WiPTherm Satellite

Wireless Energy Transfer solution via a photo-thermoelectric plasmonic (HPTP) generator that can convert photonic energy to electrical energy via thermal gradient.

Wireless Energy Transfer solution via a photo-thermoelectric plasmonic (HPTP) generator array device that can convert photonic energy to electrical energy via thermal gradient.

In order to create it, a long-range, continuous-wave (CW) laser source targets the cells of the HPTP generator, forming, as such, the photo-thermoelectric plasmonic system. Two possible scenarios were taken into account and presented in terms of mission requirements: the laser source charging the satellite from Earth, or a laser system mounted onto a master satellite charging a CubeSat orbiting Mars/Jupiter, within the context of a deep space mission.

The development of such Wireless Energy Transfer (WET) system implies an improvement of the current technology in different research fields, among them: nanomaterials, photonics, electronics, and space systems. For the success of the project, all of them shall be developed considering the different interfaces as well as the assembly principles, to be compatible with the support structure: a 3U CubeSat.