(ORDO NEWS) — At Caltech, Pasadena, researchers have been studying how solar energy can be harvested in space and sent back to Earth as microwaves for almost a decade.
In 2023, the first satellite should be launched into orbit to conduct appropriate tests. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has now made a breakthrough in the sector of wireless transmission of electricity (energy beam radiation) to Earth.
Wireless power transmission
According to NRL , 1.6 kilowatts of electrical energy could be transmitted over a distance of one kilometer at a test site in the US state of Maryland. The NRL describes the success as “the most significant demonstration of powerful radiation in nearly 50 years.”
In order for electricity to be transmitted through the air at all, it is converted into microwaves. Then they are transmitted to the receiver by a directional beam. There, the incoming electromagnetic waves are converted into direct current.
Initially, the Safe and Continuous Power Beaming Microwave (Scope-M) project was supposed to transmit only one kilowatt over a distance of one kilometer.
However, the goal is clearly overfulfilled. In the second trial at MIT, the peak power was lower, but the average power was higher, explains Paul Jaffe, head of research at NRL. This means that more energy can be transported. Heavy rain reduced productivity by only five percent.
NRL: tests do not pose a risk to humans and animals
These tests pave the way for wireless transmission of power to Earth, into space, and between Earth and space, Jaffe said.
Unlike previous projects, the specific power is in the range that is safe for people and animals. Therefore, Scope-M does not use a safety mechanism that turns off when something approaches it. NRL has not announced when all of this will be ready for use.
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