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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Three experiments are proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of converting dc power into microwave or millimeter-wave beam and transmitting it to users through free space. The generator could be located on earth or on a utility power satellite. The received power would be converted back into dc or ac power. The success of the experiments could lead to the commercial use of this technology.
The development of solid state technology for solar power satellite systems is briefly addressed. The economic advantages of solid state based systems are listed along with some conclusions and issues regarding specific design concepts.
There are numerous engineering design problems where the use of wires to transfer power and communicate data thru the walls of a structure is prohibitive or significantly difficult that it may require a complex design. Using physical feedthroughs in such systems may make them susceptible to leakage of chemicals or gasses, loss of pressure or vacuum, as well as difficulties in providing adequate thermal or electrical insulation. Moreover, feeding wires thru a wall of a structure reduces the strength of the structure and makes the structure prone to cracking due to fatigue that can result from cyclic loading and stress concentrations. One area that has already been identified to require a wireless alternative to electrical feedthroughs is the container of the Mars Sample Return Mission, which will need wireless sensors to sense a pressure leak and to avoid potential contamination. The idea of using elastic or acoustic waves to transfer power was suggested recently by [Y. Hu, et al., July 2003]. This system allows for the avoidance of cabling or wiring. The technology is applicable to the transfer of power for actuation, sensing and other tasks inside any sealed container or vacuum/pressure vessel. An alternative approach to the modeling presented previously [Sherrit et a., 2005] used network analysis to solve the same problem in a clear and expandable manner. Experimental tests on three different designs of these devices were performed. The three designs used different methods of coupling the piezoelectric element to the wall. In the first test the piezoelectric material was bolted using a backing structure. In the second test the piezoelectric was clamped after the application of grease and finally the piezoelectric element was attached using a conductive epoxy. The mechanical clamp with grease produced the highest measured efficiency of 53% however this design was the least practical from a fabrication viewpoint. The power transfer efficiency of conductive epoxy joint was 40% and the stress bolts (12%).
Microwave systems performance and phase control are discussed. Component design and reliability are highlighted. The power amplifiers, radiating elements, rectennas, and solid state configurations are described. The proper sizing of microwave transmission systems is also discussed.
Significant advancements were made in a number of areas: improved efficiency of basic receiving element at low power density levels, improved resolution and confidence in efficiency measurements mathematical modelling and computer simulation of the receiving element and the design, construction, and testing of an environmentally protected two-plane construction suitable for low cost, highly automated construction of large receiving arrays.
A simulator which generates and transmits a beam of audible sound energy mathematically similar to the SPS power beam is described. The simulator provides a laboratory means for analysis of ground based closed loop SPS phase control and of ionospheric effects on the SPS microwave power beam.
A simulator is described which generates and transmits a beam of audible sound energy mathematically similar to the SPS power beam. The simulator provides a laboratory means for analysis of ground based closed loop SPS phase control and of ionospheric effects on the SPS microwave power beam.
This study addresses the possibility of beaming laser power from synchronous lunar orbits (L1 and L2 LaGrange points) to a manned long-range lunar rover. The rover and two versions of a satellite system (one powered by a nuclear reactor; the other by photovoltaics) are described in terms of their masses, geometry, power needs, mission and technological capabilities. Laser beam power is generated by a laser diode array in the satellite and converted to 30 kW of electrical power at the rover. Present technological capabilities, with some extrapolation to near future capabilities, are used in the descriptions. The advantages of the two satellite/rover systems over other such systems and over rovers with on-board power are discussed along with the possibility of enabling other missions.
For several years NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, UAH and ENTECH have been working on various aspects of space solar power systems. The current activity was just begun in January 2004 to further develop this new photovoltaic concentrator laser receiver/converter technology. During the next few months, an improved prototype will be designed, fabricated, and thoroughly tested under laser illumination. The final paper will describe the new concept, present its advantages over other laser receiver/converter approaches (including planar photovoltaic arrays), and provide the latest experiment results on prototype hardware (including the effects of laser irradiance level and cell temperature). With NASA's new human exploration plans to first return to the Moon, and then to proceed to Mars, the new photovoltaic concentrator laser receiver/converter technology could prove to be extremely useful in providing power to the landing sites and other phases of the missions. For example, to explore the scientifically interesting and likely resource-rich poles of the Moon (which may contain water) or the poles of Mars (which definitely contain water and carbon dioxide), laser power beaming could represent the simplest means of providing power to these regions, which receive little or no sunlight, making solar arrays useless there. In summary, the authors propose a paper on definition and experimental results of a novel photovoltaic concentrator approach for collecting and converting laser radiation to electrical power. The new advanced photovoltaic concentrator laser receiver/converter offers higher performance, lighter weight, and lower cost than competing concepts, and early experimental results are confirming the expected excellent Performance levels. After the small prototypes are successfully demonstrated, a larger array with even better performance is planned for the next phase experiments and demonstrations. Thereafter, a near-term flight experiment of the new technology should be developed and flown, to lay the groundwork for future space power applications in the Earth-Moon neighborhood, and ultimately encompassing Mars and its environs.
For high-speed ducted fans, when the rotor flowfield is shock-free, the main contribution to the inlet radiated acoustic power comes from the portion of the rotor stator interaction sound field that is transmitted upstream through the rotor. As such, inclusion of the acoustic transmission is an essential ingredient in the prediction of the fan inlet noise when the fan tip relative speed is subsonic. This paper describes a linearized Euler based approach to computing the acoustic transmission of fan tones through the rotor. The approach is embodied in a code called LINFLUX was applied to a candidate subsonic fan called the Advanced Ducted Propulsor (ADP). The results from this study suggest that it is possible to make such prediction with sufficient fidelity to provide an indication of the acoustic transmission trends with the fan tip speed.
The measured and calculated results from determining the operating efficiencies of a laboratory version of a system for transporting electric power from one point to another via a wireless free space radiated microwave beam are reported. The system's overall end-to-end efficiency as well as intermediated conversion efficiencies were measured. The maximum achieved end-to-end dc-to-ac system efficiency was 54.18% with a probable error of + or - 0.94%. The dc-to-RF conversion efficiency was measured to be 68.87% + or - 1.0% and the RF-to-dc conversion efficiency was 78.67 + or - 1.1%. Under these conditions a dc power of 495.62 + or - 3.57 W was received with a free space transmitter antenna receiver antenna separation of 170.2 cm (67 in).
A new approach for development of a 50-kW directly solar-pumped iodine laser (DSPIL) system as a space-based power station was made using a confocal unstable resonator (CUR). The CUR-based DSPIL has advantages, such as performance enhancement, reduction of total mass, and simplicity which alleviates the complexities inherent in the previous system, master oscillator/power amplifier (MOPA) configurations. In this design, a single CUR-based DSPIL with 50-kW output power was defined and compared to the MOPA-based DSPIL. Integration of multiple modules for power requirements more than 50-kW is physically and structurally a sound approach as compared to building a single large system. An integrated system of multiple modules can respond to various mission power requirements by combining and aiming the coherent beams at the user's receiver.
A slotted waveguide planar array was established as the baseline design for the spaceborne transmitter antenna. Key aspects of efficient energy conversion at both ends of the power transfer link were analyzed and optimized alternate approaches in the areas of antenna and tube design are discussed. An integrated design concept was developed which meets design requirements, observes structural and thermal constraints, exhibits good performance and was developed in adequate depth to permit cost estimating at the subsystem/component level.
The studies reported include a preliminary analysis, conceptual design, technical and economic evaluation, and planning for a technology development, a ground demonstration, and an orbital test program. The concept investigated involves a transmitting antenna in geosynchronous orbit which beams microwave power to a ground antenna where it is rectified to DC power. The amplitron and the klystron are considered as devices for converting DC power to RF power at microwave frequencies.
Proposed transmission with continuously-variable speed ratio couples two mechanical trigonometric-function generators. Transmission is expected to handle higher loads than conventional variable-pulley drives; and, unlike variable pulley, positive traction through entire drive train with no reliance on friction to transmit power. Able to vary speed continuously through zero and into reverse. Possible applications in instrumentation where drive-train slippage cannot be tolerated.
Small improvements in magnetron, receiving diodes, radiating antennas, and circulator sections of components add sizable improvement in microwave system efficiency. Further improvements in future are possible by adding new materials and designs to RF-to-dc converter-or removal of circulator, power supply and redesigning of magnetron to tolerate low or high power levels.
The phased array is a group of regularly spaced lasers with parallel optical axes. Each laser of the group emits light of the same wavelength and the same phase. Mathematical models of laser transmission systems with regular arrays are presented, taking into account rectangular apertures. It is found that an array of free running lasers has the same normalized expectation value as the single laser, with the actual power a factor of N greater.
This presentation describes the NASA GRC Multifunctional Materials Team activities in high voltage materials testing capabilities build up and recent research activities.