Energy from Space (ES): Challenges

Ahead from Technical to Political

 

EPAS Now Funds the Entire Range

2

! 

We also aim for thesmart grid andmarkets of the futurewhich make optimal,sustainable use of allthese.

 

LocalDistributed

PowerDistribution

Energy

Power

Grid

 

!  Peter Glaser 1960’s, SSP concept

!  Gerard O’Neill 1974/5: L5 (DC rep, NSS)

!  NASA/DOE reference designs: 5.5¢/kwh -- not

!  Mankins, 1990s: NASA Fresh Look Study, NAS

endorsement

!  2002: NSF/NASA JIETSSP.

 –   Best cost estimates at 17 cents or more

 –   New DD concept, hybrid fusion-solar, ES but not SSP

 –   12 awards, e.g. breakthrough work by Pavlividis now

at NSF

 

The sub-harmonically injection locked large array

approach

• A large active array is constructed by phase locking many sub-arrays which are

injection locked to a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to improve its stability.

• The VCOs are phase locked to a sub-harmonic master oscillator distributed across the

large array either via coax cable or optical fiber.

•  Phase shifters: correction of unequal path delays and tuning of radiated beam.

" study fundamental issues associated with injection locking in large antenna array:

 phase jitter across the whole array; existence of multimodes and parasitic oscillations;

 phase locking bandwidth and its near the carrier phase noise, which will impact the

microwave beam shape and integrity.•

 

D. Pavlidis (BU), A. Mortazawi (UM), J.

Volakis (OSU)

New Paradigm for SSP: no heavy power distribution system(PMAD), no long wires vulnerable to solar flares (EMP)

 

! 

How Can We Reach This Target As

Soon as Possible At Highest Probability

of Success?:

 –  SSP supplies >10% of world electricity

 –  Cost of electricity from the rectenna !10¢/

kwh

! 

Why this is a good focus for strategic thinking

! 

How to get there – technology, investment and

 politics

! 

But first good news: start from nss.org/EU

 

! 

Links from nss.org/EU:

 –   NIAC Report: New

Design for 9¢/kwh if

launch costs down to

$500/kg-LEO

 –   DARPA XS-1

Technology could get us

to !$500/kg-LEO 

 

• 

US and EU are already above 10 cents per kwh. China is less, but heavilysubsidized, encountering shortages and price rises with coal (notcounting CO2)

•  OECD/IEA: world uses 20 terawatt hours per year (2008). At 10 cents perkwh, that is worth $2 trillion per year . With wind or solar supplying all,that would double or more. (Storage needs, backup, regulation.)

 

!  A Team: NIAC + two-stage horizontal rocketplane

+ LEO-to-GEO system

! 

Important “backup and future” B-teams:

 –   For NIAC part: nonterrestrial materials; solar thermal in

space (e.g. JTEC?); laser-induced D-D fusion in space

(Perkins LLNL); mirrors direct to earth (also for

geoengineering?)

 –   For space access: airbreathers (post NASP), plasma

airbreathers, others?

!  A Team is most assured path to goal (cousin of

TRL); others less assured or not all the way to goal.

 

• Immediate key tasks doable on earth: build, characterize and tune each type of block;extend the simulation model for ray tracing, first order stability analysis, heat flow, andopen competitions for design; then: analysis of real-time control (EPAS!); robotic ortelerobotic assembly and maintenance (NRI , EPAS, Fukuda, NAIST)

 

•  L5 discussion with Boeing TAV, Bnai Brith, SDI•  Implementation: Boeing bypassed, TAV ended•  Learned Hard Lessons About TPS = Active fluidcooling

 

 NSF/McAir Workshop 1990

White and Sofge eds, Van Nostrand, 1992 

McAirNASP

 

REDUCED DRAG: AAC 1st; Ganguly (APS00)shows it

should work >Mach 4, 100K feet; allows Boeing RAS/V

Ebeam

or ....MHD Energy

Extraction

MHD

Acceleration

Best plasma theory predicts new Princeton design

will allow ramjets to reach Mach 12, scram much more...

Ames and Chase (ANSER) whole-system SSTO designs..

 

• Rocketplane RLV can be built now for near-term use, essential to use/enhancement of endangered off-the-shelf legacytechnology needed for more advanced high-efficiency concepts

• Need Big vehicle to minimize $/lb (initial $200/lb REAL)- 1.2 million pounds, $10-15 billion, not a small business

• Horizontal takeoff essential  for aircraft operations (see alsoMueller 60 s) and for big-wing lower heat load on re-entry

• Design allows use of formerly black hot structures technologyinstead of flaky tiles, ablative structures, hard-to-control slush

• Project chart 4 years, AF mission model enough for profit

 

• 

Checked with the unique test lab at WPAFB

 

•  Hot structure technology is stranded andendangered. Boeing lost the only test article. This year, TAVteam sent to four winds, people and teams still available butbarely and not for long.•  NASA has some capability (Glass@Langley) but not supported• 

Space Launch System now required to be useless – but couldNSS and our friends upgrade it?•  SpaceX lacks this technology, ablatives won t meet their long-term goals. Could NASA R&D help them all?•  X37B and required to use ATK carbon technology which works,but a cost issue… in space.•  DARPA ALASA & WPAFB could have solved the problem, butwere scaled back by political folks … But XS-1 might save us!•  China has a NASP program, maybe just a rerun of small hope• Russia/France – unknown but they seem alert

 

! 

Due to ITAR rules (see nss.org/itar), we need “two

consortia” – low cost launch, and SSP proper for the

international market, with strong links & mutual

commitments. (If Iran buys nonnuclear kwh from whom?) 

!  For SSP proper, Japan leads. New China $20m/year, with CAS and

Sichuan (“the real space program”). In Lego world, $20m/year can buy a lot.

!  Will US join the SSP R&D? Alone? With India? Roles of NASA,

DOD, NSF?

!  Will XS-1 avoid political traps which destroyed all of its

 predecessors? Will private sector launch companies make full use of

it?

!  EIU market a crucial opportunity for pricate investment of any kind.