A power reception and conversion system for remotely-powered vehicles

Describes a system for the reception of microwave power from a remote transmitter and its conversion to direct current power, when movement of the receive system relative to the transmit system may occur. Such an application is shown, illustrating a program being carried out in Canada to develop a long endurance high altitude platform known as SHARP (Stationary High Altitude Relay Platform). The platform would be an unmanned lightweight airplane, circling at an altitude of about 21 km, and would be used to relay radio communications signals over an area on the ground up to 1000 km in diameter. Microwave power would be transmitted from a large array of antennas on the ground to the underside of the airplane which is coated with an array of thousands of rectifying antennas (rectennas) which receive and convert the microwave energy to DC, used to power the airplane's electric motor (for propulsion) and payload electronics. >