skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Preliminary design and cost of a 1-megawatt solar-pumped iodide laser space-to-space transmission station

Abstract

A preliminary conceptual design of a space-based solar pumped iodide laser emitting 1 megawatt of laser power for space-to-space power transmission is described. A near parabolic solar collector focuses sunlight onto the t-C4F9I (perfluoro-t butyl iodide) lasant within a transverse flow optical cavity. Using waste heat, a thermal system was designed to supply compressor and auxiliary power. System components were designed with weight and cost estimates assigned. Although cost is very approximate, the cost comparison of individual system components leads to valuable insights for future research. In particular, it was found that laser efficiency was not a dominant cost or weight factor, the dominant factor being the laser cavity and laser transmission optics. The manufacturing cost was approx. two thirds of the total cost with transportation to orbit the remainder. The flowing nonrenewable lasant comprised 20% of the total life cycle cost of the system and thus was not a major cost factor. The station mass was 92,000 kg without lasant, requiring approx. four shuttle flights to low Earth orbit where an orbital transfer vehicle will transport it to the final altitude of 6378 km.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Hampton, VA (USA). Langley Research Center
OSTI Identifier:
6048931
Report Number(s):
N-87-27185; NASA-TM-4002; L-16308; NAS-1.15:4002
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING; LASER POWER TRANSMISSION; COST; DESIGN; SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS; SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES; CHEMICAL LASERS; IODIDES; ORGANIC IODINE COMPOUNDS; PARABOLIC COLLECTORS; PUMPING; SOLAR RADIATION; CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; IODINE COMPOUNDS; LASERS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; POWER PLANTS; POWER SUPPLIES; POWER TRANSMISSION; RADIATIONS; SOLAR COLLECTORS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR POWER PLANTS; STELLAR RADIATION; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; 140702* - Solar Thermal Power Systems- Central Receiver; 420300 - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Deyoung, R J, Walker, G H, Williams, M D, Schuster, G L, and Conway, E J. Preliminary design and cost of a 1-megawatt solar-pumped iodide laser space-to-space transmission station. United States: N. p., 1987. Web.
Deyoung, R J, Walker, G H, Williams, M D, Schuster, G L, & Conway, E J. Preliminary design and cost of a 1-megawatt solar-pumped iodide laser space-to-space transmission station. United States.
Deyoung, R J, Walker, G H, Williams, M D, Schuster, G L, and Conway, E J. 1987. "Preliminary design and cost of a 1-megawatt solar-pumped iodide laser space-to-space transmission station". United States.
@article{osti_6048931,
title = {Preliminary design and cost of a 1-megawatt solar-pumped iodide laser space-to-space transmission station},
author = {Deyoung, R J and Walker, G H and Williams, M D and Schuster, G L and Conway, E J},
abstractNote = {A preliminary conceptual design of a space-based solar pumped iodide laser emitting 1 megawatt of laser power for space-to-space power transmission is described. A near parabolic solar collector focuses sunlight onto the t-C4F9I (perfluoro-t butyl iodide) lasant within a transverse flow optical cavity. Using waste heat, a thermal system was designed to supply compressor and auxiliary power. System components were designed with weight and cost estimates assigned. Although cost is very approximate, the cost comparison of individual system components leads to valuable insights for future research. In particular, it was found that laser efficiency was not a dominant cost or weight factor, the dominant factor being the laser cavity and laser transmission optics. The manufacturing cost was approx. two thirds of the total cost with transportation to orbit the remainder. The flowing nonrenewable lasant comprised 20% of the total life cycle cost of the system and thus was not a major cost factor. The station mass was 92,000 kg without lasant, requiring approx. four shuttle flights to low Earth orbit where an orbital transfer vehicle will transport it to the final altitude of 6378 km.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6048931}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987},
month = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987}
}

Technical Report:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that may hold this item. Keep in mind that many technical reports are not cataloged in WorldCat.

Save / Share: