The Sun is the earth's and the solar system's inexhaustible core energy system. With the depletion of traditional energy resources on Earth, space power plants may become an important way to solve energy problems in the 21st century. Space power station, in short, is to carry the solar power plant on the ground to space, "in the sky" to convert the solar energy into electricity, and then sent to the ground by wireless power transmission.
Scientists have reportedly made a breakthrough in exploring ways to generate electricity from the sun in space and beam it back to Earth. If the technology comes to fruition, it could bring us one step closer to power stations in space.
The main purpose of the plant is to use solar energy more efficiently. On the ground, the solar energy is greatly attenuated by the absorption and scattering of the atmosphere, the increase and decrease of cloud and rain, the change of season and day and night, and the energy density also varies greatly and is very unstable. Solar energy is abundant in space. It is estimated that the maximum power generated by solar cells per square meter in northwest China is about 0.4 kilowatts, 7 to 8 kilowatts in the stratosphere, and 10 to 14 kilowatts in geosynchronous orbit. The overall efficiency of space power generation is impressive, even if the power is lost during multiple conversions.
From a technical point of view, space power stations are made up of three main parts: a generator that converts solar energy into electricity, an energy converter and transmitter that converts electricity into microwaves or lasers and sends a beam to a receiving system on the ground, which converts it into electricity and connects it to the grid. Scientists in the United States have developed a "photovoltaic radio frequency antenna module" for power generation and energy conversion. In January, scientists demonstrated that the technology works better in orbit than on the ground, and a demonstration of space-to-ground power transmission is planned for 2023.
Space power stations are not affected by natural factors such as weather and latitude, and can collect, convert and use solar energy on a large scale, generating as much electricity as nuclear power stations on the ground. What's more, electricity from space can be transmitted wirelessly around the world, not relying on large-scale power grids, and can be directed or mobile to remote areas, disaster areas, and critical facilities. Space power stations, for example, would eliminate the need to hunt around for a charging pile and allow electric cars to be recharged on the move.
Building a power station in space, however, still has several technical challenges to overcome. A single power station in space, for example, would cover an area at least 1,400 football fields, generate megawatts of power and have a service life of more than 30 years. To build such an ambitious space system, many key areas such as materials, delivery, spacecraft control, in-orbit assembly and maintenance remain unsolved. Some have suggested that large solar generators could be pieced together like building blocks using thousands of small satellites; Or 3D printing in space, directly manufacturing and deploying space power stations on the space station in the future. In addition, the technology of long-distance wireless transmission of high power electric energy also urgently needs to be solved.
High costs and safety concerns must also be considered. For example, there are not only meteorites in geosynchronous orbit, but also a lot of space junk, and space power stations are at risk of being damaged by an impact at any time. However, space power stations are still favored by many countries as an efficient and environmentally friendly way to generate electricity. The British government has commissioned research into power stations in space, and Japanese scientists are experimenting with ways to convert electricity into energy waves that can be transmitted to the surface. China's first space power station experiment base was launched in Chongqing in 2018, and a technology roadmap has been put forward to realize the goal of space power station, which is expected to become the first country in the world to build a space power station of practical value.
.jpeg)
