Added: Nov 18, 2008
From: googletechtalks
Duration: 54:23
Google Tech TalksDecember, 5 2007ABSTRACTCost-effective space solar power (SSP) -- the beaming abundant high-intensity solar power from space though atmospheric windows at laser or microwave frequencies for electric power at the surface -- could be a breakthrough technology for large-scale power generation, highly flexible power distribution and sustainable carbon-neutral base load for Earth; a goal comparable, but much closer to engineering maturity, to that of controlled thermonuclear fusion. Apart from much higher than the surface mean solar flux, continuous sunlight in space avoids otherwise cost-pacing massive storage and transmission of intermittent terrestrial solar and windpower to match electric demand curves. Access to space cost reductions will likely be driven by economies of scale from commercialization. But SSP would be markedly accelerated by experiments feasible now, some employing ISS, including orbital mirrors and microwave and and laser beaming in space. The just-released report on SSP by the National Security Space Office (available at http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/library/nsso.htm) concludes that "it would be in the US Government's and the nation's interest to sponsor an immediate proof-of-concept demonstration project and a formally funded, follow-on architecture study conducted in full collaboration with industry and willing international partners." For example, I will describe our proposed demo of wireless power transmission from geosynchronous orbit (GEO) using diode laser transmitters in space and surface PV module receivers employing a self-deploying single launch one metric tonne satellite payload. Because diffractive beam spreading requires large antennas at microwave frequencies, it would be virtually impossible to launch microwave beamers large enough for efficient space-to-Earth power transfer without expensive multiple launches and in-space assembly. This limitation is overcome with the laser-based system proposed here although commercial SSP power stations might well utilize microwave beaming down the road. This experiment would demonstrate continuous electric power transfer from orbit orders of magnitude greater than anything done before, perhaps powering a remote village off the grid in the developing world. With near term and "on the shelf" components and early launch opportunities like NASA's Geo QuickRide, piggybacks on communication satellite launches, and the ISS as testbed, near term experiments could accelerate SSP from paper studies to a real alternate energy option in as little as a three to five year time frame at relatively modest cost.Speaker: Marty HoffertMartin I. Hoffert is Professor Emeritus of Physics and former Chair of the Department of Applied Science at New York University. His academic background includes a B.S. (1960) in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; M.S. (1964) and Ph.D. (1967) from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now the Polytechnic Institute of New York) in Astronautics; and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, M.A.L.S. (1969) from the New School for Social Research where he did graduate work in sociology and economics. He has been on the research staff of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, General Applied Science Laboratories, Advanced Technology Laboratories, Riverside Research Institute and National Academy of Sciences Senior Resident Research Associate at the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Prof. Hoffert has published broadly in fluid mechanics, plasma physics, atmospheric science, oceanography, planetary atmospheres, environmental science, solar and winds energy conversion and space solar power. His work in geophysics aimed at development of theoretical models of atmospheres and oceans to address environmental issues, including the ocean/climate model first employed by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess global warming from different scenarios of fossil fuel use. His early model of the evolving CO2 greenhouse in Mars' atmosphere is also of interest today -- providing both an explanation of Mars' riverbed-likechannels f...
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Tags: education engedu google googletechtalks talk talks techtalk techtalks
Rating: 4.22 (27 ratings) Views: 7867' favoriteCount='1 Comments: 25
JonThm Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Radio frequency molecular nuclear fusion is all around us! And in stuff like microwave ovens!
3seagull Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - The difference between a rock star and Dr. Hoffert is that he has to explain it all verbally in detail. I'd like to have a beer with him. The difference between Barack Obama and Rush Limbaugh is not so great.
JonThm Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Google know no sceince! Do molecular nuclear fusion!
letusgotohell Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - too slow to have continuity ! for any meaningful comprehension of the text being presented,a mid-course correction is essential.
idm0nkey2pt0 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - STFU with global warming already! The gas that comes out of your pretty pink panties isn't the primary factor in earths temperature, it's the sun. Case closed. Nothing to see here. Do not pass go, and do not collect 200 dollars.
3seagull Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Bad call Monkey. You dildoheads were launched by Limbaugh, who was launched by the death of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987. I vote for a return of the Fairness Doctrine. I also vote for a launch of the SSP industry using lunar materials. Just git 'r done!
JonThm Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Burning hydrogen does nuclear fusion, and replaces dangerous nuclear power today!
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Since solar panels generate low amount of energy, and takes some energy to send/recieve the power, multiple wireless generators on grouns and in space tin a power sharing manner could eventually produce enough to distribute what's needed if a satelight in space is used in the same manner as is used for wireless communications. Using a satelite like a relay hub for distributing power. Believe it or not, this was actually the original design idea for the satelite before used for communications.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - The same General guy that developed the early lifter experiment wanted to create an object that literally hovered over LA and provided wireless power to every home in and out of the suburbs, provided communications and other radio signals, 1 for each city. And also serve as a defense platform. Early tests at the time showing a possible relation between the so-called UFO Battle over LA where people on ground saw hovering object in sky and began firing on it in fear of unknown attack.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Many years later a modified form using the same exact concept they found it was easier to achieve hovering by launching an object into orbit. The object was eventually given the name of the satelite, and began multi-purpose function of communications and TV. Which it continued to improve on over time, and it was no longer called the lifter. Sometime later Brown stumbled upon technology the general created and began to assign scientists to perform tests and reverse engineer.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - The technology since brown did not create it scientists working with the objects felt it was something alien or out of this world from somewhere else. One such test was ION vacuum test, which was to test and determine weither or not an ION Wind required oxygen or not and how it'd react when lack of oxygen took place and to confirm the ion wind theory that came accross from the lifter concept.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Might wanna start small and work out something on the ground, workout a method for power generation and then power transfer, then staying small perfect electronics, and gradually work to bigger networked experiments, and eventually implement a power sharing system in space and ground where the satelites work like power relays like the internet and existing cell phone networks do.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - You'd relay wirelessly power from individual generators, solar, wind, etc. into a power sharing wireless grid network, satelites could be used to extend the wireless pipeline, to gather/share energy in space and to/from the ground based generators. At the sametime retrieve and transmit power in space to the ground where it's either stored or accessed in realtime by individual devices and/or to individual homes, businesses, or communities which recieved the power distribution.
KnightChatX Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Local power systems could operate off of energy collected nearby, while places which need power elsewhere longdistance either on ground or in space could use the power relayed more so from space.satelites could send that energy about as quickly as they recieve it to specific destinations on the ground. Satelites in space could relay power to other satelites if need be or to aid in power sharing in space as well as on the ground.
hotFusionReaction Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - SPS is the first REAL option I've seen that I would back over Nuclear.Generally speaking, I get upset when environmentalists overlook Nuclear, but this looks as though it could REALLY blow the current base load power structure right out of the water!
hotFusionReaction Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Maybe, maybe not. BUT it still doesn't change the fact that we could produce a virtually INFINITE amount of electricity using SPS WITHOUT any garbage from environmentalists.Capitalism at its finest...
GalileoRad Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Just to set things straight. Space solar power was born in the brains of folks who had global environmental, as well as global energy, concerns going back decades. Fortunately, the world produces a few thinking people who, on behalf of conservative reactionaries who don't give a flying crap about the biosphere in which they live, move the species forward in ways that the reactionary is incapable of predicting. Let the hotFusionReactionary think on this one.
catmedia Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Guess some of the theses and technologies by Nicola Tesla like long range energy transfer might be useful here. As long as it does not nuke some city instead of hitting the correct power line on earth ;-)
Atoyota Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Actually power could be delivered in part by the tether to a space elevator, and certainly use a "third rail" method to power the lifters. Chances are the tether itself will be very conductive.I liked the laser idea, using star wars tech. He's also correct that military R&D inspires new tech. It's what has driven most new developments.I use the most recent analogy of slavery to describe fossil addiction. Where even our constitution said it was wrong while it was motivated by economics.
KbApimp007 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - omg i actually understood what he said!!!! I am smarter than i thought
Carlimongrel1910 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - cFeUS5VmUXX1kuwUzjp2oI am so bored, somebody please come chitchat with mesLh2MfECLFHtfXiJrbQku112
Palmstream Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Carlimongrel is looking for AFF down the hall. This one's space solar power. ;)
Palmstream Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Congratulations to John Mankins and his team for their demonstration of wireless power transfer over 90 miles from one Hawaiian island to another, about the distance from space to ground. Power was low due to FAA and budget constraints but SSP theory was proven with end-to-end hardware. Congress and the new president should listen to Mankins regarding space/energy/environment policy going forward. He thinks a pilot plant at geo can happen in 10 years with funding commitment.
FlavoredCoffeeGuy Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Are you absolutely insane? After seeing all of the videos about what happens when you throw a match into a microwave oven, you want to turn a few acres into a atmosphere burning zone? One bolt of lightning sets the whole thing off. I don't want to burn off the atmosphere because, I breath it.
3seagull Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Nice talk. Glaser's SPS is coming along. SPS dwarfs all local energy strategies COMBINED & the sun will shine on. SPS doesn't inject waste heat or other nasties into the air. It MEANS the human settlement of space. The survival of species depends on this activity. Thank God for the moon & asteroids. You want to stop a big bad asteroid? De-spin it, park it, and USE it for materials. Big manned planetary missions? Power them with SPS beams. Take the kids along. They'll have great show & tell!