Strategies For Non-Planar Configurations Of Geostationary Tethered Collecting Solar Power Satellite Systems

TL;DR

This paper explores non-planar configurations of geostationary tethered solar power satellites to improve energy collection and transmission, addressing limitations of traditional planar systems.

Contribution

It introduces novel non-planar configurations for geostationary tethered solar power satellites, expanding beyond traditional planar arrangements.

Findings

Non-planar configurations can enhance system stability.

Non-planar arrangements may improve energy collection efficiency.

The study provides design considerations for non-planar tethered systems.

Abstract

To collect additional solar energy during the hours of darkness and to overcome the limited Terrestrial solar power due to the diurnal day night cycle, the concept of a Geostationary Tethered Collecting Solar Power Satellite System has been proposed by several authors in the last years. This tethered system consists of a long tether used to link two bodies: a single large panel with a capability of collecting solar energy, and an Earth-pointing microwave transmitting satellite. In this manner, the solar energy would be collected directly from the space and beamed back down to any point on Earth. Planar configurations, when the panel and the microwave transmitting satellite are placed on geostationary orbits, have been usually investigated to maintain the tethered system around the Earth. However, this configuration implies that the panel and the microwave transmitting satellite must to orbit the Earth in exactly the same orbital plane of all geostationary satellites.