INTRODUCTION It has been demonstrated that microwaves can be an efficient medium for power transfer (reference 1,2). Tests at Raytheon (Waltham, Massachusetts) have demonstrated a short range DC-DC link efficiency of 54 percent while recovering 495 watts of DC power (reference 1). A recent test at the NASA-JPL complex at Goldstone, j California demonstrated long range (1.54 km) transfer of power with recovery of 30.4 kw of DC (reference 2). These small scale tests were intended to make preliminary evaluations of the feasibility of long range power transfer with microwaves on a large scale. One application of this technique would be the collection and conversion of solar energy in geosynchronous orbit and transmission of this energy to earth via microwave link as in the Satellite Solar Power Station (SSPS) concept (reference 3). There are possible terrestrial applications as well including underground waveguide links (reference 4). In addition there has been proposed an application involving a geosynchronous reflector for point-to-point relaying of power on earth (reference 5). The SSPS concept was originated by Dr. Peter Glaser of A.D. Little, Inc. This concept makes use of photovoltaic converters for solar-DC conversion and high efficiency cross field amplifiers (amplitrons) for DC-RF conversion. A feasibility study of this concept was published as NASA CR-2357 (reference 3).
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