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The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) of the United States communicated the main contractors who have been selected for the first phase of the ambitious Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program.
The POWER program aims to develop a system for distributing energy worldwide through air transfer. This idea, initially conceived by Nikola Tesla almost a century ago, could represent a historic turning point in the field of energy transfer, comparable to the advent of electrification about 150 years ago.
The first phase of the POWER program will be conducted by three teams led by RTX Corporation, Draper Laboratory and BEAM Company. These teams compete to design, and develop, the optical energy relays needed to make the system operational. The program’s objectives include demonstrating the key components for building a resilient energy grid, capable of transmitting energy at the speed of light.
Dr. Paul Jaffe, POWER program manager at DARPA, highlighted the importance of this project, stating that it could revolutionize energy distributionenabling access to new and different energy sources.
Energy transfer technology could also help make future aircraft will be more compact and economical, reducing fuel consumption and the space needed for the engines. In the initial phase, however, only conceptual tests will be performed to explore this possibility.
A crucial aspect of the program is the efficiency of energy relays in directing energy accurately and efficiently, correcting the waves to ensure high signal quality and regulating the amount of energy transmitted. In the next phase of the program, the relays will be tested in flight, with the goal of delivering 10 kilowatts of optical energy to a ground-based receiver 200 kilometers away from the ground-based laser source.
Dr. Jaffe pointed out the importance of overcoming the limitations of current energy distribution technologies, especially for military purposes. The success of this project could lead to a practical, versatile and adaptable wireless energy network, with high long-distance transmission capacity at high altitudes.
The solutions proposed by the three selected teams range from innovative combinations of existing technologies to high-risk, high-potential technological innovations. The first phase of the program involves bench demonstrations of critical technologies and is expected to last 20 months, with the possibility of obtaining a three-month extension to carry out further tests. The second phase, scheduled for 2025, will focus on integrating relay technologies onto existing platforms for low-power practical demonstration.
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