Off-world Power Generation Research: Difference between revisions

From Bitpost wiki
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 7: Line 7:
* Use best-practice cyber-security.
* Use best-practice cyber-security.


=== Power 101 ===
=== Earth orbits and other locations in space ===
 
* [https://learn.openenergymonitor.org/electricity-monitoring/ac-power-theory/introduction openenergymonitor intro to AC power in the home]
* [https://www.coursera.org/learn/power-electronics/home/welcome Power electronics Coursera class]


=== Basics ===
* Power is measured in Newton-meters per second or Joules per second or Watts.
* earth to moon: 238,900 miles
* earth to moon: 238,900 miles
* there are [https://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission/observatory_l2.html four lagrange points] that provide constant sun exposure at predictable locations
* there are [https://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission/observatory_l2.html four lagrange points] that provide constant sun exposure at predictable locations
Line 21: Line 15:
* other interesting earth orbits: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit low] goes across poles, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Earth_orbit medium] used by GPS, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Earth_orbit high] is slow and crawls west, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit Molniya] spends more time away from equator; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Earth_orbit#/media/File:Orbitalaltitudes.jpg relative distances diagram]
* other interesting earth orbits: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit low] goes across poles, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Earth_orbit medium] used by GPS, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Earth_orbit high] is slow and crawls west, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit Molniya] spends more time away from equator; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Earth_orbit#/media/File:Orbitalaltitudes.jpg relative distances diagram]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun-synchronous_orbit sun-synchronous orbits] are low-earth polar orbits that maintain constant solar exposure.  They cross many locations on the earth throughout the year - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUG5ALki-WY this guy KNOWS ORBITS, lots to learn here] - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylvgxNF3C0c sun-sync video example]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun-synchronous_orbit sun-synchronous orbits] are low-earth polar orbits that maintain constant solar exposure.  They cross many locations on the earth throughout the year - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUG5ALki-WY this guy KNOWS ORBITS, lots to learn here] - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylvgxNF3C0c sun-sync video example]
* the sun primarily produces visible light (not microwaves or gamma...)
* laser transmission is more efficient than microwave, except where earth's atmosphere interferes
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-based_solar_power current status]: A Gigawatt-range microwave system would weigh ~80,000 tons (prohibitively expensive) [https://www.energy.gov/articles/space-based-solar-power more] [https://e-reports-ext.llnl.gov/pdf/372187.pdf lots more]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell_efficiency Solar cell efficiency]
* Laser transmit antenna in space: 1 meter diameter per GW
* Receive: Several hundred meters across


=== Less likely premises ===
These are therefore probably less useful:


* <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <L1 solar array>
* <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <L1 solar array>
Line 35: Line 23:
* <Earth-orbit satellite> <- <Earth's moon>
* <Earth-orbit satellite> <- <Earth's moon>
* <Earth's moon> <- <Earth-Sol Lagrange-point solar array>
* <Earth's moon> <- <Earth-Sol Lagrange-point solar array>
=== Power 101 ===
* Power is measured in Newton-meters per second or Joules per second or Watts.
* [https://learn.openenergymonitor.org/electricity-monitoring/ac-power-theory/introduction openenergymonitor intro to AC power in the home]
* [https://www.coursera.org/learn/power-electronics/home/welcome Power electronics Coursera class]
=== Free-space power transfer ===
* the sun primarily produces visible light (not microwaves or gamma...)
* laser transmission is more efficient than microwave, except where earth's atmosphere interferes
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-based_solar_power current status]: A Gigawatt-range microwave system would weigh ~80,000 tons (prohibitively expensive) [https://www.energy.gov/articles/space-based-solar-power more] [https://e-reports-ext.llnl.gov/pdf/372187.pdf lots more]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell_efficiency Solar cell efficiency]
* Laser transmit antenna in space: 1 meter diameter per GW
* Receive: Several hundred meters across


=== Working Systems ===
=== Working Systems ===

Revision as of 19:37, 21 December 2018

Current conclusions

  • Use a satellite in low-earth sun-synchronous polar orbit.
  • Use lasers for power transmission not microwaves.
  • Use batteries for storage not capacitors.
  • Use low-power laser handshaking for safety cutoff.
  • Use best-practice cyber-security.

Earth orbits and other locations in space

These are therefore probably less useful:

  • <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <L1 solar array>
  • <Earth> <-microwave-- <Earth-orbit satellite> <-laser-- <Earth's moon> <-laser-- <L1 solar array>
  • <Earth> <-clearsky-burst-laser-- <Earth's moon> <-laser-- <L1 solar array>
  • <Earth-orbit satellite> <- <Earth's moon>
  • <Earth's moon> <- <Earth-Sol Lagrange-point solar array>

Power 101

Free-space power transfer

  • the sun primarily produces visible light (not microwaves or gamma...)
  • laser transmission is more efficient than microwave, except where earth's atmosphere interferes
  • current status: A Gigawatt-range microwave system would weigh ~80,000 tons (prohibitively expensive) more lots more
  • Solar cell efficiency
  • Laser transmit antenna in space: 1 meter diameter per GW
  • Receive: Several hundred meters across

Working Systems

NASA 2009 Power Beaming Competition

LaserMotive charging an unmanned drone

space elevator, and its power beaming need

  • Attempting this challenge requires that the participating teams would excel at laser optics, photovoltaics, electrical and mechanical engineering, and overall system design. The vehicles must be lightweight yet powerful. The laser beams must be well focused while tracking the climbers, and the climbers must be adept at converting them back into electricity and then into mechanical power. If you think this sounds complicated, you're right - out of about 40 teams that tried their hand at the challenge, only 3 made it to the final challenge.

Coupled PV cells and Lasers

Often called Power Over Fiber.

MH GoPower (MHGP) produces a high-performance silicon-based vertical multijunction (VMJ) PV cell that enables high-wattage laser power transmission. See here.

Preliminary test data is shown for a 0.78 cm/sup 2/ VMJ cell with 40 series connected junctions producing 31.8 watts at 25.5 volts at near 2500 suns AM1.5 intensity (40.4 watts per cm/sup 2/ output at 211 watts per cm/sup 2/ input with an estimated efficiency near 20%).

Powerlight has free-space power beaming tech. LaserMotive has previously demonstrated power beaming systems with a receiver-specific power as high as 800 W/kg.

Several vendors

Solar Panels

Why not buy a nice full-sized panel and see what we can collect with it?

330W for $271 ($.78/W)

100W for $115 ($1.15/W) (bought)

Panels and battery setup

Someone used the Renogy panel to charge their RV, "My system consists of the following main components:" 

2 - Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120-50
Victron Blue Solar charge controller MPPT 150/85
15 - 100 watt Renogy solar panels
Victron Color control gx
Victron BMV-702 battery monitor
4 - 1000Ah LifePO4 Winston battery cells

Here's 3.3kwhr in a suitcase using "18650"s.

Jehu, my fave instagram electric ride hacker, explains how to build your own powerwall. I need this.

Super capacitors

  • Super-capacitors are not ready to outperform batteries, at least not yet.
    • Because existing supercapacitors have poor energy density per kilogramme (currently around one twentieth of existing battery technology), they have been unable to compete with conventional battery energy storage.
    • Even with this restriction, supercapacitor buses are already being used in China, but the current technology means that they need to stop to be recharged frequently (i.e. at almost every bus-stop).
  • Demonstration of using a supercapacitor to meet the needs of charging a car, definitely within its ability. Electroboom agrees.

Small Lab Research

We should be able to set up two arduinos or pis, one receiving sun solar to power a laser, and another receiving laser solar to power a battery. We have a lot to learn about basic electrical wiring and arduinos and pis.

A hackster laser morse code transmitter and receiver setup, very useful The laser that was used, very popular, didn't find any others yet

There are lots of competing low-quality solar+battery projects, where's the winner? Still looking...

General IoT research

Strong lasers:

Other random stuff:

Launching Payloads to Space

Rocket Lab’s Electron booster launches small satellites commercially

Nasa "Venture Class" contractors circa 2015

General Notes

Question: what's the maximum input into a photovoltaic cell? Exposing it to the sun in space will provide what percentage of peak opportunity? Should we employ mirrors or prisms to redirect more sunlight into the PV cells? what would be most cost effective: adding more PV cells or adding redirected/reflected sunlight to existing PV cells?

Wikipedia: Wireless_power_transfer via laser (aka "Power Beaming")

Wikipedia: Space Based Solar Power (SBSP)

Long Range Wireless Power by Wi-Charge demoed at CES 2018 - First wireless power system using lasers for consumer applications. Complies with mandatory IEC 60825 sagfety standards for consumer use.

OEM looking to incorporate wireless power modules into new products? Apply for beta

NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Beamed Laser Power for UAVs

Power by Light - blog with working prototypes

Youtube: Wirelessly Powered Train

Youtube: Photovoltaic laser power converters with increased voltage output (27m)

Academic Papers

U.S. Energy Department’s own Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) 2009 proposal (PDF)

energy.gov with Infographic

laser power beaming light-to-electricity conversion efficiency correlates directly between electricity conversion and heat generation - abstract behind paywall

Development and characterisation of laser powerconverters for optical power transfer applications - French paper 2013

Paper: Design and optimization of GaAs photovoltaic converter for laser power beaming

Paper: Photovoltaic laser power converters for wireless optical power supply of sensor systems

Paper: High-Voltage GaAs Photovoltaic Laser Power Converters

Youtube infotainment

  • electronics: jehugarcia, ElectroBOOM, GreatScott!, EEVBlog, bigclivedotcom, Jeremy Fielding, Fran Blanche, The Hacksmith
  • lasers: styropyro, Marco Reps
  • robotics: Metatronics, Adafruit Industries, simone Giertz (relentlessly pursues creativity with fun robots)
  • other: Captain Disillusion (awesome entertaining video 3D graphics), Cody'sLab (chemistry), AvE (mechanical engineering (and electronics?)), PhysicsGirl (physics)
  • general: The King of Random, TheBackyardScientist, SmarterEveryDay, Veritasium, Vsauce, Adam Savage’s Tested
Retrieved from "https://bitpost.com/w/index.php?title=Off-world_Power_Generation_Research&oldid=5093"