A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power

Timothy Pelham; Thomas C Fearon

doi:10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291

A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power

Timothy Pelham^*
, Thomas C Fearon

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

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Abstract

Space-based solar power has been proposed as early as the 1960s as a source of reliable and clean energy. Due to reductions in the cost of orbital access it has received renewed interest in recent years. A practical challenge to the deployment of these systems is the requirement for ultra-large scale antenna arrays for wireless power transfer at scale, with proposed GW scale systems with antenna array diameters on the order of 2km, with billions of antenna elements. In this paper a development of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld Diffraction Integral is introduced together with CUDA accelerated ray tracing for flexible modelling. A simplified parallel antenna array model is introduced at 10GHz demonstrating the effectiveness of different beamforming algorithms, together with preliminary results of a larger array scenario for wireless power transfer over 5.9km to a receiving array in a 5km square map tile.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS)
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Electronic)	9789463968164
ISBN (Print)	9798331512934
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2025
Event	The 2025 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory - Bologna, Italy Duration: 23 Jun 2025 → 27 Jun 2025 https://www.emts2025.it/

Publication series

Name	2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025

Conference

Conference	The 2025 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory
Abbreviated title	2025 URSI EMTS
Country/Territory	Italy
City	Bologna
Period	23/06/25 → 27/06/25
Internet address	https://www.emts2025.it/

Bibliographical note

The authors wish to acknowledge the funding from UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero for supporting the above research work.

Research Groups and Themes

Communication Systems and Networks

Access to Document

10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291

Full-text PDF (accepted manuscript)
This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM) of the article which has been made Open Access under the University of Bristol's Scholarly Works Policy. The final published version (Version of Record) can be found on the publisher's website. The copyright of any third-party content, such as images, remains with the copyright holder.
Accepted author manuscript, 8.39 MBLicence: CC BY

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/11097773

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Pelham, T., & Fearon, T. C. (2025). A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power. In 2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS) (2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). https://doi.org/10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291

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title = "A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power",

abstract = "Space-based solar power has been proposed as early as the 1960s as a source of reliable and clean energy. Due to reductions in the cost of orbital access it has received renewed interest in recent years. A practical challenge to the deployment of these systems is the requirement for ultra-large scale antenna arrays for wireless power transfer at scale, with proposed GW scale systems with antenna array diameters on the order of 2km, with billions of antenna elements. In this paper a development of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld Diffraction Integral is introduced together with CUDA accelerated ray tracing for flexible modelling. A simplified parallel antenna array model is introduced at 10GHz demonstrating the effectiveness of different beamforming algorithms, together with preliminary results of a larger array scenario for wireless power transfer over 5.9km to a receiving array in a 5km square map tile.",

author = "Timothy Pelham and Fearon, \{Thomas C\}",

note = "The authors wish to acknowledge the funding from UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero for supporting the above research work.; The 2025 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, 2025 URSI EMTS ; Conference date: 23-06-2025 Through 27-06-2025",

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month = aug,

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doi = "10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291",

language = "English",

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series = "2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025",

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Pelham, T & Fearon, TC 2025, A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power. in 2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS). 2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), The 2025 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, Bologna, Italy, 23/06/25. https://doi.org/10.46620/URSIEMTS25/NKLW8291

A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power. / Pelham, Timothy ; Fearon, Thomas C.
2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2025. (2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

TY - GEN

T1 - A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power

AU - Pelham, Timothy

AU - Fearon, Thomas C

N1 - The authors wish to acknowledge the funding from UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero for supporting the above research work.

PY - 2025/8/1

Y1 - 2025/8/1

N2 - Space-based solar power has been proposed as early as the 1960s as a source of reliable and clean energy. Due to reductions in the cost of orbital access it has received renewed interest in recent years. A practical challenge to the deployment of these systems is the requirement for ultra-large scale antenna arrays for wireless power transfer at scale, with proposed GW scale systems with antenna array diameters on the order of 2km, with billions of antenna elements. In this paper a development of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld Diffraction Integral is introduced together with CUDA accelerated ray tracing for flexible modelling. A simplified parallel antenna array model is introduced at 10GHz demonstrating the effectiveness of different beamforming algorithms, together with preliminary results of a larger array scenario for wireless power transfer over 5.9km to a receiving array in a 5km square map tile.

AB - Space-based solar power has been proposed as early as the 1960s as a source of reliable and clean energy. Due to reductions in the cost of orbital access it has received renewed interest in recent years. A practical challenge to the deployment of these systems is the requirement for ultra-large scale antenna arrays for wireless power transfer at scale, with proposed GW scale systems with antenna array diameters on the order of 2km, with billions of antenna elements. In this paper a development of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld Diffraction Integral is introduced together with CUDA accelerated ray tracing for flexible modelling. A simplified parallel antenna array model is introduced at 10GHz demonstrating the effectiveness of different beamforming algorithms, together with preliminary results of a larger array scenario for wireless power transfer over 5.9km to a receiving array in a 5km square map tile.

UR - https://www.emts2025.it/

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M3 - Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

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T3 - 2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory, EMTS 2025

BT - 2025 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS)

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

T2 - The 2025 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory

Y2 - 23 June 2025 through 27 June 2025

ER -

A Scalable open-source electromagnetics model for Wireless power transfer and Space-Based Solar Power

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Research Groups and Themes

Access to Document

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An Overview of Gigascale Antenna Arrays and Electromagnetics for Space Based Solar Power

LyceanEM: GigaScale Electromagnetics for Beamforming and System Planning

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