Surprises and Opportunities (Aerospace Propulsion and Power

This proposal describes an innovative scheme to develop lightweight, high efficiency prime power transfer system capable of delivering a large amount of electric power for aerospace propulsion. The key innovations essential to the system include: 1) high efficiency quasi-optical solid-state transmitter array; 2) electronic beam steering; 3) high efficiency dual polarized rectenna; 4) the bus-bar design for DC output power. The design utilizes the quasi-optical techniques employing microwave integrated circuits and solid-state devices. Using a large number of internally matched FET or HBT power devices (with high power added efficiency) integrated with the planar antennas, the active antenna arrays are formed, which are capable of meeting the high output power requirements (DC to RF) and beam steering. The new techniques eliminate the use of conventional phase shifters in the phased arrays and thus result in low cost, efficient power transfer system. A high efficiency rectenna capable of RF-to-DC conversion is l designed using planar antennas integrated with the Schottky devices. The development of wireless power transmission (WPT) system will be carried out at 5.8 GHz. Failure analysis and thermal analysis will be undertaken and suitable schemes to accomplish reliable operation will be developed.