Solar Power Satellites

Hi Charles,

Yes it seams too good to be true so I was a little
skeptical at first, but my professor forwarded me a
website showing the Air Force testing it. See the
first story of this monthly report:
http://www.pr.afrl.af.mil/mar/2005/jul2005.pdf

I've done other research into Solar Thermionic
Electric Generators (STEGs), the most significant is
on Inflatable (thin polyacrylic or polyacetate films)
Solar Reflective Concentrating Collectors (ISRCCs).
They would work great in space, the only remaining
problem is heat rejection. Radiators do a good job,
but we could and should do better. I was thinking -
what if instead of two films on the ISRCCs (the
transparent front and the aluminized rear), what if we
added another film to the extreme rear. This could be
painted with high emissivity paint and the space
between this rear film (that only see's the cold of
dark space, and feel maybe 40 degrees K.) and the
reflector film (that should be around -20 degrees C.
or so) could be filled with some sort of coolant.
Perhaps Ammonia, anyway the coolant from the STEG
converted should be as cool as possible, perhaps
around freezing point of water? The Ammonia gas would
pass into the bag behind the reflector and condense on
the cold surface. The now fluid Ammonia would then
somehow be collected and pumped back to the STEG
converter's Anode's cooling plate. So how can we
collect the liquid Ammonia (or other working fluid)?
We could slowly rotate the entire STEG, ISRCCs and
all. It would also probably require rotating the
entire SSPS, and having a method detached from the
SSPS to steer the Microwave beam? Or, what about heat
pipes?
Does anyone have any ideas?

regards,

Dave

--- "Charles F. Radley" wrote:

> Hi Dave,
>
> The web site claims these devices convert heat
> directly into
> electricity.
>
> If so....
>
> This looks like an alternative to heat engines such
> as Stirling cycle
> or Brayton cycle for Solar Dynamic power systems.
>
> It could also be an alternative to the thermionic
> generators used in
> space nuclear power generators such as Topaz, or
> RTGs.
>
> This also appears to be a possible alternative to
> photovoltaics.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charles F. Radley
>
> --- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Dave Handwerk
>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Chris,
> >
> > I wrote a long post then it accidently got erased,
> so
> > here is the short answer, try:
> >
> > http://www.powerchips.gi/
> >
> > Dave
> >

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