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Harnessing high altitude solar power

Harnessing high altitude solar power
Harnessing high altitude solar power
As an intermediate solution between Glaser's satellite solar power (SSP) and ground-based photovoltaic (PV) panels, this paper examines the collection of solar energy using a high-altitude aerostatic platform. A procedure to calculate the irradiance in the medium/high troposphere, based on experimental data, is described. The results show that here a PV system could collect about four to six times the energy collected by a typical U.K.-based ground installation, and between one-third and half of the total energy the same system would collect if supported by a geostationary satellite (SSP). The concept of the aerostat for solar power generation is then briefly described together with the equations that link its main engineering parameters/variables. A preliminary sizing of a facility stationed at 6 km altitude and its costing, based on realistic values of the input engineering parameters, is then presented.
0885-8969
442-451
Aglietti, G.S
e44d0dd4-0f71-4399-93d2-b802365cfb9e
Redi, S.
7f2019da-c012-4416-8f70-5b2684f8ec83
Tatnall, A.R.
2c9224b6-4faa-4bfd-9026-84e37fa6bdf3
Markvart, T.
f21e82ec-4e3b-4485-9f27-ffc0102fdf1c
Aglietti, G.S
e44d0dd4-0f71-4399-93d2-b802365cfb9e
Redi, S.
7f2019da-c012-4416-8f70-5b2684f8ec83
Tatnall, A.R.
2c9224b6-4faa-4bfd-9026-84e37fa6bdf3
Markvart, T.
f21e82ec-4e3b-4485-9f27-ffc0102fdf1c

Aglietti, G.S, Redi, S., Tatnall, A.R. and Markvart, T. (2009) Harnessing high altitude solar power. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, 24 (2), 442-451. (doi:10.1109/TEC.2009.2016026).

Record type: Article

Abstract

As an intermediate solution between Glaser's satellite solar power (SSP) and ground-based photovoltaic (PV) panels, this paper examines the collection of solar energy using a high-altitude aerostatic platform. A procedure to calculate the irradiance in the medium/high troposphere, based on experimental data, is described. The results show that here a PV system could collect about four to six times the energy collected by a typical U.K.-based ground installation, and between one-third and half of the total energy the same system would collect if supported by a geostationary satellite (SSP). The concept of the aerostat for solar power generation is then briefly described together with the equations that link its main engineering parameters/variables. A preliminary sizing of a facility stationed at 6 km altitude and its costing, based on realistic values of the input engineering parameters, is then presented.

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Published date: 2009
Organisations: Astronautics Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 69761
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69761
ISSN: 0885-8969
PURE UUID: c7da7cfe-56e7-47e2-86f6-8ec0c8227c79

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Date deposited: 03 Dec 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 19:44

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Contributors

Author: G.S Aglietti
Author: S. Redi
Author: A.R. Tatnall
Author: T. Markvart

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