Laser powered military energy supply, really DARPA? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DutchJeroen
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 06, 2023, 05:07:14 pm
content: Today I stumbled across this posthttps://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a43713837/darpa-power-military-outposts-wireless-laser-energy/It has some ,for me, unbelievable claims like:The Pentagon’s frontier-busting scientists want to use lasers to transit energy into war zones.Electrical power would be converted into laser energy, and then beamed to remote U.S. military bases.This technology would make the military far less reliant on diesel generators, and the logistics network that sometimes has to dodge enemy fire to supply them with fuel.It it me or is this BS?Greetings, Jeroen from Holland

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2023, 08:05:38 pm
content: Most of what is in "Popular Mechanics" can be regarded as BS. Back in the 1950s it was full of articles about nuclear-powered cars. It's a junk magazine sold at supermarket checkout stands, the male counterpart to "Cosmopolitan".

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2023, 09:55:41 pm
content: Military at least doesn't have to care too much about safety, that solves a lot of problems.If you can spend an ungodly amount of money making adaptive optics for the relay drones and the transmitter you might be able to make a system which can transmit usable amounts of power with usable efficiency. The receiver will be lit up for any satellite or surveillance plane/drone who cares to look though.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2023, 11:59:58 pm
content: If you look into the logistics cost of delivering fuel to remote locations you start finding even bizarre solutions attractive. I have seen assertions of dozens or even hundreds of dollars/liter costs for fuel delivered to places in Afghanistan. Similar problems delivering batteries to run all the gizmos. And I have also seen the announcements that DARPA is looking into how such a power chain might work.I haven't seen anything indicating that they have anything they are actually suggesting for fielding, so apparently they haven't found any magic solutions. I can fairly easily imagine something that would work over 15-30 km (assuming terrain allows such sight lines), but by the time you had expanded the system to cover the 1000+km distances through hostile territory that resulted in those incredible fuel prices I suspect it is also unbelievably expensive.Maybe if we ever have a large power infrastructure in space beaming power down would be more attractive, but there would still be weather and other issues.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 12:05:14 am
content: very useful for delivering power through a star gate to a remote outpost to charge the naqueda super capacitors btw. You should see the cool 3d glass prism relays they are setting up on px something or another

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 01:09:54 am
content: They have33 million of fundingto dole out for lab demonstrator level of R&D and conceptual modeling.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 01:35:39 am
content: personally I think they should just invest in better batteriesImagine we got something more useful then a new way to make fried bird from a government project. like better cells.Right now the government is all about that fried chicken, use wind turbines to dice it and then laser beams to cook it. I think we should focus on developing technology useful beyond corporations like KFC.Yeah whats gonna be useful in the next supposed battlespace where stealth is paramount. I think a better battery is gonna win out in terms of cover, utility, etc. I feel like loitering munitions will swarm that laser target like flies on shit. And then the artillery. And when there is the slightest bit of dust, smoke, etc.. lots of expensive targets to destroy connected by a gridThe number of nodes will be uh, probobly 10% of what was in the document for the security of the system in a real battle. Good luck.But In 40 years the youtube content from marines sticking MRE pizza on sticks into the laser beam after Desert Storm IV is gonna be price less, could be worth it even with the possible global flooding etc.. The power system failed because pepperoni got into the optics. You got to toss it across the laser beam just right so it gets a nice sear. So they will be throwing food through the laser to each other like frisbee.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 08:38:35 am
content: As the Vicar announces (regarding the church fete) "... or inside if raining".A techology probably best left for the drier troublespots of the world, if at all.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 09:04:35 am
content: Lasers for energy transport are actually not that bad is it may sound at first. Semiconductor lasers can be >50% efficiency and also special Solar cells can reach > 50% efficiency at a suitable wavelength.I don't consider it very practical. If at all it could be a relatively low power (a few watts) short distance (maybe 10 km) thing. In these case a problem is the wether or just smoke and it would also nicely give away the target if there is only a little dust in the air.Over longer distance chances are that just normal solar cells are more practical. The detector is about the same, but you save on the laser.DARPA is know to also fund some rather BS projects. I remember a crazy example of hdrogen storage that got only a few cycles and was way more expensive and heay than producing the hydrogen from LiH and water (which is the standard used for weather ballons from remote areas without bottles). Still sometimes crazy things atually work, though not this time.With a 33 million funding this would likely only end up as paperwork with theoretical considerations. US militry pricing is well inflated.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 04:36:00 pm
content: Quote from: Kleinstein on May 07, 2023, 09:04:35 amI suspect they are thinking more in the range of 10 kW receive (lets say 100 kW transmit). Throw out a 5 by 5 roll up infrared PV and charge the EV. Bit warm if the beam strays across you, but not a problem if you don't look up.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2023, 04:38:42 pm
content: It might be good for charging remote sensor stuff instead of spamming small nuclear power sources, i.e. if you can get a plane to refuel a remote weather station or radar station from miles awaythat is one application where people would thank us in 30 years after the beurocrats let it be forgotten (like russia did)monthly plane to recharge batteries could allow for a powerful remote sensor network that is not feasible without nuclear power sources. and I think it would improve martime robustness and also allow for GPS redundancies to exist in a practical and cheap way in case there is a space problem. Especially if the power receiver is cheap. And allows for increased study of the ionosphere because of beacons, and hydrology because of sound sensors in water.