Engineering Commons^™

Space Solar Power Via Prizes, Al Globus

Online Journal of Space Communication

A system of prizes is proposed to spur development of Space Solar Power (SSP) by the private sector. The prize is sized ($21 billion) to match the recently announced Japanese initiative to build a one gigawatt (1GW) power satellite. The prize is divided into 21 separate $1B prizes and only one of these will be awarded per satellite installation. This approach will spur development of at least 21 power satellites, or the prize money will be returned to the sponsor. Historically, prizes have been used to spur needed developments in the public interest costing several times more than the purse, …

Legal Issues For Space Based Solar Power, Mark I. Wallach

Online Journal of Space Communication

When Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) entered into a May 2009 contract with Solaren Corp. to purchase power for 150,000 homes starting in 2016, public attention was abruptly focused on a potential major new source of energy: space based solar power (SBSP). First proposed in 1968 by Dr. Peter E. Glaser, Vice President for Advanced Technology at Arthur D. Little, SBSP is based on the simple facts that solar power, the most abundant source of energy on our planet, cannot be collected on the earth's surface at night, and that the sun's rays lose much of their energy while …

Legal Challenges Facing Solar Power Satellites, Kiantar Betancourt

Online Journal of Space Communication

This paper addresses some important legal elements that will be involved in implementation of solar power satellites drawing down energy from the sun, a process commonly called space-based solar power (SBSP). This paper outlines the advantages of SBSP and briefly reviews its history and limited development until today. The paper’s important contribution is to describe the current regime of international space law. It explains specific ways international regulations help to create a supportive environment for launching, maintenance and removal of solar power satellites, while offering suggestions for future improvements to this regime.

Server Sky - Data Centers In Orbit, Keith Lofstrom

Online Journal of Space Communication

Server Sky is a proposal to build large arrays of 7 gram paper-thin solar-powered computer satellites launched into a 6400 kilometer altitude earth orbit. A server-sat is mostly a 100 micron thick, 6 inch solar cell, with processor memory and radio chips around the edges. Server-sats use light pressure for thrust and electrochromic light shutters for steering. Thousands of server-sats will be positioned in three-dimensional arrays, about 100 meters on a side. An array acts as a large phased array antenna transmitting thousands of communication beams simultaneously to ground receivers and to other arrays in space. In space, there is …

The Sunsat Act - Transforming Our Energy, Economy And Environment, Darel Preble

Online Journal of Space Communication

Our global economy depends on low cost energy. In reaction to peaking oil prices, our economy is "in a shambles." We must rebuild our energy supply. Many energy alternatives have been explored and subsidized since the Arab Oil embargo shock of 1973, yet our oil, gas and energy dependency has grown. Our energy security is declining. Rebuilding our primary energy supply is hard. Fortunately, technology has opened the door to a clean new baseload energy player, Space Solar Power (SSP). The difference between communication satellites (comsats) now in use and the power satellites (sunsats) we need, is that sunsats would …

Solar Power Satellite Development: Advances In Modularity And Mechanical Systems, W. Keith Belvin, John T. Dorsey, Judith J. Watson

Online Journal of Space Communication

Space solar power satellites require innovative concepts in order to achieve economically and technically feasible designs. The mass and volume constraints of current and planned launch vehicles necessitate highly efficient structural systems be developed. In addition, modularity and in-space deployment will be enabling design attributes. This paper reviews the current challenges of launching and building very large space systems. A building block approach is proposed in order to achieve near-term solar power satellite risk reduction while promoting the necessary long-term technology advances. Promising mechanical systems technologies anticipated in the coming decades including modularity, material systems, structural concepts, and in-space operations …

Alternative Orbits: A New Space Solar Power Reference Design, Royce Jones

Online Journal of Space Communication

This paper offers a new space solar power reference design based on an elliptical 3-Hour sub-Molniya orbit. Most studies of space-based solar power (SBSP) systems to date have assumed that satellite stationing and photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion will take place in geostationary orbit (GEO). This paper argues that GEO/PV systems are not the most feasible solutions for SBSP, not technically and not economically.

Thirty six thousand kilometers above earth is a logical destination for a number of reasons, but that orbit is already largely committed. What is more, this great height and the mass and number of space solar …

Deploying Sunsats, Philip K. Chapman

Online Journal of Space Communication

This paper outlines an analysis of the cost of launching Solar Power Satellites, using launch technology available today. The economies of scale implied by any significant utilization of this energy source will reduce these costs to a level where they contribute less than 2.5¢/kWh to the cost of electric power produced by the system. The only major technical innovation that is needed is the introduction of reusable launch vehicles. While there is certainly room for improvements that would offer even lower costs, the conclusion is that the cost of spaceflight is not a serious impediment to realizing the advantages of …

Low Cost Access To Space Is Key To Solar Power Satellite Deployment, Ralph Nansen

Online Journal of Space Communication

Even though the concept of Solar Power Satellites (SPS) was first proposed in 1968, development has not happened because of the massive initial investment in infrastructure required. The principal infrastructure constraint is in the transportation segment. When the space transportation costs are sufficiently low, we can count on the cost of energy from space to be as low as hydroelectric energy. There is no limit to how much energy can be generated; as long as the sun shines, a clean source of energy is available in space. With improved systems of transport, Solar Power Satellites can be the world's next …

Why Has Sps R&D Received So Little Funding?, Karen Cramer Shea

Online Journal of Space Communication

Solar Power Satellite (SPS) research and development has received little funding over the 40 years since the concept was first introduced. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have each hosted and then cancelled space solar power programs because they didn't fit their mandates. It is time to broaden our search for agencies to fund SPS R&D, to find an agency that deals with both space and energy. Another problem faced by space-based solar power advocates is that launch costs are too high for SPS to be affordable. The launch market is currently …

Sunsats: The Next Generation Of Comsats, Don Flournoy

Online Journal of Space Communication

No solar power satellites (SunSats) are yet in operation. While all space-based satellites host some type of solar collector for the energy needed to power and control them, no satellites are in orbit today for the primary purpose of gathering energy from the sun and delivering it to earth. Because an abundant and sustainable new source of energy is desperately needed on earth and the current level of technological development will now permit it, a huge new satellite sector is about to emerge relaying energy from space to the ground where it will be used as electricity.

The logical path …

Disruptive Technology: A Space-Based Solar Power Industry Forecast, Kristin Medin

Online Journal of Space Communication

Space-based solar power (SBSP) is an emerging industry whose objective is to relieve the world of its crippling dependence on fossil fuels. However, beyond energy and climate change, this business is rarely considered for its potentially positive impact on future society. Large-scale efforts at commercialization of innovations have long been dependent on collaborations between government and private sectors, addressing public need. What the Transcontinental Railroad did for the American economy in the 1800's is an example: this technological breakthrough spawned the Industrial Revolution. In the 2000's, space technologies and their industries have demonstrated the potential for a similar revolutionary influence. …

Space Solar Vs Base Load Ground Solar And Wind Power, John K. Strickland Jr.

Online Journal of Space Communication

This paper attempts direct comparisons between ground-based solar and wind electrical power generation systems and those of Space Solar. Ground solar and wind are the two major popularly proposed replacements for carbon-based energy. Potentially, these could become very large base load electrical power sources due to: 1) their current political recognition as the desired replacement sources and 2) to their widespread availability. However, they have severe physical limitations. For Space Solar, only those aspects that are critical for valid comparisons to the ground based systems are give attention. The focus is primarily on physical comparisons, such as actual areas of …

Costs, Organization, And Roadmap For Ssp, Peter J. Schubert

Online Journal of Space Communication

Space Solar Power will be too expensive until it is too late to afford it. Politicians shy away from projects that last longer than they will remain in office. Governments are reluctant to fund projects where there are no short-term paybacks. Militaries will not sponsor work that cannot be used to fight wars. Corporate investment in long-term projects without a proven return are unlikely. Environmentalists, status quo defenders, and established energy interests alike will resist large-scale projects, driving up costs and costing time. There is presently no consensus on an optimal SSP architecture; nor is there an agreed-upon cost; nor …

Solar Power Satellites Research In China, Ji Gao, Xinbin Hou, Li Wang

Online Journal of Space Communication

In its long-term vision, the responsibility for ensuring China's food safety for its huge population, meeting its international obligations for environmental protection and providing the structure for its energy needs have determined that the direction of future development of low-carbon energy sources cannot be to sacrifice the "inner" earth. Thus, the state has decided that power coming from outside of the earth, such as solar power and development of other space energy resources, is to be China's future direction.

Space based solar power (SBSP), and the development of solar power satellites (SPS) to facilitate renewable energy production, is one of …

Sustaining India's Economic Growth, Raghavan Gopalaswami

Online Journal of Space Communication

Depleting fossil fuel reserves and the tangible impact of climate change have mandated nations to review national energy-mix policies. The Government of India's target of 7% GDP growth rate will require 1,476 GW installed power capacity by 2052. But historical constraints since 1951 on growth of power capacity (like land acquisition, water, fuel supply chains and silting of dams) have limited power capacity growth in India to a maximum 4GW/year. Should these historical constraints continue into the future as "business-as-usual" scenarios, just 472 GW would have been realized by 2052, effectively slowing India's GDP growth rate to 3.5% per annum. …

Global Warming In Perspective Understanding Climate Change In A World Of Contradictory Information, John K. Strickland Jr.

Online Journal of Space Communication

This article attempts to answer some fundamental global warming (GW) questions in as clear and balanced a way as possible. It touches on the current media and political discussion of the topic, an understanding of which has become integral to understanding the topic itself. This discussion is presented in light of the frequent use of the global warming crisis as an argument against all uses and sources of energy, clean or dirty, by rich and poor. The extremely large untapped energy source represented by Space Solar Power is offered as a potential long-term solution.

Energy Costs Eliminated By Satellite System, Joleroy Gauger

Online Journal of Space Communication

Successfully implementing a Solar Power Satellite Program will take a multi-discipline, multi-national, geopolitical effort. Planning for that level of complexity must begin now. This article gives the principal reasons for going to space for "free power," and seeks to illustrate some of that complexity. Solar energy is "free", just like the water in a hydroelectric system. There is no cost for fuel.

The sun delivers energy to earth at the rate of 1.37 kilowatts per square meter during daylight hours. This amounts to 174 petawatts (one petawatt is 10 to the fifteenth power). About 89 petawatts reach the earth's surface. …

Harnessing The Sun: Embarking On Humanity's Next Giant Leap, Feng Hsu

Online Journal of Space Communication

It has become increasingly evident that facing and solving the multiple issues concerning energy is the single most pressing problem that we face as a species. In recent years, there has been extensive debate and media coverage about alternative energy, sustainable development and global climate change, but what has been missing (at least in the mainstream media) is the knowledge and point of view of scientists and engineers. From the scientists or engineers perspective, this paper discusses the prospects for mankind's technological capability and societal will in harnessing solar energy, and focuses on the issues of: 1) space based solar …

Issue 16: From The Guest Editor, Ralph Nansen

Online Journal of Space Communication

Guest editor Ralph Nansen introduces the issue.

Information Software And Devices For Energy Efficiency Management And Control, Narzullo Nuriddinovich Mirzoyev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article provides information on modern methods of management and control of energy efficiency at industrial enterprises. This includes the software needed to manage and monitor energy efficiency, as well as the formation of a database. In addition, a structural diagram of an intelligent power monitoring system has been developed and its elements have been selected. Describes the principle of operation of an intelligent measuring device, its connection to the network, conversion of analog signals to digital, channels and ranges of signal transmission, metrological characteristics. The article details the capabilities and benefits of smart meters.

Control System Synthesis With Self-Adapting Regulator By Interactive Adaptation Method, Isamiddin Xakimovich Siddikov, Renata Nikolayevna Izmaylova

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The research results on the creation of a self-adapting control system for a nonlinear dynamic object based on the theory of intelligent control using interactive adaptation methods have been presented. The lack of an accurate description and the nonlinearity of the dynamic properties of the object under study, the presence of mutual influence of cross communication channels in the control circuits, as well as the influence of various types of uncertainties associated with the lack of a priori information about the process, significantly complicate the solution of the problem of synthesis of highly efficient control systems for dynamic objects, which …

Analysis Of Water Treatment Methods For Circulating Water Supply In Industrial Plants, Djalolitdin Paxritdinovich Mukhitdinov, Nilufar Abdusomi Kizi Yunusova

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This scientific paper deals with the problem of extracting Ca2+ and Md2+ salts from water in order to prevent the formation of scale on the heating surfaces of heat exchange equipment. The features, advantages and disadvantages of chemical, membrane and ion exchange methods of water treatment have been evaluated. It has been shown that the chemical method of water purification can be used only for the preparation of industrial water at large stations (at the same time, high residual hardness prevails in the water, the equipment has low productivity), and the membrane method requires pretreatment of water, creation of overpressure …

Algorithms For Modal Control Synthesis In Multi-Dimensional Dynamic System, Husan Zakirovich Igamberdiev, Jasur Usmonovich Sevinov, Oqila Husanovna Boyeva

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Algorithms for the synthesis of modal control of a multidimensional dynamic system with concentrated parameters in the state space have been presented. The problems of modal control of a multidimensional dynamic system have been formulated for the case when the matrix representation of a closed system has a simple structure. The conditions for the solvability of the problem of modal control of a multidimensional dynamic system by means of output feedback have been obtained. To give numerical stability in the procedure of pseudo-circulation of matrices, it is proposed to use the concepts of regular methods in the form of scalar …

Ultrasonic Extraction Of Instant Forms Of Plant Substrates In Industrial Production, Shakhnoza Abduvaxitovna Sultanova, Jasur Safarov, Azamat Bakir O'G'Li Usenov, Doston Ishmuhammat Ogli Samandarov, Qobil Akmal Ogli Mukhiddinov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

In recent years, both in our country and abroad, ultrasonic extraction methods have been increasingly used in industrial production, which is associated with the extraction of various substances and compounds from natural plant substrates. Domestic and foreign experience shows that this method has significant advantages over traditional methods and can significantly increase the efficiency and profitability of industrial enterprises, producing complete and functional food products.

This article discusses a brief theory of ultrasonic cavitation and the experience of extracting substrates from plants. Different results have been compared and analyzed.

Analysis Of Grain Product Drying Methods, Azizbek Nodirbekovich Yusupbekov, Dilmurod Egamberganov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Various drying methods and grain characteristics have been studied. The advantages and disadvantages of various grain drying methods were obtained. The use of the following methods of drying grain products is very useful for speeding up the drying process, reducing waste, achieving more flexible process management and delivering all the nutrients of dried grain and grain products to the subsequent production process. The technological approaches that increase the efficiency of high-quality production after drying grain products, the requirements for modern grain dryers have analyzed. The ways of overcoming the problem of high energy consumption in the process of drying grain …

Implementation Of Distance Learning At Universities Using The Experience Of The Honeywell Process Control Laboratory At Tashkent State Technical University, Nodirbek Rustambekovich Yusupbekov, Adilov Tulkunovich Farukh, Isakova Ismailovna Sitora

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The experience of modernization of the Honeywell Process Control Laboratory at Tashkent State Technical University has been considered (which is equipped with upgraded equipment (simulators for simulating various technological processes, distance learning tools). As a result, the quality of the demonstration of process control mechanisms increased the availability of theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of automated control systems. They also considered the teaching methods necessary for a modern student – remote access in real time, when students pass a knowledge test, consult with teachers, etc.

Error Of Contactless Converters Of High Currents Of Monitoring And Control Systems From The Influence Of Currents Of Neighboring Buses, A.M. Plakhtiev, Gayratjon Gaziev, Y.A. Meliboev, O. Doniyorov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article presents the general principles of construction of contactless ferromagnetic converters of large direct currents, the main requirements for them, and the results of the development of one of the developed wide-range magnetomodulation contactless converters of control and control systems concerning large electric power facilities. The developed converter, unlike the known ones, have a wide range of controlled currents, increased accuracy and sensitivity, a technological design, and small weight and dimensions at low material consumption and cost. The errors of contactless wide-range magnetomodulation converters from the influence of currents of neighboring buses connected by and the opposite direction are …

Implementation Of The Pid Control Law Of A Multidimensional Dynamic System, Khurshid Salim Ugli Turayev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Most industrial automation facilities are multi-circuit with a significant influence of cross-links between the goals. The paper develops a system for automatic parameter adjustment of a programmable logic controller that implements the proportional-integral-differential control law of a multidimensional dynamic object. The issues of decentralized management of multidimensional dynamic objects are discussed. The control system is based on the method of independent synthesis with static compensation of the impact of cross-links. Additional software has been developed to determine the parameters of the control system. After setting the necessary parameters, the process of automatic adjustment of the controller parameters starts. Self-tuning procedures …

Resampling And Super-Resolution Of Hexagonally Sampled Images Using Deep Learning, Dylan Flaute, Russell C. Hardie, Hamed Elwarfalli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Super-resolution (SR) aims to increase the resolution of imagery. Applications include security, medical imaging, and object recognition. We propose a deep learning-based SR system that takes a hexagonally sampled low-resolution image as an input and generates a rectangularly sampled SR image as an output. For training and testing, we use a realistic observation model that includes optical degradation from diffraction and sensor degradation from detector integration. Our SR approach first uses non-uniform interpolation to partially upsample the observed hexagonal imagery and convert it to a rectangular grid. We then leverage a state-of-the-art convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture designed for SR …