Kilometer-wide reflectors orbiting the Earth could do that Improving the production of large-scale solar farms in the future By reflecting additional sunlight back towards them at dawn and dusk, and Accelerating the move towards net zero Says aerospace engineers from the University of Glasgow.
Sophisticated computer simulations to help engineers determine the most effective way to use orbital solar inverters Generate additional power even when the sun goes down. Their work has been published as a preprint in the journal Acta Astronautica.
Strategic placement
“Solar energy has the potential to be one of… Key accelerators in our race to net zero“This helps us mitigate the global impacts of climate change by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels,” says Dr Onur Celik, from the university's James Watt School of Engineering. “Solar panel prices have declined rapidly in recent years, accelerating their adoption and paving the way for their emergence Establishment of large-scale solar farms around the world.
“One of the major limitations of solar, of course, is that it is capable They are created only during the day hours. Placing solar reflectors orbiting the Earth would help with this Maximizing the effectiveness of solar farms in the next years. Strategically placing new solar farms in locations that receive the most additional sunlight from reflectors can make them most effective.
The models showed an average Two more hours of sunlight They can be reflected to solar farms every day by placing 20 thin reflectors in orbit 1,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface. This can be generated An additional 728 MWh of electricityIt is equivalent to adding an additional large-scale solar farm to the ground, but without the associated cost.
The reflectors will be in the orbit of the Walker constellation near the Earth's dividing line – the boundary where Daylight on one side of the planet turns into night On the other hand. Such constellations are used in satellite communications systems to ensure consistent communication with the Earth's surface. The inverter arrangement is determined by an algorithm designed to ensure this Angled to capture sunlight more effectivelyThus maximizing the additional sunlight reflected by the solar farms in the early morning and late evening.
Based on an old idea
“The idea of rotating solar inverters is not new – actually It even predates the space age“The idea of illuminating cities with light from space was first discussed in the late 1920s,” says Professor Colin MacInnis, principal investigator of SOLSPACE, a research project led by the University of Glasgow and supported by the European Research Council.
“However, there are space reflectors It was shown only once In the early 1990s, when a 20-meter aluminum foil reflector was launched from Russia's Mir space station to reflect sunlight back to Earth.
Orbital reflector technology is key to achieving the goal of the SOLSPACE project Global clean energy servicesMcInnis says. “Addressing the challenges of climate change requires big ideas. While this is undoubtedly a big idea, it builds on technologies that are already well understood, and computer models like ours show how they can be scaled up. In addition, the falling cost of launching payloads into space opens the door In front of the matter Completely new possibilities for the future“.
