Power Beaming

Microwave Power Beaming

A microwave beam can be used to power the Lightcraft externally during high-power operations such as PDE and MHD flight modes. The microwave beam is transmitted from a

power station in space. A satellite in orbit takes sunlight and converts the light into microwave power.

The microwave power is then converted to a beam much like a light beam. This beam is then pointed at the center of the lightcraft and will target the vehicle with a 18m diameter centered around the vehicle’s axis of symmetry. A computer controlled feedback system (CCFS) on the Lightcraft sends the craft’s coordinates to the satellite. The satellite then directs a beam in the direction of the coordinates of the lightcraft. A few degrees of accuracy is all that is needed for the lightcraft power beaming system. The CCFS can achieve this degree of accuracy without any problem.

There are several satellites in orbit so even if one satellite is located on the other side of the earth, a beam can still be created. The satellites also store the microwave beam energy that they do not use. This is beneficial in case a satellite on the dark side of the earth needs to be used.

Microwave Power Receiving

The rectenna is used to convert the microwave beam energy from the satellite into electrical energy used by the Lightcraft’s systems. The Lightcraft uses the electric power in every flight mode, be it at subsonic or supersonic speeds.

Two rectennas receive the microwave power beam from the satellite. The two 35GHz rectennas are 18m in diameter and are located in the lightcraft interior. The rectenna panel thickness is 2.143mm, and the reflecting back plane is spaced ¹ wavelength behind the front surface. The rectenna is a tri-polarization array designed to assure 33% redundancy of the dipole antenna elements. A high packing density of dipoles per unit area is utilized of about 21/cm2 incident. The operating efficiency of the rectenna array when in use is about 85%. The rectenna can also be programmed to reflect 10% to 100% of the incident microwave power beam back into space on demand.

Other uses of the rectenna array include emergency Air-Spike support, protecting the magnets, avoiding collisions with the PDE engines, communications, and as an array radar.