Off-planet energy production - what would be best way to supply this energy planetside?
What would be the best way to send energy that is generated outside the Earth's atmosphere, possibly in the asteroid belt (nevermind the means), so that it can be used on the surface of the planet?
Let's say solar power generation. With enough mirrors you can get really high output. The energy thus "gathered" can be "transmitted" down to Earth's surface, but it will be, in essence, a laser beam (i know, it will be concentrated sunlight, but I mean effect, not the naming details), that will be dangerous to anything in it's path, including the atmosphere.
Assuming level tech of today but include current experiments in all stages of advance, what would be the best - that means safest, cheapest and most efficient - way to supply energy to the grid on the Earth's surface? Additionally: what would be the upper limit of the power levels to be transmitted?
To clarify after some very good comments:
- for starters let's look at powering Earth from orbit in 100%. So 200 TWh
- Current level tech +20 years caveat means no space industry in place. So let's say I want to start working on it next year (2018).
- Any way of sending and/or form of energy goes.
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1 answer
The obvious answer is to use as much in space as possible!
There are relatively easy ways of producing large quantities of metals and other materials from asteroids using space foundries; these are just large thermal focusing of the sun's energy using simple aluminum mirrors to melt the asteroids. Add a small centrifugal force and a melted ball can be separated by molecular weight for purification, then used for either further purification or recombination.
I think in space you could manufacture the same kind of heat-resistant ceramic tiles we used on the space shuttle to protect it from re-entry. You should be able to easily make very large (tanker sized) steel canisters to hold highly compressed, liquefied gases, hydrogen and oxygen, for example. Transport those to Earth, shielded by tiles and with a parachute splashdown, and use them as fuels to power electric generators. They burn clean, and the containers are non-toxic, and perhaps can be constructed in shapes that are even useful in their own right. To be clear, I am not talking about a few, but a production line of millions of them per year, or however many Earth (or a country) needs.
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