Experimental Study of Space Solar Power System Using an Electrical Functional Model

为了研究空间太阳能发电系统的工程问题，建立了空间太阳能发电系统的电气功能仿真模型，并进行了地面试验。该模型包括太阳能电池阵列和微波功率发射机，它们集成在太阳能卫星模型SPS 2000的1/150比例模型上。SPS2000的形状为三角形棱镜，每边长300米，从太空向地面传输10兆瓦的微波功率。在三角形棱镜结构的两侧组装了32个太阳能电池组件，在阳光下产生300瓦的功率。由于SPS 2000是由重力梯度力控制，使发射天线面对地面，没有万向架机构，因此产生的功率随时间的变化而随太阳角度的变化。为了研究随时间变化的功率分布，通过改变太阳对模型的角度来测量发电量。结果表明，观测值与模型计算值的偏差在20 ~ 30%之间。作为该模型的新型有源天线，与东海大学的研究人员共同开发了一种包含微波电路和发射天线集成成多层结构的紧凑型发射元件，该天线单元具有由注入和放大层、耦合层和辐射层组成的分层结构。通过使用定向耦合器和FFT放大器在两个方向上级联单元的二维有源集成放大器天线阵列证明了该性能。我们收到了一些国外研究者的请求，希望他们提供如何建立电功能模型作为教育目的的信息。为响应客户的要求，我们制作了该模型的报告，作为生产手册使用，将有助于向公众传播空间太阳能发电系统的科学知识。

In order to study the engineering problems of Space Solar Power System, an electrical functional model which simulates the system has been developed for ground testing. The model includes solar cell arrays and a microwave power transmitter which are integrated on a 1/150 scale model of a solar power satellite model SPS 2000. SPS2000 has the shape of a triangular prism with a length of 300 m each side and transmits 10 MW microwave power from space to ground. Totally 32 solar cell modules were assembled on the two sides of a triangular prism structure which generated a 300 W power under the sunlight. Since the SPS 2000 is controlled by the gravity gradient force to keep the transmitter antenna facing the ground with no gimbal mechanism, the generated power varies with time by the change of sun angle. In order to study the time-varying power profile, the power generation was measured by changing the solar angle to the model. It was found that the observation agrees with the model calculation within a 20-30% deviation. As a new type of active antenna for this model, a compact type of transmitting element which contains microwave circuits and a transmitting antenna integrated into a multi-layer structure has been developed jointly with researchers of Tokai University, The antenna cell has a stratified structure consisting of an injection and amplification layer, a coupling layer, and a radiation layer. The performance has been demonstrated by a two-dimensional active integrated amplifier antenna array cascading the cells in two directions using directional couplers and FFT amplifiers. We received several requests from foreign researchers to provide information how to build the electrical functional model as an educational purpose. Responding to the requests, we have generated a report of this model to be used as an production manual which will contribute spreading scientific knowledge of Space Solar Power System to public.