Space-based solar energy harvesting
AssigneeBlue Origin, LLC
InventorBrian Jay Tillotson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for wirelessly transferring power to a multi-junction photovoltaic cell of a space apparatus via a light emission system. The light emission system uses multiple lasers emitting different wavelengths and/or photon energies to produce electron-hole pairs in each layer of the multi-junction photovoltaic cell to prompt power generation by the multi-junction photovoltaic cell. The light emission system may be located on Earth or on another space apparatus. The multi-junction photovoltaic cell can convert sunlight and the light emitted by the light emission system into electrical energy.
Claims20
A system for solar energy harvesting, the system comprising:
- a first light emitting device located on a space apparatus that is capable of operating outside an atmosphere of Earth;
- a second light emitting device located on the space apparatus;
- and
- a controller configured to cause the first and second light emitting devices to illuminate a multi-junction photovoltaic cell located on Earth when sunlight is at least partially prevented from reaching the multi-junction photovoltaic cell, wherein each of the first and second light emitting devices shares an aperture, and
- wherein illumination of the multi-junction photovoltaic cell causes the multi-junction photovoltaic cell to produce electric power.
A method for solar energy harvesting, the method comprising:
- selecting a first light emitting device located on a space apparatus that is capable of operating outside an atmosphere of Earth;
- selecting a second light emitting device located on the space apparatus;
- and
- causing the first and second light emitting devices to illuminate a multi-junction photovoltaic cell located on Earth when sunlight is at least partially prevented from reaching the multi-junction photovoltaic cell, wherein each of the first and second light emitting devices shares an aperture, and wherein illumination of the multi-junction photovoltaic cell causes the multi-junction photovoltaic cell to produce electric power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.