China’s ‘Zhuri’ project makes breakthrough, laying foundation for space-based ‘wireless charging stations’

China's "Zhuri" or "Chasing the Sun" project has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies for space solar power stations and microwave wireless power transmission, as it has independently developed a ground-based verification system for one-to-many wireless power transmission to moving targets, moving the technologies toward engineering application, according to a Monday report by the Xinhua News Agency.

Duan Baoyan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who leads the project, explained that building a space solar power station is akin to deploying a "space-based wireless charging hub" in a predetermined orbit in space. The station could reduce satellites' traditional reliance on onboard solar panels by utilizing advanced microwave wireless power transmission technology, effectively building a "wireless charging station" for satellites in space.

In recent years, space solar power stations have entered a critical phase of transitioning from theoretical exploration to practical engineering applications. In 2014, Duan's team proposed an innovative OMEGA design and carried out scientific research. In June 2022, the team led the construction of the world's first full-link, full-system ground verification system for a space solar power station.

Recently, new breakthroughs have been made. From the perspectives of multidisciplinary integration, multi-system coordination, and system reliability, the team has proposed an innovative design solution for a distributed OMEGA space solar power station. 

Significant improvements have also been made in space-based power generation, specifically in solar energy concentration and photoelectric conversion efficiency. Key progress has been made in the integration, miniaturization, and weight reduction of transmitting and receiving antennas, laying the foundation for the deployment of equipment in space.

Global Times