from an antenna of 2 km square in the
geosynchronous orbit to a reception site of 3.5 km diameter on
the ground. The transmitting antenna will be assembled by a
number of array antenna panels which consist of sub-array
antennas. Totally more than 1 billion antennas will be installed.
A retro-directive technology with a pilot signal from the
ground will be used to control the microwave beam from each
antenna panel directing to the ground station. Although each
panel is sufficiently stiff for microwave beaming, relative
motion between the panels can not be avoided for the large
antenna assembly. In order to form a microwave beam
precisely focused at the ground station, the phase of
microwave from each panel needs to be adjusted between the
panels, which requires revolutionary new technologies.
The microwave power at the receiving site is rectified to
provide dc power using arrays of rectifying antenna (rectenna)
with Schottky diode. The power conversion efficiency for
single rectenna exceeds 80 % in a power range more than 50
mW. However, further research is required to improve the
power efficiency for 1 mW class input and rectenna array as a
whole.
III. DEMONSTRATION OF MICROWAVE POWER TRANSMISSION
TOWARDS SPS
A large-scale demonstration experiment on the microwave
power transmission for SPS application was conducted in
1975 in US using the JPL 26 m dish antenna and 3.4 m x 7.2
m rectenna located at 1 mile apart from the transmitter [3].
Microwave of 450 kW at 2.388 GHz was transmitted and 30
kW was obtained at the rectenna. This demonstrated the
feasibility of the microwave power transmission very clearly.
However, the beam pointing using a single monolithic dish
antenna of 2 km scale is not feasible in orbit. After the JPL
experiment, the beam direction control using the retro-
directive method for the phased array antennas has been
studied and the associated technologies have been
demonstrated in Japan and the United States. But the power
level in the past experiments has been less than kW and the
transmission range has been limited in laboratory scale in
many cases.
Japan is now planning to perform a kW-class microwave
power transmission experiment in the range around 50 m as
shown in Fig.3. It will be the first experiment in the world as a
high-power and long-range microwave transmission
experiment with a capability of retro-directive beam control.
The microwave transmitter consists of 4 individual panels,
which are movable to each other to simulate antenna motion in

Fig.3 Microwave power transmission experiment on the
ground.



Fig.5 Sequence of microwave transmission experiment in space.
orbit. Each panel, 0.6m x 0.6m, has an array consisting of
hundreds of transmitting antennas, receiving antennas for
the pilot signal, phase controllers, and power systems. The
power level from each panel will be several hundreds of
watts, totally one kW level, at 5.8 GHz. The frequency of the
local oscillator in each panel is synchronized by a master
oscillator. The phase of local oscillator in each panel is
adjusted by a Rotating Element Electric Field Vector (REV)
method so as that the power at the receiving site gets
maximum. In the demonstration experiment, the output dc
power will be several hundreds of watts from the rectenna.
After the ground demonstration experiment, we plan to
conduct a small-scale microwave power transmission
experiment in orbit [4]. In the space experiment, power
transmission at several kW from the low earth orbit to the
ground will be studied. The major objectives of the space
experiment are;
(1) demonstration of the microwave beam control precisely
to the target on the ground from the antenna in orbit,
(2) verification of microwave power transmission (~kW/m
2
)
through the ionosphere,
(3) evaluation of the over-all power efficiency as an energy
system,
(4) demonstration of the electromagnetic compatibility with
the existing communication infrastructure.
Especially, item (2), the interaction between the intense
microwave and the ionospheric plasma is important because it
can be studied only in the space environment.
Either a small satellite or Japanese Experiment Module
(JEM) on the International Space Station will be used for the
initial demonstration experiment as shown in Fig.4. There are
two configurations in the experiment; microwave transmission
to the ground perpendicularly to the spacecraft velocity vector
(Mode A) and microwave transmission parallel to the velocity
vector (Mode B). The beam direction controlled by the pilot
signal from the ground is verified only in mode A. Mode B is
a favorable configuration to study the microwave/plasma
interaction because the plasma segment is irradiated and
heated by the microwave longer than in Mode A.
The weight of payload instruments will be 200 kg for the
small satellite and 500 kg for the Space Station, including
diagnostic instruments such as plasma probes, particle energy
analyzers and plasma wave receivers. For the small satellite
experiment, a power transmission panel consisting of 4
modular panels, 1.6m x1.6m totally, will be used to transmit a
3.8 kW power beam. The experiment on the International
Space Station will have 9 modular panels, which are capable
of transmitting a 8.6 kW power beam from a 2.4 m x 2.4 m
antenna.
In order to study the nonlinear interaction of the microwave
power beam with the ambient plasma, power density more
than 100 W/m
2
is required. In case of the JEM experiment,
maximum beam intensity more than 1000 W/m
2
will be
realized for 130 m from spacecraft and that more than 100
W/m
2
for 410 m.
Figure 5 shows the experiment sequence near the ground
station. The microwave beam at 10 % of the full power is
transmitted to the ground for the first 2 minutes. The onboard

Fig.4 Microwave power transmission experiment in space on a small
satellite or on the International Space Station.



Fig.6 Technology roadmap towards commercial SPS.
computer controls the beam direction without the pilot signal
from the ground. When the experiment system passes over the
ground station, the microwave beam at the full power is
transmitted to the ground for 16 sec guided by the pilot signal
from the receiving site. The beam direction is changed in 10
degrees from the normal line of the panel to target the
receiving site. After the full power operation, the power
transmission at 10 % of the full power is performed for
another 2 minutes.
IV. ROADMAP FOR COMMERCIAL SPS
A technology roadmap from research phase to commercial
phase is shown in Fig.6. Based on the results from the small-
scale demonstration experiments in space, together with the
results from the ground experiments, we will make a decision
on the technology option, microwave or laser, for the wireless
power transmission. With the selected transmission medium,
we will make a 100 kW-class SPS demonstration experiment
in orbit before 2020. All basic technologies required for the
commercial SPS will be verified at this stage. This approach is
in accordance with the basic plan on space development by the
government's space development strategy headquarter in
Japan. After completion of these demonstrations we will select
a configuration for the initial target of the commercial SPS,
one of the models shown in Fig.2 or other model. The
expected power cost depending heavily on the development of
space transportation and public acceptance will be the major
trade off factors for selection. For the selected configuration, 2
MW and 200 MW class plant will be constructed and tested
before 2030. This scenario guaranties the start of construction
of the 1 GW class commercial SPS in 2030s.
V. CONCLUSION
One of the most critical technologies for the SPS is
microwave power transmission from the geosynchronous orbit
to the ground. Evolutionary microwave technologies are
required for a high power conversion efficiency more than
80 % from/to DC and an extremely high-precise beam control
with 10 rad accuracy. These technologies will be partially
verified in the ground demonstration experiment within
several years and will be fully verified in the space
experiments within 10 years. Although the required
technologies are quite challenging, continuing research
activities along with the proposed roadmap will lead to
opening the new SPS era in 2030s.

REFERENCES
[1] P.E.Glaser, Power from the Sun: Its Future, Science, vol.162,
pp.867-886, 1968.
[2] DOE/NASA, Program Assessment Report Statement of
Finding - Satellite Power Systems, Concept Development and
Evaluation Program, DOE/ER-0085, 1980.
[3] R.M.Dickinson, Performance of a High-Power, 2.388-GHz
Receiving Array in Wireless Power Transmission Over 1.54
km, 1976 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
Digest of Technical Papers, pp.139-141, 1976.
[4] S.Sasaki, K.Tanaka and Advanced Mission Research Group,
SSPS Technologies Demonstration in Space, IAC-10.C3.4.1,
61st International Astronautical Congress, Prague, Sep.-Oct.
2010