System using a megawatt class millimeter wave source and a high-power rectenna to beam power to a suspended platform
View Patent ↗A system for beaming power to a high altitude platform is based upon a high power millimeter gyrotron source, optical transmission components, and a high-power receiving antenna (i.e., a rectenna) capable of rectifying received millimeter energy and converting such energy into useable electrical power.
1. A method of beaming power from a first location to a remote location, comprising:
providing a high altitude suspended platform,
providing a power transmitting system that includes a millimeter wavelength source at said first location,
transferring power produced by said millimeter wavelength source by directing said source onto a foil reflector on said platform; and
providing a high-power rectenna, said rectenna arranged on said platform to receive a focused power from said reflector, wherein said rectenna rectifies said focused power into useable electrical power.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said millimeter wavelength source comprises at least one frequency selected from about 35 GHz, about 94 GHz, and about 140 GHz.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said source includes a gyrotron configured to transmit up to about a megawatt of millimeter wave power.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a resonant cavity that further includes a field emission diode.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a field emission diode in a half-wave dipole antenna configuration.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises high-density Shottky diodes.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said foil reflector is configured to receive a transmitted beam from said source of up to about 40 m in diameter.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said foil reflector comprises a thin metallic coating applied to the top of said platform.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high-power rectenna is configured to receive said focused power comprising greater than about 200 mW/cm 2 .
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said high-altitude platform includes a fabric housing opaque to visible light but transparent to millimeter wavelengths.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said useable electrical power can be directed to provide power for at least one function selected from: station keeping, propulsion, and payload utility.
12. A power beaming system for transferring power from a first location to a remote location, comprising:
a high altitude suspended platform,
an electromagnetic radiation source positioned at said first location and configured to transfer a predetermined power to said high altitude suspended platform,
a foil reflector on said high altitude platform to receive said predetermined power; and
a high-power rectenna on said high altitude platform, arranged to receive a focused power from said foil reflector, wherein said rectenna rectifies said focused power into useable electrical power.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said source includes a gyrotron configured to transmit up to about a megawatt of power.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein said source comprises at least one frequency selected from about 35 GHz, about 94 GHz, and about 140 GHz.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a resonant cavity that further includes a field emission diode.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a field emission diode in a half-wave dipole antenna configuration.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises high-density Shottky diodes.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein said foil reflector is configured to receive a transmitted beam from said source of up to about 40 m in diameter.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein said foil reflector comprises a thin metallic coating applied to the top said platform.
20. The system of claim 12 , wherein said high-altitude suspended platform includes a fabric housing opaque to visible light but transparent to millimeter wavelengths.
21. The system of claim 12 , wherein said high-power rectenna is configured to receive said focused power comprising greater than about 200 mW/cm 2 .
22. The method of claim 12 , wherein said useable electrical power can be directed to provide power for at least one function selected from: station keeping, propulsion, and payload utility.
23. A power beaming system for transferring power from Earth to a high altitude suspended platform, comprising:
a gyrotron source,
a beam wave propagating antenna further comprising a water-cooled sub-reflector, wherein said antenna is configured to transfer power received from said source to said high altitude platform
a foil reflector arranged on said high altitude platform to receive said power; and
a high-power rectenna on said high altitude platform arranged to receive a focused power from said foil reflector, wherein said rectenna rectifies said focused power into useable DC electrical power.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein said gyrotron source is configured to transmit up to about a megawatt of power.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein said source comprises at least one frequency selected from about 35 GHz, about 94 GHz, and about 140 GHz.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a resonant cavity that further includes a field emission diode.
27. The system of claim 23 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises a field emission diode in a half-wave dipole antenna configuration.
28. The system of claim 23 , wherein said high-power rectenna comprises high-density Shottky diodes.
29. The system claim 23 , wherein said high-power rectenna is configured to receive said focused power comprising greater than about 200 mW/cm 2 .
30. The system of claim 23 , wherein said foil reflector comprises a thin metallic coating applied to the top of said platform.
31. The system of claim 23 , wherein said high-altitude suspended platform includes a fabric housing opaque to visible light but transparent to millimeter wavelengths.
32. The method of claim 23 , wherein said useable electrical power can be directed to provide power for at least one function selected from: station keeping, propulsion, and payload utility.