Space Station

Abstract

Increase the energy efficiency of the space station. [Solution] A space station according to an embodiment includes a managed area, a residential area arranged around the managed area, a connection section that connects the managed area with the residential area, and a drive section that rotates the residential area around the managed area to generate a predetermined gravity in the residential area. The space station according to an embodiment includes a power generation section that generates power based on the rotation of a motor in the drive section.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a space station. [Background technology]

[0002] In space stations intended for long-term stays, it is necessary to generate gravity in the habitat. There is a known technology for generating gravity in the habitat by rotating the habitat at a specified speed. For example, the habitat is placed around a control area equipped with a drive unit, and the habitat is rotated around the control area by the power of the drive unit.

[0003] The power source for the drive unit will be energy sources transported from Earth, such as nuclear fuel, or energy generated by solar panels. To make life on the space station comfortable, the demand for energy is expected to increase, including energy for transportation within the space station, energy for air conditioning, energy for lighting and other daily necessities, and energy for entertainment.

[0004] The farther the distance from Earth to the space station, the less resources it needs to transport from Earth, and the more desirable it is to be able to live independently. In space, far from the sun, it is difficult to generate energy using solar panels. Therefore, the more energy efficient the space station, the better. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-78799 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the energy efficiency of a space station. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a space station according to an embodiment includes a managed area, a residential area arranged around the managed area, a connection unit that connects the managed area and the residential area, and a drive unit that rotates the residential area around the managed area to generate a predetermined gravity in the residential area. The space station according to the embodiment includes a power generation unit that generates power based on the rotation of a motor in the drive unit. The power generating unit has a generator that rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the drive unit and outputs AC power, and a control unit that converts the AC power output by the generator to a predetermined voltage and charges the storage battery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a space station according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a space station according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a power generating unit of the space station according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a storage battery of a space station according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a space station 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the space station 1 according to this embodiment. The space station 1 has a managed area 10 and a residential area 20 arranged around the managed area 10 via a connection part 30. The managed area 10 is equipped with a drive unit 40 that rotates the residential area 20 around the managed area 10 to generate a predetermined gravity in the residential area 20, a power generation unit 60 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), a control device 80 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), and the like.

[0010] The drive unit 40 is a power unit for rotating the residential area 20 around the management area 10 in order to generate a predetermined gravity in the residential area 20. The drive unit 40 is composed of a motor and the like. The drive unit 40 is operated by an energy source transported from the Earth, such as nuclear fuel stored in a fuel vault 95, or by electrical energy stored in a storage battery 70.

[0011] The management area 10 consists of a central section 11 and a rotating section 12. The rotating section 12 is attached so as to be able to rotate around the central section 11. Movement is possible between the management area 10 and the living area 20 through a connecting section 30. The rotating section 12, the connecting section 30 and the living area 20 are driven by a driving section 40 to rotate around the central section 11.

[0012] 3 is a configuration diagram of the power generating unit 60. The power generating unit 60 generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the drive unit 40, and charges the storage battery 70. The power generating unit 60 has a generator 61 and a control unit 62.

[0013] The generator 61 rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the drive unit 40 and outputs AC power. The generator 61 is composed of a motor. The rotating shaft of the motor constituting the generator 61 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the drive unit 40 by, for example, gears, a belt, or the like. The rotating shaft of the generator 61 rotates based on the rotation of the rotating shaft of the motor of the drive unit 40, and the generator 61 outputs an AC voltage of, for example, 100V or 200V. The frequency of the AC voltage output by the generator 61 is determined by the number of poles of the generator 61, the rotation speed of the motor of the drive unit 40, the gear ratio of the gears, and the like. When it is not necessary to limit the frequency of the AC voltage output by the generator 61, the rotating shaft of the generator 61 and the rotating shaft of the motor of the drive unit 40 may be formed by a single common rotating shaft.

[0014] The control unit 62 converts the AC power output by the generator 61 to a predetermined voltage and charges the storage battery 70. The control unit 62 includes a rectifier 621 and a current driver 623.

[0015] The rectifier 621 converts the AC voltage output by the generator 61 into a DC voltage. The rectifier 621 is composed of, for example, a capacitor, a diode, etc. The rectifier 621 supplies the rectified DC voltage to the current driver 623. The current driver 623 is composed of, for example, a DC / DC converter. The current driver 623 converts the input DC voltage into a voltage suitable for charging the storage battery 70. The current driver 623 may be a constant current source that supplies a current suitable for charging the storage battery 70.

[0016] The storage battery 70 supplies power to the motor of the drive unit 40 and electronic circuits within the device. The storage battery 70 is composed of, for example, a lithium ion battery. The storage battery 70 has a charge monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the charge state. The charge monitoring sensor 71 can be composed of a voltage measuring device or the like. The charge monitoring sensor 71 notifies the control device 80 of information as to whether the storage battery 70 is in a fully charged state (for example, output voltage information of the storage battery 70).

[0017] The solar panels 90 are arranged around the space station 1. The angle of the light receiving surface of the solar panels 90 with respect to the sunlight is controlled so as to maximize the amount of power generation. The power generated by the solar panels 90 is charged into the storage battery 70.

[0018] The control device 80 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory, an auxiliary memory, and an interface. The CPU executes various processes according to programs stored in the auxiliary memory. The main memory has a RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like. The main memory is used as a working area for the CPU. The auxiliary memory has a ROM (Read Only Memory) and non-volatile memory such as a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary memory stores programs executed by the CPU, various parameters, and the like. The control device 80 controls charging of the storage battery 70 by the power generation unit 60 and the solar panel 90.

[0019] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the space station 1. When the residential area 20 orbits around the management area 10 by the motor of the drive unit 40, gravity is generated in the residential area 20 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the residential area 20.

[0020] The rotation of the rotating shaft of the motor of the drive unit 40 rotates the rotating shaft of the generator 61 of the power generating unit 60, and the generator 61 outputs AC power. The control unit 62 converts the AC power output by the generator 61 into a voltage and current suitable for charging the storage battery 70, and charges the storage battery 70.

[0021] When the storage battery is in a fully charged state, the output voltage of the storage battery tends to be high. The output voltage of the storage battery gradually decreases according to the remaining capacity. When the remaining capacity of the storage battery runs out, the output voltage of the storage battery tends to decrease suddenly. The remaining capacity of the storage battery 70 can be estimated by focusing on the voltage characteristics of the storage battery. The storage battery 70 has a charge monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the output voltage. The charge monitoring sensor 71 notifies the control device 80 of the value of the output voltage of the storage battery 70.

[0022] The control device 80 judges whether the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold voltage based on the output information of the charging monitoring sensor 71. The threshold voltage is set to a value of the output voltage when the storage battery 70 has a predetermined remaining capacity (e.g., the remaining capacity is 90% or 95%) compared to when the storage battery 70 is in a fully charged state. When the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is lower than the threshold voltage, the control device 80 controls the power generation unit 60 to charge the storage battery 70. On the other hand, when the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage, the control device 80 controls the power generation unit 60 not to charge the storage battery 70.

[0023] The control device 80 also controls charging from the solar panel 90 to the storage battery 70 based on output information from the charging monitoring sensor 71 .

[0024] The space station 1 according to the embodiment includes a power generating unit 60 having a generator 61 that rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the drive unit 40 and outputs AC power, and a control unit 62 that converts the AC power output by the generator 61 into a predetermined voltage. The space station 1 according to the embodiment stores the power output by the power generating unit 60 in a storage battery 70, and uses the power in the drive unit 40 and electronic circuits in the device. The energy supplied to the motor of the drive unit 40 is used as energy to rotate the motor. However, a part of the energy supplied to the motor is lost as heat energy in the motor. The space station 1 according to the embodiment is provided with the power generating unit 60, thereby making effective use of the heat energy lost in the motor of the drive unit 40. This allows the space station 1 according to the embodiment to improve energy efficiency.

[0025] Moreover, the storage battery 70 of the space station 1 according to the embodiment has a charging monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the charging state of the storage battery 70. When the charging monitoring sensor 71 detects that the storage battery 70 is not fully charged, the power generating unit 60 charges the generated power to the storage battery 70. On the other hand, when the charging monitoring sensor 71 detects that the storage battery 70 is fully charged, the power generating unit 60 does not charge the generated power to the storage battery 70. In this way, when the storage battery 70 is not saturated, the power generating unit 60 converts the kinetic energy (rotational energy) of the motor of the drive unit 40 into electrical energy to charge the storage battery 70, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the space station 1. Furthermore, when the storage battery 70 is saturated, the power generating unit 60 does not charge the storage battery 70, thereby preventing smoke and fire accidents of the storage battery 70.

[0026] In the above description, the control unit 62 is configured with the rectifier 621 and the current driver 623, but the configuration of the control unit 62 is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 62 may be configured with an AC / DC converter.

[0027] 3, the power of the storage battery 70 is used as a power source for the motor of the drive unit 40. In another embodiment, the power of the storage battery 70 may not be used as a power source for the drive unit 40, and may be used only for lighting and the like within the space station 1.

[0028] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the case where the storage battery 70 is configured with one storage battery has been described. In the second embodiment, the case where the storage battery 70 includes two storage batteries will be described.

[0029] 4 is a configuration diagram of a storage battery 70 according to embodiment 2. The storage battery 70 includes a first storage battery 72, a second storage battery 73, a first switch 74, a second switch 75, and a charge monitoring sensor 71.

[0030] The first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 are, for example, lithium ion batteries. The first switch 74 is a circuit for switching the storage battery used as the output of the storage battery 70. The first switch 74 selects the first storage battery 72 or the second storage battery 73 as the output of the storage battery 70 based on the control of the control device 80. The second switch 75 is a circuit for selecting the storage battery to be charged by the power generating unit 60. The second switch 75 connects the output of the power generating unit 60 to the first storage battery 72 or the second storage battery 73 based on the control of the control device 80. The first switch 74 and the second switch 75 can be configured with a FET (Field Effect Transistor), a relay, or the like.

[0031] The control device 80 monitors the charging states of the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73, for example, based on information on the output voltages of the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 obtained by the charge monitoring sensor 71. When the first switch 74 selects the first storage battery 72, the control device 80 controls the first switch 74 to select the second storage battery 73 when the output voltage of the first storage battery 72 falls below a predetermined threshold indicating a decrease in the remaining capacity of the storage battery.

[0032] The control device 80 controls the second switch 75 so that the storage battery not selected by the first switch 74 is charged. Furthermore, when the output voltage of the storage battery to be charged becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value indicating that the storage battery is nearly fully charged, the control device 80 controls the second switch 75 so that the storage battery to be charged is not charged. In this case, the power generating unit 60 is in a state in which neither the first storage battery 72 nor the second storage battery 73 is charged. Alternatively, the control device 80 controls the power generating unit 60 so that neither the first storage battery 72 nor the second storage battery 73 is charged. The reason for not charging the storage battery that is nearly fully charged is to reduce the probability of failure of the storage battery.

[0033] The power generating unit 60 of the space station 1 according to the second embodiment switches between the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73. With this configuration, one of the storage batteries mounted on the space station 1 can be used while the other storage battery is being charged.

[0034] When the rotation speed of the motor of the drive unit 40 changes suddenly, the generator 61 may output a large power (voltage, current). Although it depends on the circuit configuration, when the storage battery is charged while being discharged, an overcurrent or overvoltage may be applied to a semiconductor such as a diode that constitutes a circuit that separates charging and discharging. Semiconductor elements such as diodes are often damaged in a short mode when a voltage or current exceeding the absolute rating is applied. When a diode or the like that constitutes the storage battery is damaged in a short mode, it may cause a smoke or fire accident of the storage battery. The power generation unit 60 of the space station 1 according to the second embodiment physically separates the storage battery to be discharged from the storage battery to be charged by using the first switch 74 and the second switch 75. This makes it possible to prevent a smoke or fire accident of the storage battery.

[0035] In the description of the second embodiment, the first switch 74 is used to select the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 as the output of the storage battery 70. In another embodiment, the first switch 74 may not be provided, and the outputs of the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 may be used as they are. In this case, the second switch 75 is controlled by the control device 80 so that the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 are not charged when the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 are in a fully charged state.

[0036] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Space Station 10…Management area 11...Central part 12...Rotating part 20…Residence area 30…Connection 40...Drive unit 60...Electric power generation section 61...Generator 62…Control unit 621... Rectifier 623...Current driver 70…Battery 71...Charging monitoring sensor 72…First storage battery 73…Second storage battery 74…First switch 75…Second switch 80...Control device 90…Solar panel 95…Fuel storage

Claims

1. A space station having a managed area, a residential area arranged around the managed area, a connection section connecting the managed area and the residential area, and a drive section rotating the residential area around the managed area to generate a predetermined gravity in the residential area, a power generating unit that generates power based on rotation of a motor of the driving unit; The power generation unit is a generator that rotates based on rotation of the motor of the drive unit and outputs AC power; a control unit that converts the AC power output by the generator into a predetermined voltage and charges a storage battery; having Space station.

2. The storage battery has a charge monitoring sensor that monitors a charge state of the storage battery, the power generation unit charges the generated power to the storage battery when it detects that the storage battery is not in a fully charged state based on output information from the charge monitoring sensor, and does not charge the generated power to the storage battery when it detects that the storage battery is in a fully charged state. The space station of claim 1 .

3. The storage battery is A first storage battery; A second storage battery; a first switch that selects the first storage battery or the second storage battery as a storage battery that supplies power to an electronic circuit in the device; a second switch that selects the first storage battery or the second storage battery as a storage battery to be charged by the power generation unit; 3. A space station according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

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