Antenna Considerations for Retail Beamed Power Delivery in India

Past work has shown the relevance of retail electric power delivery in developing areas where the market for micro devices outpaces the power grid infrastructure. Antenna size requirements imply logically that frequencies above 100 GHz must be used for viable power transmission. A power beaming architecture based on near-millimeter waves can enable power exchange at intercontinental, littoral and local levels, enabling participation of micro renewable generators and rural populations. Building on a survey of technological developments, the paper starts the requirements definition for millimeter wave power antenna design. Lighter than air aerostat platforms enable longer horizontal paths to be shifted above the dense, moist lower atmosphere, with vertical transmission between the ground and the aerostat occurring through millimeter wave guides built into tethers. Ground antennae may be integrated with solar photovoltaic panels for multiple uses. The option of transmitting power from local micro generators rather than storing locally, favors the use of technology-intensive mass-produced solid state devices that integrate conversion, transmission, reception and phase variation for beam pointing.