7. 0 CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The technology of microwave power transmission has been substantially advanced with the work covered by this report. Measurement and analytical tools are now available for additional, more refined, investigations into efficiency and other operational parameters of the rectenna element. A firm foundation for the first iteration of an electrical, mechanical, and environmentally protected design of a low-cost rectenna for the satellite solar power station application has been established with the effort on the design and test of the two-plane rectenna, format covered in this report. It is recommended that the next immediate technology development effort involve the detailed design and subsequent construction and testing of a section of rectenna that will: 1) Provide 1000 volts of DC potential at the terminals. 2) Use a revised mechanical design of the core-assembly of the foreplane structure aimed at reduced cost of manufacture and better compatibility with the use of an external metallic shield. 3) Use a fully environmentalized metal shield for the core assembly that will take all environmental conditions into account and which will serve as a structural element in the rectenna. The activity in this proposed effort should be carried out with the construction of a larger rectenna, either as part of the effort itself or as part of a subsequent effort, in mind. The larger rectenna should be sufficiently large and with a sufficiently tapered illumination to permit its evaluation with the use of an efficient microwave generator of about five kilowatts of power output. A gaussian illumination should be provided so that accurate measurements can be made of the absorbing efficiency and overall efficiency of the rectenna. The kind of system recommended is shown in Figure 7-1. The rectenna in the system should be fully environmentally protected and permit its evaluation under a wide variety of environmental conditions. The rectenna after initial evaluation for its efficiency and other parameters should be set up for life test and operated continuously.
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