The US military is testing a solar panel in space to send energy to any part of Earth

A team of scientists from the US forces tested successfully A solar panel in space to provide power to Earth. Although we have already used solar panels here on Earth and in space, this time the two concepts are unified to benefit from both. So far, the small prototype they’ve created has given positive results.

The idea behind it is power Saving power in remote locations when it cannot be obtained by other means. For example, when blackout is caused by a natural disaster, in such cases simply aim a beam from space and operate a certain place on Earth.

A beam of light in the absence of light

As CNN picked up, A team of researchers from the United States Army The technology has been successfully tested these months. Last May, they sent a board about the secretive Pentagon X-37B to test the technology. The board, called the PRAM Module, was the size of a pizza box.

Since the board is in space and not here on Earth, Nothing permeates him from the rays of the sun. In other words, there is no atmosphere to block the entry of light or limit the arrival of rays. This is the reason why a device could receive more light than it would receive here on Earth. Likewise, it is not affected much by the efficiency degradation that occurs when solar panels are heated to the ground. Hence, the efficiency records here are 47%.

At the moment, the device was able to generate around 10 watts, which although not much, is more than enough to prove the capabilities of the board. The system is also scalableMuch larger panels can be created that store more energy.

Currently The next step is to send that captured energy back to Earth And store them. It’s a more complicated process, although it is theoretically possible, according to the researchers. The idea would be to use microwaves and millimeter wave radiation to return energy to Earth. The receiver on the roof will be responsible for capturing this ray of light and storing the transmitted energy. In other words, a laser sends energy from a satellite to Earth.

The advantage of such a system is that It can provide energy to any part of the world Where there is a receiving antenna and is much needed. Moreover, researchers will now have to demonstrate that returning energy to Earth is possible.

Via | CNN
More information | IEEE