0191-9067/81/010029-03$02.00/0 Copyright ® 198! SUNSAT Energy Council CONCLUSIONS OF THE HUNTSVILLE SPS ENERGY CONVERSION WORKSHOP J. R. WILLIAMS University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho In this time of dwindling natural resources and increased global conflict, more and more people are looking to space for solutions to the problems that beset mankind. It is no coincidence that the most popular TV series, the most popular movies, and the largest selling category of books deal with the exploitation and exploration of space. Conflict between nations is driven primarily by economic forces; the need for raw materials, for more land to accommodate growing populations, for more energy. Space offers unlimited sources of energy and raw materials and can be adapted to accommodate a vastly expanded human population. There is a growing realization, especially in industrialized nations, that mankind must develop the resources of space or face its own extinction. The Satellite Power System (SPS) program represents a major step forward toward utilizing the resources of space to supply man’s energy needs. In the twelve years since the SPS was first proposed a considerable amount of study and evaluation has been undertaken. To date no major problems have been uncovered which would make the concept unfeasible. Instead additional alternatives have been proposed for energy conversion in space and for energy transmission to earth. The scope of the SPS program is enormous. The idea of building miles-long satellites in geosynchronous orbit and beaming converted solar energy to earth for introduction into the electrical power grid staggers the imagination. SPS is now considered seriously by much of the technical community and many political leaders as a viable future candidate for generating large amounts of electric power. In 1977, a four year study, the Concept Development and Evaluation Program, was initiated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As part of this program, a series of peer reviews were carried out within the technical community to allow available information on SPS to be sifted, examined and, if need be, challenged. The SPS Energy Conversion and Power Management Workshop, held in Huntsville, Alabama, February 5-7, 1980, was one of these reviews. The results of studies in this particular field were presented to an audience of carefully selected scientists and engineers. The three topics under consideration were SPS Photovoltaic Power Systems, SPS Solar Thermal Power Systems, and Power Distribution and Management. The photovoltaic working group concluded that adequate resources are available for both the GaAs and silicon photovoltaic systems, and identified performance demonstration issues which need further work. Space testing may be needed to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==