Event
Aerospace Seminar Series | Energy from Space for Earth
Thursday, October 22, 2015
11:30 a.m.
Aerospace Engineering Conference Room, 3164 Martin Hall
Christine Hartzell
hartzell@umd.edu
http://www.aero.umd.edu/events/seminars
Aerospace Engineering Seminar Series
Energy from Space for Earth
Speaker: Dr. Paul Jaffe
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract:
For decades, proponents of Space Solar Power have advocated for the development of satellites that would collect and transmit energy for use on the earth essentially 24 hours per day, all year round. This approach is billed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of terrestrial solar and other energy sources which suffer from intermittency and other problems. If realized, this concept would represent an enormous new market opportunity for the aerospace industry. Recent advances in component technologies have stoked interest, particularly for military and other applications that currently contend with high energy costs and challenging fuel delivery logistics. Architectures suggested vary in orbit selection, means of wireless power transmission, and energy generation method; though most have focused on the combination of geosynchronous orbit, microwave wireless power transmission, and photovoltaics. Recent approaches emphasize highly modular schemes to exploit improved economies of scale inherent in mass production. A prototype development effort is explored and pertinent economic factors are discussed.
Bio: For decades, proponents of Space Solar Power have advocated for the development of satellites that would collect and transmit energy for use on the earth essentially 24 hours per day, all year round. This approach is billed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of terrestrial solar and other energy sources which suffer from intermittency and other problems. If realized, this concept would represent an enormous new market opportunity for the aerospace industry. Recent advances in component technologies have stoked interest, particularly for military and other applications that currently contend with high energy costs and challenging fuel delivery logistics. Architectures suggested vary in orbit selection, means of wireless power transmission, and energy generation method; though most have focused on the combination of geosynchronous orbit, microwave wireless power transmission, and photovoltaics. Recent approaches emphasize highly modular schemes to exploit improved economies of scale inherent in mass production. A prototype development effort is explored and pertinent economic factors are discussed.
