FET Open Project

CubeSat energy storage components wirelessly powered

CubeSats are small satellites that have revolutionised access to Space. They have embraced new developments in various sectors such as weather information and climatic research, multimedia communications, telephone and television, data distribution, transportation and logistics, navigation, security, and rescue. CubeSat technology advances have propelled market demand for larger solar arrays, lower-power electronics, and more efficient energy harvesting systems. The EU-funded WiPTherm project will develop an innovative wireless energy transfer system that will wirelessly recharge the energy storage components used in CubeSat technologies. It comprises dozens of microarrays of 2D thermoelectric generators that end up being connected to a photo-thermoelectric plasmonic system that converts photons into electrical energy. The WiPTherm technology is a truly pioneering, clean, and cheap solution for energy transfer.