Development of Millimetre Waves Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) System for Lunar Rover Explorations

The project focused on the development of technology for wireless energy transmission from a fixed station to a vehicle. A rover-like vehicle on the surface of the moon was assumed for the definition of the system parameters. Previous studies and projects for SPS WPT systems focused on the frequency ranges at 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz and less in the mm-wave range when selecting the transmission frequency. The reason for this is the lower attenuation of the transmission through the atmosphere. However, frequencies in the mm-wave range appear to be an attractive alternative for mobile applications on the surface, as the frequency has a direct influence on the required size of the transmitting and receiving antenna. The necessary technological development steps for a WPT system that would be suitable for lunar experiments essentially comprise the following four areas: 1) Development of a transmitting antenna that enables high transmission efficiency. 2) Development of an efficient rectenna. 3) Development of an efficient microwave amplifier on the transmitter side that is suitable for use in space. 4) Design of a rover whose energy requirements are provided by a WPT system. The first two topics were the subject of the project. Areas 3 and 4 are activities that will be tackled in follow-up projects.