Airship spectrum horizontal power generation device

Abstract

The invention discloses an airship spectrum horizontal power generation device which comprises one or more power generation units horizontally arranged in an airship cabin. Each power generation unit comprises a closed cavity and a plurality of power generation units; and the ultraviolet laser source is arranged at one end of the cavity and is used for emitting laser into the cavity. According to the airship spectrum horizontal power generation device, the ultraviolet laser source and the wide bandgap semiconductor photoelectric target disc are integrated in the closed horizontal cavity, high-energy laser is converted into large-area and highly-uniform light spots to act on the target disc through the precise light beam expansion and homogenization system, local hot spots are fundamentally eliminated, and the power generation efficiency is improved. The efficiency and the safety of the photoelectric conversion process are greatly improved, the service life of a core device is effectively prolonged, the optical energy loss is further reduced through the high-reflectivity coating and the inert gas environment on the inner wall of the cavity, element degradation is prevented, and high efficiency and stability of an energy transmission path are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of airship technology, and more particularly to a horizontal spectral power generation device for airships. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of aerospace technology and the increasingly urgent demand for green energy, stratospheric airships, as long-endurance, high-altitude near-space platforms, have attracted widespread attention. They possess advantages such as fixed-point hovering, wide coverage, and relatively flexible deployment, demonstrating enormous application potential in fields such as communication relay, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and national defense. However, one of the core bottlenecks restricting the long-term operational stay of stratospheric airships lies in their energy supply system. While traditional solar-battery combinations can effectively collect solar energy during the day, they are limited by the alternation of day and night, seasonal changes, and complex weather conditions. This results in unstable energy supply, reliance on limited energy storage at night and in severe weather, and a large system weight and size, severely limiting the airship's payload capacity and continuous operating time. Therefore, developing an efficient, stable, compact airborne power generation technology that is not strictly constrained by external sunlight conditions has become a key technological challenge driving the development of stratospheric airships.

[0003] In current technologies, finding alternatives to or supplements to solar power generation has always been a research hotspot. Some have explored the application of fuel cells and small turbine generators in airships. However, fuel cells suffer from limited fuel capacity and difficulties in replenishing reactants; while turbine generators involve combustion processes, resulting in vibration, emissions, and noise that is inconsistent with the silent operation characteristics of airships. Another approach is to utilize photovoltaic cells arranged on the surface or inside the airship, but this still essentially does not eliminate the direct dependence on sunlight, and the intermittency and instability of the energy source remain.

[0004] Laser energy transmission technology, as an emerging wireless power supply method, offers new possibilities for solving the aforementioned problems. Its basic principle is to transmit energy in the form of laser light from the transmitter to a distant receiver, where it is then converted into electrical energy by a photovoltaic device. Theoretically, this technology can achieve directional, on-demand energy transmission, unaffected by weather or day / night cycles. However, integrating this technology into airship platforms with limited space and load-bearing capacity, and achieving efficient and reliable engineering applications, still faces numerous technical obstacles. First, laser beams typically have high energy density and specific spatial distribution characteristics. Directly irradiating conventional photovoltaic materials can easily lead to hot spot effects due to excessively high local light intensity, causing irreversible damage to the materials and severely reducing conversion efficiency and device lifespan. Second, both the laser and the photoelectric conversion device generate a large amount of waste heat during operation. In the enclosed environment of the airship cabin with limited heat dissipation, efficient thermal management is a prerequisite for ensuring long-term stable operation of the system; traditional air-cooling or simple liquid-cooling solutions often fail to meet the requirements. Furthermore, to meet the varying energy consumption demands of different flight phases of the airship, the output power of the power generation system should have flexible and adjustable intelligent control capabilities. In addition, the system's compactness, lightweight design, maintainability, and collaborative management among multiple power generation units are all factors that must be considered to achieve efficient integration of the airship platform.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new horizontal power generation device for airships to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an airborne power generation system that is adaptable to stratospheric airship applications, integrating high-efficiency energy conversion, excellent thermal management, flexible power control, and high reliability. This system overcomes the inherent defects of existing solar power generation and solves problems such as beam management, thermal control, and system adaptation faced by laser energy transmission technology in integrated airship applications.

[0007] The present invention provides a horizontal spectral power generation device for airships, comprising:

[0008] One or more power generation units arranged horizontally within the airship cabin;

[0009] Each of the power generation units includes:

[0010] A closed cavity;

[0011] An ultraviolet laser source located at one end of the cavity is used to emit laser light into the cavity.

[0012] A beam spreading and homogenizing system disposed inside the cavity is used to convert the laser into a large-area uniform spot;

[0013] A photoelectric conversion target disk is disposed at the other end of the cavity and directly opposite the optical path. The target disk is composed of a photovoltaic matrix made of wide bandgap semiconductor material and is used to receive and convert the uniform light spot.

[0014] A centralized thermal management loop runs through the cavity of all the power generation units and is used to cool the laser source and the photoelectric conversion target.

[0015] Preferably, the beam spreading and homogenizing system includes a set of lenses and / or mirrors, such that the power density gradient of the light spot formed on the photoelectric conversion target disk is controlled within ±5%.

[0016] Preferably, the inner wall of the cavity is coated with a high-reflectivity material and filled with an inert protective gas.

[0017] Preferably, the photoelectric conversion target disk adopts a detachable modular design, and its photovoltaic matrix is ​​a multi-quantum well heterostructure.

[0018] Preferably, the centralized thermal management loop is a microchannel liquid cooling system, and its working fluid is dielectric liquid metal.

[0019] Preferably, the multiple power generation units are arranged in parallel along the longitudinal axis of the airship, and their power output is combined and managed through a main control unit.

[0020] Preferably, it further includes a laser power adjustment mechanism connected to the ultraviolet laser source, which dynamically adjusts the laser output power according to the overall energy consumption requirements of the airship.

[0021] Compared with related technologies, the airship spectral horizontal power generation device provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] This invention provides a horizontal spectral power generation device for airships, which integrates an ultraviolet laser source and a wide-bandgap semiconductor optoelectronic target disk into a closed horizontal cavity. Through a precise beam expansion and homogenization system, high-energy laser light is converted into a large-area, highly uniform light spot that acts on the target disk, fundamentally eliminating local hot spots. This greatly improves the efficiency and safety of the photoelectric conversion process and effectively extends the service life of the core components. The high-reflectivity coating on the inner wall of the cavity and the inert gas environment further reduce light energy loss and prevent component degradation, ensuring the high efficiency and stability of the energy transmission path.

[0023] The system employs a centralized thermal management loop, combining a microchannel liquid cooling system with a dielectric liquid metal working fluid. This provides an efficient and compact heat dissipation method for the two main heat sources: the laser source and the photoelectric conversion target. The active cooling capability ensures the thermal stability of the system during long-term high-power operation within the airship's sealed cabin, preventing performance degradation or failure due to overheating and significantly improving system reliability.

[0024] The modular photoelectric conversion target and the parallel arrangement of the power generation units, along with the centralized management mode of the main control unit, endow the system with excellent maintainability and scalability. The failure of a single target module does not affect the overall operation, and it is easy to replace and maintain quickly. At the same time, the system can dynamically adjust the output power according to the overall energy consumption demand of the airship through the laser power adjustment mechanism, realizing on-demand energy supply and efficient utilization, and enhancing the intelligence and economy of the airship energy system.

[0025] The entire device adopts a horizontal layout and has a compact structure. It makes full use of the longitudinal space of the airship cabin, which is conducive to the lightweight and miniaturized integration of the system. It has a continuous, stable and controllable airborne power generation capability that does not rely on external sunlight. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the airship spectral horizontal power generation device provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the system-level control and energy input architecture provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the centralized thermal management loop architecture provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the core cabin structure of the power generation unit provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the multi-unit parallel and energy management architecture provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main control unit architecture provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a horizontal spectral power generation device for airships, which is installed inside the airship's cabin as the airship's main power system. This device is based on the principle of laser ultraviolet focusing matrix power generation and adopts a horizontal, enclosed structure design.

[0035] The device comprises three horizontally arranged power generation units, aligned along the longitudinal axis of the airship. Each power generation unit includes a sealed cavity, an ultraviolet laser source, a beam spreading and homogenizing system, and a photoelectric conversion target.

[0036] The enclosed cavity is made of aluminum alloy, with its inner wall coated with a high-reflectivity silver film (greater than 98%), and filled with helium as a protective gas. The cavity design takes into account the matching of thermal expansion coefficients to ensure structural stability within a temperature range of -60℃ to +120℃.

[0037] The ultraviolet laser source uses a fiber-coupled semiconductor laser with an output power of 500W and a wavelength of 265nm. The laser source maintains an operating temperature of 25±2℃ through a microchannel liquid cooling system. The laser adopts a hierarchical focusing architecture with a primary mirror and a secondary mirror for beam splitting, avoiding thermal accumulation, surge in resistance loss, and carrier saturation problems that occur after exceeding the critical focusing ratio (CR≈300).

[0038] The beam spreading and homogenization system consists of an array of aspherical lenses and microlenses, which spreads the laser beam into a circular spot with a diameter of 30 cm. The system uses diffractive optical elements (DOE) to generate a vortex phase distribution, achieving three-dimensional energy sculpting with a spot uniformity of over 93% and a power density gradient controlled within ±2%.

[0039] The photoelectric conversion target is located at the other end of the cavity, 1.5m away from the laser source. The target adopts an AlGaN multi-quantum-well heterostructure with a theoretical limiting efficiency of 47%. In actual testing, the conversion efficiency reached 38.5% under standard test conditions. The target adopts a modular design, consisting of 25 10cm×10cm photovoltaic modules, with a total receiving area of ​​0.25m².

[0040] Thermal Management and Control Systems

[0041] The centralized thermal management loop employs a microchannel liquid cooling design, using Galinstan liquid metal alloy as the coolant, which has a thermal conductivity of 16.5 W / m·K. The loop runs through all power generation units and simultaneously cools the laser source and photoelectric conversion target.

[0042] The thermal management system employs an active temperature control compensation circuit, improving temperature coefficient stability from ±0.4% / ℃ in traditional solutions to ±0.08% / ℃. The system also features health monitoring capabilities, using distributed fiber optic sensors to monitor the wavelength shift of each node in real time (with a warning threshold set at Δλ>2nm).

[0043] The intelligent control system employs an MPPT controller based on deep learning algorithms, capable of recognizing and adapting to the system's dynamic characteristics. The system requires a 23ms transition period from darkness to peak output; the control system intervenes through predictive algorithms, reducing the voltage overshoot from 18% of the rated value to below 5%.

[0044] The performance of this embodiment is shown in Table 1:

[0045] Performance indicators Traditional solution This technical solution Increase Spectral utilization 45% 82% +37% Carrier collection efficiency 78% 96% +18% Optical loss 15% 3% -12% Impedance mismatch loss 12% 2% -10%

[0046] Table 1

[0047] Example 2

[0048] The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 lies in the number and layout of the power generation units and the special optimizations for the spatial environment.

[0049] This embodiment is designed for large airships and includes six horizontal power generation units, arranged symmetrically in two groups on both sides of the airship. Each group of three units adopts a series optical path design, that is, the beam of a laser source can sequentially illuminate multiple target disks after multiple reflections, increasing the light energy utilization rate to 97%.

[0050] In response to the space radiation environment, this embodiment employs protective measures:

[0051] The photovoltaic unit, after undergoing a 1Mrad total dose test with Co-60 gamma rays, maintained an efficiency of over 92%.

[0052] A protective coating is grown using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to resist high-energy particle bombardment from the Van Allen bands.

[0053] The system is designed to last over 8 years, meeting the requirements of deep space exploration missions.

[0054] The photoelectric conversion target disk adopts a five-junction AlGaInN / GaN multi-quantum-well structure, with each junction optimized for different ultraviolet bands. Through materials engineering, the dark saturation current density Jo is reduced to 1×10⁻¹. 5 The A / cm² level has a theoretical open-circuit voltage Voc of up to 4.2V.

[0055] In this embodiment, a phase change thermal storage unit is added to the centralized thermal management loop. This unit uses an organic phase change material with a melting point of 35°C, which can smooth system temperature changes when laser power fluctuates. The system is also equipped with a liquid metal cooling loop to maintain a temperature difference ΔT < 15°C for critical components.

[0056] This embodiment also addresses the issue of system dynamic response characteristics. Analysis of the four time constants is shown in Table 2.

[0057] stage Time scale Dominant factors Photon absorption <1ns Valence band to conduction band transition Carrier diffusion μs level Mobility is limited by lattice vibrations Junction capacitance discharge ms level i-region charge storage effect Thermal stability establishment S-class thermal capacity of packaging materials

[0058] Table 2

[0059] The control system is optimized for dynamic processes at different time scales, keeping the transition period from darkness to peak output within 23ms.

[0060] The airship spectral horizontal power generation device provided in this embodiment has a total output power of up to 8kW, which can meet all the power needs of a medium-sized airship. The system efficiency is more than 60% higher than that of the traditional solution, and the life cycle cost (LCOE) is reduced from $0.35 / kWh to $0.18 / kWh.

[0061] This invention provides a horizontal spectral power generation device for airships, which integrates an ultraviolet laser source and a wide-bandgap semiconductor optoelectronic target disk into a closed horizontal cavity. Through a precise beam expansion and homogenization system, high-energy laser light is converted into a large-area, highly uniform light spot that acts on the target disk, fundamentally eliminating local hot spots. This greatly improves the efficiency and safety of the photoelectric conversion process and effectively extends the service life of the core components. The high-reflectivity coating on the inner wall of the cavity and the inert gas environment further reduce light energy loss and prevent component degradation, ensuring the high efficiency and stability of the energy transmission path.

[0062] The system employs a centralized thermal management loop, combining a microchannel liquid cooling system with a dielectric liquid metal working fluid. This provides an efficient and compact heat dissipation method for the two main heat sources: the laser source and the photoelectric conversion target. The active cooling capability ensures the thermal stability of the system during long-term high-power operation within the airship's sealed cabin, preventing performance degradation or failure due to overheating and significantly improving system reliability.

[0063] The modular photoelectric conversion target and the parallel arrangement of the power generation units, along with the centralized management mode of the main control unit, endow the system with excellent maintainability and scalability. The failure of a single target module does not affect the overall operation, and it is easy to replace and maintain quickly. At the same time, the system can dynamically adjust the output power according to the overall energy consumption demand of the airship through the laser power adjustment mechanism, realizing on-demand energy supply and efficient utilization, and enhancing the intelligence and economy of the airship energy system.

[0064] The entire device adopts a horizontal layout and has a compact structure. It makes full use of the longitudinal space of the airship cabin, which is conducive to the lightweight and miniaturized integration of the system. It has a continuous, stable and controllable airborne power generation capability that does not rely on external sunlight.

[0065] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal spectral power generation device for airships, characterized in that, include: One or more power generation units arranged horizontally within the airship cabin; Each of the power generation units includes: A closed cavity; An ultraviolet laser source located at one end of the cavity is used to emit laser light into the cavity. A beam spreading and homogenizing system disposed inside the cavity is used to convert the laser into a large-area uniform spot; A photoelectric conversion target disk is disposed at the other end of the cavity and directly opposite the optical path. The target disk is composed of a photovoltaic matrix made of wide bandgap semiconductor material and is used to receive and convert the uniform light spot. A centralized thermal management loop runs through the cavity of all the power generation units and is used to cool the laser source and the photoelectric conversion target.

2. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beam spreading and homogenizing system includes a set of lenses and / or mirrors, such that the power density gradient of the light spot formed on the photoelectric conversion target disk is controlled within ±5%.

3. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the cavity is coated with a highly reflective material and filled with an inert protective gas.

4. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photoelectric conversion target disk adopts a detachable modular design, and its photovoltaic matrix is ​​a multi-quantum well heterostructure.

5. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The centralized thermal management loop is a microchannel liquid cooling system, and its working fluid is dielectric liquid metal.

6. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple power generation units are arranged in parallel along the longitudinal axis of the airship, and their power output is collected and managed through a main control unit.

7. The airship spectral horizontal power generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes a laser power adjustment mechanism connected to the ultraviolet laser source, which dynamically adjusts the laser output power according to the overall energy consumption requirements of the airship.

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