Caltech beamed energy from space to the Earth. (Image Credit: Caltech)
In a world-first, Caltech researchers say they beamed solar power from space to the Earth using their Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) prototype. This is one of three research projects being performed by the SSPD-1.
"To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever demonstrated wireless energy transfer in space, even with expensive rigid structures. We are doing it with flexible, lightweight structures and with our own integrated circuits. This is a first," Ali Hajimiri, Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering and co-director of SSPP.
Caltech's prototype collected sunlight, converted it into electricity, and transmitted it using an array of flexible lightweight microwave power transmitters driven by electronic chips to the Gordon and Betty Moore Laboratory of Engineering at Caltech in Pasadena. The signal arrived at the correct frequency, time, and frequency shift.
Image showing MAPLE's internal structure with the transmission array (right) and receiver (left). (Image Credit: Caltech)
The Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment (MAPLE) relied on two receivers to harvest the solar energy and transform it into DC power. It even lit up two LEDs within the prototype. The team managed to individually light an LED by shifting the transmissions between each receiver. MAPLE also includes a window so the spacecraft can transmit energy to Earth.
The power transmission antennas are clustered into 16 groups, with a single custom flexible integrated circuit chip driving each group. The team is currently assessing "the performance of individual elements within the system by evaluating the interference patterns of smaller groups and measuring differences between various combinations." This long process allows the team to find irregularities and trace them back to individual units, offering insight into the next-gen system.
"Through the experiments, we have run so far, we received confirmation that MAPLE can transmit power successfully to receivers in space," Hajimiri said. "We have also been able to program the array to direct its energy toward Earth, which we detected here at Caltech. We had, of course, tested it on Earth, but now we know that it can survive the trip to space and operate there."
Thanks to this breakthrough, energy can beam to remote regions affected by natural disasters or war since a ground-based energy transmission infrastructure isn't required to receive the power.
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