CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREAS OF AN SPS DEVELOPMENT AND THE APPLICABILITY OF EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY D. Kassing and J. Ruth Systems Engineering Department European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands Introduction Satellite Power System (SPS) evaluation studies conducted in Europe (Ref. 1,2) have shown that this proposed space energy system could be an additional energy source to other advanced energy systems, such as nuclear breeder and nuclear fusion reactors. The SPS could supply a significant portion of the base-load electricity required in Europe and hence could contribute to making Europe less independent on energy imports. Besides the potential benefits the studies have, however, also shown that high uncertainties exist with respect to technical feasibility, environmental acceptability, and economic practicality. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a possible system development and implementation scenario for the hypothetical European part of a cooperative SPS effort and to characterise technology and systems requirements which could be used as an initial guideline for further evaluation studies. The technical analysis is based closely on current DOE/NASA SPS reference system (Ref. 3) and factors that could influence the utilisation of SPS*s in W. Europe. It is understood that the scenario presented by the authors is not intended either as a prediction or as a recommendation, but as a tool for further evaluations. The Scenario A system of forty 5 GW units could supply some 20% of W. European electricity demand in 2030 (Fig. 1). After completion of a pilot plant demonstration around 2000 which has shown that the SPS is feasible, economic and safe, a stepwise implementation phase follows with at least 2 implementation lines, one for the U.S.A, and the other for W. European SPS s (Fig. 2). Together with the 60 SPS units assumed for the U.S.A(Ref. 3), a minimum total of 100 units have to be constructed by 2030. This implementation allows a stepwise extension of the infrastructure needed for production, construction and transportation (Fig. 3). To identify most critical technologies and systems, an SPS development plan was devised backwards from the initial operation date of the pilot plant to the present. It defines major milestones and the date when a new type of system element is required (Fig. 4). Table 1 gives assumed characteristics of appropriate space transportation vehicles and space bases. Figure 5 shows the resulting subsystem development scenarios. For the construction of the pilot plant in LEO a construction base has to be developed which would later (during system implementation) be used for the construction of the electric-propulsion COTV s.
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