Using inkjet printed circuits on a transparent substrate for microwave energy harvesting for space based solar power

摘要

A promising alternative to traditional fossil fuel energy generation is space-based solar power (SBSP). In a SBSP system, solar energy is gathered by a satellite placed in geostationary orbit and then transmitted to a ground station on Earth via 5.8 GHz microwave signals. The frequency was chosen for its low dielectric loss in atmosphere compared to vacuum of ~3% [1] and its availability in ISM bands. The ground station, modeled in this project as a rectenna (rectifying antenna), receives and converts the incoming RF signal into DC power.