Feasibility Study on Microwave Power Transmission to an Airplane for Future Mars Observation

Tomohiko Mitani, Masashi Iwashimizu, Akihito Nagahama, Naoki Shinohara, Koichi Yonemoto

2014

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to investigate the feasibility of microwave power transmission to an airplane for future Mars observation. Airplane is a possibility of Mars observation with wide range and high resolution, compared to rover or satellite. Since the surface pressure of Mars atmosphere is much thinner than the Earth, weight reduction is essential to realize airplane flight on Mars. We therefore propose long-time flight on Mars by using microwave power transmission. We conducted terrestrial experiments of microwave power transmission to a prototype airplane. We developed a magnetron-based microwave transmitting system, the frequency of which was fixed with signal injection locking method. Rectennas (receiving antenna + rectifying circuit) were mounted on the prototype airplane for driving a propeller connected to an electric motor. Although autonomous flight was not successful yet, we demonstrated that the prototype airplane could fly by receiving the microwave power.

References

1. Iwashimizu, M., Mitani, T., Shinohara, N., Sasaki, G., Hiraoka, K., Matsuzaki, K., Yonemoto K., 2014. Study on Direction Detection in a Microwave Power Transmission System for a Mars Observation Airplane. In IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference (WPTC 2014).
2. Nagahama, A., Mitani, T., Shinohara, N., Fukuda, K., Hiraoka, K., Yonemoto K., 2012. Auto Tracking and Power Control Experiments of a Magnetron-based Phased Array Power Transmitting System for a Mars Observation Airplane. In 2012 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Workshop Series (IMWS) on Innovative Wireless Power Transmission: Technologies, Systems, and Applications (IMWS-IWPT 2012).
3. Nagahama, A., Mitani, T., Shinohara, N., Tsuji, N., Fukuda, K., Kanari, Y., Yonemoto K., 2011. Study on a Microwave Power Transmitting System for Mars Observation Airplane. In 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Workshop Series (IMWS) on Innovative Wireless Power Transmission: Technologies, Systems, and Applications (IMWS-IWPT 2011).
4. Sivan, L., 1994. Microwave Tube Transmitters, Chapman & Hall, London.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Mitani T., Iwashimizu M., Nagahama A., Shinohara N. and Yonemoto K. (2014). Feasibility Study on Microwave Power Transmission to an Airplane for Future Mars Observation . In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Telecommunications and Remote Sensing - Volume 1: ICTRS, ISBN 978-989-758-033-8, pages 47-50. DOI: 10.5220/0005421100470050

in Bibtex Style

@conference{ictrs14,
author={Tomohiko Mitani and Masashi Iwashimizu and Akihito Nagahama and Naoki Shinohara and Koichi Yonemoto},
title={Feasibility Study on Microwave Power Transmission to an Airplane for Future Mars Observation},
booktitle={Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Telecommunications and Remote Sensing - Volume 1: ICTRS,},
year={2014},
pages={47-50},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005421100470050},
isbn={978-989-758-033-8},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Telecommunications and Remote Sensing - Volume 1: ICTRS,
TI - Feasibility Study on Microwave Power Transmission to an Airplane for Future Mars Observation
SN - 978-989-758-033-8
AU - Mitani T.
AU - Iwashimizu M.
AU - Nagahama A.
AU - Shinohara N.
AU - Yonemoto K.
PY - 2014
SP - 47
EP - 50
DO - 10.5220/0005421100470050