The following is a list of the main types of experiment that will be performed. It will be possible to measure the efficiency of the SPS 2000 rectenna in converting RF power to DC electricity under different conditions. Understanding of the system behaviour could be increased progressively by adding more sensors to the system. Normal operating characteristics will also be measured under different environmental conditions - temperature, humidity, precipitation, state of the rectenna surfaces, etc. The behaviour of the rectenna and its subsystems will need to be measured and understood during all these possible cases, in order to select the optimum modes of operation and to detect any system weaknesses.
Similar considerations apply as to the case of start-up transients.
Thus the behaviour of the SPS 2000 rectenna will need to be monitored during power reception when the load to which it is delivering power is changed, both through switching in and out different sections of the rectenna , and through altering the load being drawn through the power conditioning system. Experiments with the SPS 2000 system could be used to evaluate the feasibility of this, and the design requirements to achieve it. The latter would be more or less acceptable depending on its characteristics. Another type of transient through which rectennas must operate stably is the range of component failures to which they will be liable. In order to reach a target level of overall reliability, a commercial rectenna would be designed with components of specified degrees of reliability, and would be maintained in such a way as to achieve the target reliability.