Abstract
This study attempts to identify, design, and evaluate transmitting antennas for Solar Power Satellite (SPS) systems. The design approach aimed at meeting the SPS operational requirements at ISM bands, namely 2.4-2.5GHz for the NASA and 5.725-5.875GHz for the JAXA models. The primary attributes of SPS antennas for transmitting Beamed High-Power Microwaves (BHPMs) are high power handling capability, efficiency, and directivity with narrow beamwidth and lower sidelobe levels. Using a planar end-fed 20×20 SWA module, the whole planar Slotted Waveguide Antenna Arrays (SWAAs) were designed for both the NASA and JAXA reference models having 1km diameter antenna aperture, peak power level over 1GW, directivity over 80dBi, Side Lobe Level (SLL) less than 20dB, and pencil beam with HPBW less than 0.01°. The proposed slotted waveguide transmitting antenna arrays fulfilled the operational requirements for both the NASA and JAXA SPS reference models. Due to the higher operating frequency, the results showed that the proposed planar SWA array performs better on the JAXA than on the NASA SPS model.
Highlights
Solar Power Satellites (SPSs), or Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) systems are used to collect the solar power and convert it into microwave energy to be beamed to a ground station antenna on earth [1, 2]
The antenna patterns and parameters of the designed Slotted Waveguide Antenna (SWA) arrays obtained from the slot complementary elements, based on Babinet’s principle, were found to be quite similar to those obtained by the simulation of actual SWA arrays having the same parameters
Experimental verification is planned for the future
Summary
Solar Power Satellites (SPSs), or Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) systems are used to collect the solar power and convert it into microwave energy to be beamed to a ground station antenna on earth [1, 2]. Several SPS proposals have been introduced since the first SPS concept, proposed by Peter Glaser in 1968. NASA with the US Department of Energy (DOE) presented the first SPS reference model in 1978. The second reference SPS model was introduced by the Japanese Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) in 2000, featuring electronic beam steering instead of mechanical antenna rotation. NASA and JAXA introduced improved models, while other agencies in different countries became interested and proposed several SPS models to be launched in different orbits. The latest SPS concept is the smaller SPS constellations, devised to overcome challenges such as weight, cost, and launching problems. The specifications of NASA and JAXA reference models are presented, as published in [6] The specifications of NASA and JAXA reference models are presented in Table I, as published in [6]
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