These subsystems can be designed to interact in an optimal manner to deliver electric power for transmission to distribution grids. The function of the transmitter is to transform the available electrical energy from a renewable and environmentally compatible energy source with high efficiency into a microwave beam with required characteristics needed for transmission through the atmosphere with minimum losses. Conversely, the rectenna is designed to transform the incoming microwave energy into a form (ac or de) suitable for interfacing with a terrestrial distribution grid. The role of the reflector forming part of the relay satellite in GEO is to intercept the incoming microwave beam from the transmitter and re-direct the beam towards the rectenna. These subsystem functions must be performed with acceptable environmental impacts on the ecology, on human health and safety, and be compatible with terrestrial electricity transmission systems. The key feature of such a system is the capability to transmit significant amounts of electric power over long distances. The relationships between the magnitude of delivered power, the transmission distance, and the life-cycle economic competitiveness with other energy delivery means over intercontinental distances, are highly interdependent. The geometrical relationship between the transmitter and rectenna at the Earth-based sites to the relay satellite reflector will influence the design of the microwave system. The geometrical factors associated with the two potential transmitter sites, and a receiver site in the Almeria region of Spain are shown in Table 2. Transmitter The first step in this conversion is to take the available energy, which is delivered to the system in various formats such as HV ac at 60 Hz or de, and transform it into microwave energy. This can be accomplished using suitable microwave generators. One of the common microwave generators for beam transmission applications is the magnetron. An attractive feature of the magnetron is its low noise output. Noise measurements were performed on a magnetron over a frequency range of 50 MHz from 2.45 GHz. The results of the measurements indicated that the spectral power density noise level at 10 MHz from the carrier (noise in one Hertz bandwidth) is more than 180
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