Space Based Solar Power

Satellite Conceptual Design

for Retrodirective Control
Space Engineering Institute
Spring 2009

Overview
Creating a satellite module that will be
attached to a Japanese experimental satellite
in a Low-earth orbit.
Our team objective is to create a satellite
module that can test the retrodirective beam
control method of sending microwave power
back to Earth.
The module must provide its own power, and
have its own thermal management systems.

Module System
Sandwich Design
Space
Environme
nt & Orbit

Thermal
Manageme
nt
Energy
Storage &
Power
Conversion
Retrodirective
Control logic

Photovoltai
c Cells

Structures
&
Materials

Antenna
Array

Environment Analysis

Semester Goals and Expectations

Become familiar with Satellite Tool Kit software
Model a cubic satellite and evaluate solar energy
collected at each of its six faces to identify the
optimum location for the solar panels
Determine the maximum, minimum, and average
solar energy collected on the optimum location during
one orbit

Satellite Orientation
Orange-North
Green- South
White- Nadir
Yellow-Zenith
PurpleLeading
Teal- Trailing

Satellite Orbit Options

Geostationary
Altitude: 35,786 km
Inclination: 0
Low Earth Orbits
Critically Inclined Sun Synchronous:
Perigee altitude: 400 km
Retrograde inclination: 116.565
Circular:
Altitude: 500 km
Inclination: 45
ETS-VII: Japanese satellite with similar initial conditions
Altitude: 550 km
Inclination 35

Energy and Power Received

Power cos()
= angle between the sun vector
and the vector pointing normal to
the face
Units: [W/m2]
Energy=Power*Time
Units: [J/m2]
Also dependent on the cosine of
http://solar.mridkash.com/wp-content/uploads/cosine-law.jpg

Approach
STK provides angular data for each face of the cubic
satellite
Angular data are converted to power [W/m^2]
Power data are converted to energy data [J/m^2]

Data from STK

Data from STK

The Zenith, Nadir, Leading and Trailing
faces have approximately the same
exposure to the sun. The antenna will be
located on the Nadir face, so it
reasonably follows that the solar panels
be placed on the Zenith face, directly
opposite the antenna.
A circular orbit with an altitude of 500
km and inclination of 45 was chosen,
because with the options available, this
orbit allows the solar panels
to receive
Average Solar Flux: One Year
385.75 W/m2
the most sunlight.
Average Solar Flux: In Sunlight
833.83 W/m2
Minimum Solar Flux:

0 W/m2

Maximum Solar Flux:

1366 W/m2

Thermal Management

Thermal Management
Objective
To perform thermal analysis of the satellite and
ensure a suitable operating environment for the
payload.
Tools
Thermal Desktop software
Research Topics
Low earth orbit environment
Temperature requirements for internal components
Cooling/heating methods

External Environment
In LEO, the satellite will be heated by:
Direct sunlight
Earths albedo
Earths IR emittance
The total heat absorbed by the satellite will not remain
constant. Fluctuations occur due to:
Entering/exiting Earths shadow
Varying surface conditions on Earth

Satellite Interior
The interior environment of the satellite must be kept at
a proper temperature range. Most electronic equipment
onboard must operate in a surrounding temperature
range of 0 to 50 degrees Celsius.
Factors to consider for the internal energy balance:
Fluctuating external heat rates
Heat released by electronic equipment
Low level
baseline
operation
High level
during
periodic
transmissi
on

Thermophysical properties of structural material

Cooling/Heating Methods
External
Radiators: Do not require energy. Release heat without re-entry
(thermal diode)
Internal
Thermoelectric Coolers/Heaters: Require energy. Can
absorb/emit heat by reversing polarity
Mechanical cooling: Expander, compressor, or heat
exchanger. Takes up space and weight.
Resistive Heating: Requires energy but elements are compact
in size.
Heat Pipes: Passive

Thermal Desktop
Objectives
Develop a model for the satellite module.
Use the orbital information from STK to determine thermal
environment of the satellite.
Progress
In process of creating models.

Thermal Desktop, Continued

Example of absorbed flux from sun, earths
albedo and IR emittance.

Materials and Structures

Structural Requirements
The satellite must have ability to:
Withstand launch loads
Provide desired rigidity
Protect sensitive payload components from
extreme temperatures.

Material Selection
Currently evaluating two different materials:
Ti6Al4V Titanium alloy VS.
Aluminum Alloy( 7075T651)
Although Titanium is 60%
heavier than Aluminum, it is
over twice as strong.
Possibility of having titanium
based honey comb exterior;
joined by a smaller portion
of aluminum interior.

Materials
Properties

Titanium
(Ti6Al4V)

Aluminum
Alloy( 7075T651)

Units

Density

4.43

2.81

g/cm3

Tensile
Strength

880

572

MPa

Thermal
Conductivity

6.7

130

W/m.K

Modulus of
Elasticity

114

71.7

GPa

Thermal
Expansion

8.6

23

*10-6/C

Weight Comparison
Thickne
ss of
Titaniu
Natural
m
Frequen (Ti6Al4
cy(hertz)
V)
panel
(cm)

Thicknes
s of
Aluminu
m
Alloy( 70
75-T651)
panel
(cm)

Weight
Weight
(per
(per unit
unit
area) Ti
area) Al
(kg/m*s
(kg/m*s
^2)
^2)

100

1.413

1.528

613.99

421.20

200

2.826

3.056

1227.97 842.40

300

4.238

4.584

1841.96 1263.61

400

5.651

6.112

2455.95 1684.81

Honeycomb Layer
Planned use of
Honeycomb design:
Hexagonal Structure
Uses the least amount of
material to create a lattice
of cells within a given
volume
Maintains strength

Preliminary Sandwich Structure

Layered design that takes

advantage of each materials
different thermal properties.

Energy System

Goal & Requirements

Collect Solar Energy and store it to power the RF amplifiers

Collect power from 1m2 solar panel.
Store energy in a medium that can withstand high drain current.
Energy storage mediums must have a wide operating temperature
range.

DC to RF Converter Options
Tube magnetron @ 5.8 GHz
Can output 650W with 65% efficiency
Heavier than solid state options
(1.1kg vs .6g)

Produces more heat than solid state converters

Requires a high voltage power supply
to excite the electrons.

GaN HEMT solid state converters @ 5.8 GHz

Fujitsu converter can output 320W theoretically
Cree converter can output 35W, commercially
available now.
Lightweight (.6 g) and extremely small size
relative to the magnetron.

Energy Storage Li-ion

For storing energy from the photovoltaic cells Liion and Li-S batteries are being considered.
Li-ion batteries have an energy density of 110 Wh/kg.
Saft MPS space series batteries that are already
thermally insulated and autonomously heated.
Have a wide operating temperature range ( -5o F to
140o F for charging and -40o F to 140o F in operation)
Built in over current and charging circuits into the
module.
17 Ah capacity per battery @ 28V.

Energy Storage - Continued

Lithium sulphur batteries are being considered
for their higher energy density (350 Wh/kg vs the
110Wh/kg for Li-Ion)
Experimental, expensive technology.
No history of satellite use.

Ultracapacitors
High energy density capacitor used for powering the
Solid state microwave converters when transmitting a
signal.
Ultracapacitors can handle 20A continuous current.
Will be used in conjunction with the Li-ion batteries to
power the GaN HEMT amplifiers at their maximum
capacity

Current Concept

Maximum Power Point Tracker monitors the voltage and current

of the Solar Panel and tracks the peak point on the power curve.
Battery Management System tracks the charge rate, voltage
and current.

Antenna and Retrodirective

Control

Retrodirective Beam Control

The implementation of retrodirective beam
control is critical to accurate beam pointing, as
well as the overall safety of the system.
The key objective is to have the power beam
of the solar power satellites transmitter
pointed only in the direction of a received pilot
beam, which provides a phase reference
Retrodirective beam control ensures that
microwave power transmission is both safe
and insusceptible to accidental misalignment.

Proposed Retrodirectivity
Method

The 2.9 GHz incoming pilot signal is

received at a Frequency of 1 and
Phase 1
To conjugate, the received signal is
next mixed with a reference source
of Frequency 21 and Phase ref
The conjugated signal is then mixed
itself to produce a signal with
Frequency 21 and Phase -21
After conjugated and doubled, the
signal is transmitted from a different
transmitting subarray
The complete phased array
transmits a 5.8GHz beam in the
direction of the incoming pilot signal

Proposed Phased Array Antenna

Concept
Linear Microstrip Patch
Phased Array Antenna
The Microstrip Patch Antenna
will operate at a Frequency of
5.8 GHz, and will have an
Input Impedance of 50
The Antennas design
features a 4x4 Phased Array
consisting of 15 Transmitting
Elements and 1 nested
Receiving Element each
spaced 0.5 apart
The 4 subarrays are
expected to be at different
phases prior to power
transmission

5.8 GHz 4x4 Linear Microstrip Patch

Phased Array with nested 2.9 GHz
Receiving Element

Antenna and Transmitter

Interface
Magnetron
RF power is split to feed
fed to each antenna
subarray
Negligible power loss
may occur during
energy feed
Loss expected from
phase shifter

Solid-State
Facilitates electronic
beam steering
Power amplifier and
phase shifter are placed
behind each transmitting
element
Microwave filters are
required to countervail
amplifier-spawned noise

Advantages of Proposals
Microstrip Patch Antenna
Advantages
Low cost to manufacture
Light weight and low profile
Supports both Linear and Circular
Polarization

Retrodirectivity Method
Advantages
Conjugates pilot signal
directly at RF
Reduction in the number of
electronics per antenna
subarray
Less power consumption