Solar power from space

　　太空太陽能

　　Beam it down, Scotty

　　老兄，傳下來吧

　　Harvesting solar power in space, for use on Earth,comes a step closer to reality

　　在太空獲取太陽能以供地球之用:夢想距現(xiàn)實又近了一步

　　THE idea of collecting solar energy in space and beaming it to Earth has been around for atleast 70 years.

　　在太空獲取太陽能并傳送回地球這一創(chuàng)意存在了至少有70年了。

　　In Reason, a short story by Isaac Asimov that was published in 1941, a space stationtransmits energy collected from the sun to various planets using microwave beams.

　　由艾薩克阿西莫夫創(chuàng)作、1941年發(fā)表的短篇故事《推理》，描述了一個太空站將獲取的太陽能以微波束的方式傳送至多個星球的場景。

　　The advantage of intercepting sunlight in space, instead of letting it find its own way throughthe atmosphere, is that so much gets absorbed by the air.

　　相比于讓陽光穿過大氣層后再獲取太陽能，在太空中截取太陽能的一大優(yōu)點就是大氣吸收的能量很少。

　　By converting it to the rightfrequency first a space-based collector could, enthusiasts claim, yield on average fivetimes as much power as one located on the ground.

　　熱衷者聲稱，首先通過調(diào)節(jié)陽光至適當頻率，在太空中的太陽能收集器可以吸收五倍于地面收集器的能源。

　　The disadvantage is cost.

　　缺點在于成本高。

　　Launching and maintaining suitable satellites would be ludicrously expensive.

　　適用衛(wèi)星的發(fā)射和維護成本會高得驚人。

　　But perhaps not, if the satellites were small and the customers specialised.

　　但也許不會如果衛(wèi)星足夠小、且是為專門客戶服務。

　　Military expeditions, rescuers in disaster zones, remote desalination plants andscientific-research bases might be willing to pay for such power from the sky.

　　軍事遠征隊、災區(qū)救援人員、偏遠的脫鹽工廠和科研基地也許會愿意為太空太陽能買單。

　　And a research group based at the University of Surrey, in England, hopes that in a few yearsit will be possible to offer it to them.

　　英國薩里大學的一個研究小組希望在未來幾年內(nèi)可以提供太空太陽能。

　　Heavenly power

　　天國能源

　　This summer, Stephen Sweeney and his colleagues will test a laser that would do the jobwhich Asimov assigned to microwaves.

　　今年夏天，斯蒂芬斯維尼和同事將測試一個激光器，該激光器用來完成阿西莫夫為微波指派的任務。

　　Certainly, microwaves would work: a test carried out in 2008 transmitted useful amounts ofmicrowave energy between two Hawaiian islands 148km apart, so penetrating the 100kmof the atmosphere would be a doddle.

　　當然，微波可以發(fā)揮作用：2008年進行的一項測試為相距148公里的夏威夷兩島傳送了大量的微波能，所以穿越100公里的大氣層應該易如反掌。

　　But microwaves spread out as they propagate.

　　但微波在傳送過程中會擴散。

　　A collector on Earth that was picking up power from a geostationary satellite orbiting at analtitude of 35,800km would need to be spread over hundreds of square metres.

　　接收35,800公里外的地球同步衛(wèi)星傳送的能源所需的地面收集器需覆蓋數(shù)百平方米。

　　Using a laser means the collector need be only tens of square metres in area.

　　而使用激光器則意味著收集器面積僅需達到幾十平米。

　　Dr Sweeney s team, working in collaboration with Astrium,

　　斯維尼博士的團隊正與衛(wèi)星和太空公司Astrium合作。

　　a satellite-and-space company that is part of EADS, a European aerospace group, will test thesystem in a large aircraft hangar in Germany.

　　Astrium隸屬于歐洲一航天集團歐洲宇航防務集團。斯維尼博士的團隊將在德國一座大型飛機庫測試該系統(tǒng)。

　　The beam itself will be produced by a device called a fibre laser.

　　光束將由光纖激光器發(fā)出。

　　This generates the coherent light of a laser beam in the core of a long, thin optical fibre.

　　該激光器利用細長的光纖核心匯聚激光束。

　　That means the beam produced is of higher quality than other lasers, is extremely straightand can thus be focused onto a small area.

　　這意味著產(chǎn)生的光束比其他激光器發(fā)射的光束質(zhì)量更高，最直接，也因此可以匯聚到更小的區(qū)域內(nèi)。

　　Another bonus is that such lasers are becoming more efficient and ever more powerful.

　　另外一個益處就是此類激光器效率正逐步提高、力量更大。

　　In the case of Dr Sweeney s fibre laser, the beam will have a wavelength of 1.5 microns,making it part of the infra-red spectrum. This wavelength corresponds to one of the bestwindows in the atmosphere.

　　斯維尼博士采用的光纖激光器發(fā)射的光束波長將達到1.5微米，從而使其達到紅外線的光譜范圍。該波長正處于大氣最佳窗口之一。

　　The beam will be aimed at a collector on the other side of the hangar, rather than severalkilometres away.

　　光束將瞄準飛機庫另一側的而不是數(shù)公里之外的收集器。

　　The idea is to test the effects on the atmospheric window of various pollutants, and also ofwater vapour, by releasing them into the building.

　　通過釋放各種污染物以及水蒸氣至機庫中，該創(chuàng)意旨在測試這些物質(zhì)對大氣窗口的影響。

　　Assuming all goes well, the next step will be to test the system in space.

　　如果一切都進行順利，下一步將是在太空中測試該系統(tǒng)。

　　That could happen about five years from now, perhaps using a laser on the InternationalSpace Station to transmit solar power collected by its panels to Earth.

　　這可能要在五年之后實現(xiàn)，或許會利用國際空間站上的激光器將空間站電池板收集的太陽能傳送回地球。

　　Such an experimental system would deliver but a kilowatt of power, as a test.

　　作為測試，該試驗系統(tǒng)將只傳送一千瓦的能量。

　　In 10-15 years Astrium hopes it will be possible to deploy a complete, small-scale orbitingpower station producing significantly more than that from its own solar cells.

　　Astrium 希望在未來10到15年的時間內(nèi)能夠建立一個完整的、小規(guī)模的、沿軌道運行的太陽能站，利用自身的太陽能電池發(fā)出大量電能。

　　Other researchers, in America and Japan, are also looking at using lasers rather thanmicrowaves to transmit power through the atmosphere.

　　美日其他研究者也在考慮棄微波、用激光器，穿過大氣層將能量傳送回地球。

　　NASA, America s space agency, has started using them to beam energy to remotelycontrolled drones.

　　美國航天機構國家航空航天局已開始采用激光器傳送能源至遙控飛機。

　　Each stage of converting and transmitting power results in a loss of efficiency, but withtechnological improvements these losses are being reduced.

　　能量轉化、傳送的每一個環(huán)節(jié)都會有一定的功耗，但隨著技術的改進，損耗正在降低。

　　Some of the latest solar cells, for instance, can covert sunlight into electricity with anefficiency of more than 40%. In the 1980s, 20% was thought good.

　　例如，部分最新型的太陽能電池將陽光轉換成電能的功率超過了40%。而在上世紀80年代，20%的功率就很高了。

　　Whether the Astrium system will remain a specialised novelty or will be the forerunner ofsomething more like the cosmic power stations of Asimov s imagination is anybody s guess.

　　Astrium 系統(tǒng)將是一個專業(yè)用途的創(chuàng)新，還是某個更接近阿西莫夫想象中的太空太陽能電站的先導?一切都還是未知數(shù)。

　　But if it comes to pass at all, it will be an intriguing example, like the geostationarycommunications satellites dreamed up by Asimov s contemporary, Arthur C. Clarke, of themusings of a science-fiction author becoming science fact.

　　但倘若系統(tǒng)通過測試，它定將激起人們的興趣，正如與阿西莫夫同一時代的科幻小說作家亞瑟C克拉克所夢想的地球同步通訊衛(wèi)星一樣夢想最終成為了現(xiàn)實。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.solar a.太陽的;太陽能的

　　Solar irradiance decreases towards the poles.

　　太陽輻照率向兩極遞減。

　　2.transmit v.傳達;傳染

　　Gypsies frequently transmit recipes orally withinthe family.

　　吉普賽人經(jīng)常以口頭形式把秘方世代相傳。

　　3.atmosphere n.大氣;空氣;氣氛

　　The burning of fossil fuels results in the pollution of the atmosphere.

　　礦物燃料的燃燒導致了大氣污染。

　　4.ludicrous a.荒謬的;可笑的

　　It is ludicrous to argue that this would be an insupportable burden.

　　認為這種負擔不可承受的說法是荒謬的。

　　5.customer n.顧客;主顧

　　My father asked me to see the customer to the door.

　　我父親要我送顧客到門口。

　　Solar power from space

　　太空太陽能

　　Beam it down, Scotty

　　老兄，傳下來吧

　　Harvesting solar power in space, for use on Earth,comes a step closer to reality

　　在太空獲取太陽能以供地球之用:夢想距現(xiàn)實又近了一步

　　THE idea of collecting solar energy in space and beaming it to Earth has been around for atleast 70 years.

　　在太空獲取太陽能并傳送回地球這一創(chuàng)意存在了至少有70年了。

　　In Reason, a short story by Isaac Asimov that was published in 1941, a space stationtransmits energy collected from the sun to various planets using microwave beams.

　　由艾薩克阿西莫夫創(chuàng)作、1941年發(fā)表的短篇故事《推理》，描述了一個太空站將獲取的太陽能以微波束的方式傳送至多個星球的場景。

　　The advantage of intercepting sunlight in space, instead of letting it find its own way throughthe atmosphere, is that so much gets absorbed by the air.

　　相比于讓陽光穿過大氣層后再獲取太陽能，在太空中截取太陽能的一大優(yōu)點就是大氣吸收的能量很少。

　　By converting it to the rightfrequency first a space-based collector could, enthusiasts claim, yield on average fivetimes as much power as one located on the ground.

　　熱衷者聲稱，首先通過調(diào)節(jié)陽光至適當頻率，在太空中的太陽能收集器可以吸收五倍于地面收集器的能源。

　　The disadvantage is cost.

　　缺點在于成本高。

　　Launching and maintaining suitable satellites would be ludicrously expensive.

　　適用衛(wèi)星的發(fā)射和維護成本會高得驚人。

　　But perhaps not, if the satellites were small and the customers specialised.

　　但也許不會如果衛(wèi)星足夠小、且是為專門客戶服務。

　　Military expeditions, rescuers in disaster zones, remote desalination plants andscientific-research bases might be willing to pay for such power from the sky.

　　軍事遠征隊、災區(qū)救援人員、偏遠的脫鹽工廠和科研基地也許會愿意為太空太陽能買單。

　　And a research group based at the University of Surrey, in England, hopes that in a few yearsit will be possible to offer it to them.

　　英國薩里大學的一個研究小組希望在未來幾年內(nèi)可以提供太空太陽能。

　　Heavenly power

　　天國能源

　　This summer, Stephen Sweeney and his colleagues will test a laser that would do the jobwhich Asimov assigned to microwaves.

　　今年夏天，斯蒂芬斯維尼和同事將測試一個激光器，該激光器用來完成阿西莫夫為微波指派的任務。

　　Certainly, microwaves would work: a test carried out in 2008 transmitted useful amounts ofmicrowave energy between two Hawaiian islands 148km apart, so penetrating the 100kmof the atmosphere would be a doddle.

　　當然，微波可以發(fā)揮作用：2008年進行的一項測試為相距148公里的夏威夷兩島傳送了大量的微波能，所以穿越100公里的大氣層應該易如反掌。

　　But microwaves spread out as they propagate.

　　但微波在傳送過程中會擴散。

　　A collector on Earth that was picking up power from a geostationary satellite orbiting at analtitude of 35,800km would need to be spread over hundreds of square metres.

　　接收35,800公里外的地球同步衛(wèi)星傳送的能源所需的地面收集器需覆蓋數(shù)百平方米。

　　Using a laser means the collector need be only tens of square metres in area.

　　而使用激光器則意味著收集器面積僅需達到幾十平米。

　　Dr Sweeney s team, working in collaboration with Astrium,

　　斯維尼博士的團隊正與衛(wèi)星和太空公司Astrium合作。

　　a satellite-and-space company that is part of EADS, a European aerospace group, will test thesystem in a large aircraft hangar in Germany.

　　Astrium隸屬于歐洲一航天集團歐洲宇航防務集團。斯維尼博士的團隊將在德國一座大型飛機庫測試該系統(tǒng)。

　　The beam itself will be produced by a device called a fibre laser.

　　光束將由光纖激光器發(fā)出。

　　This generates the coherent light of a laser beam in the core of a long, thin optical fibre.

　　該激光器利用細長的光纖核心匯聚激光束。

　　That means the beam produced is of higher quality than other lasers, is extremely straightand can thus be focused onto a small area.

　　這意味著產(chǎn)生的光束比其他激光器發(fā)射的光束質(zhì)量更高，最直接，也因此可以匯聚到更小的區(qū)域內(nèi)。

　　Another bonus is that such lasers are becoming more efficient and ever more powerful.

　　另外一個益處就是此類激光器效率正逐步提高、力量更大。

　　In the case of Dr Sweeney s fibre laser, the beam will have a wavelength of 1.5 microns,making it part of the infra-red spectrum. This wavelength corresponds to one of the bestwindows in the atmosphere.

　　斯維尼博士采用的光纖激光器發(fā)射的光束波長將達到1.5微米，從而使其達到紅外線的光譜范圍。該波長正處于大氣最佳窗口之一。

　　The beam will be aimed at a collector on the other side of the hangar, rather than severalkilometres away.

　　光束將瞄準飛機庫另一側的而不是數(shù)公里之外的收集器。

　　The idea is to test the effects on the atmospheric window of various pollutants, and also ofwater vapour, by releasing them into the building.

　　通過釋放各種污染物以及水蒸氣至機庫中，該創(chuàng)意旨在測試這些物質(zhì)對大氣窗口的影響。

　　Assuming all goes well, the next step will be to test the system in space.

　　如果一切都進行順利，下一步將是在太空中測試該系統(tǒng)。

　　That could happen about five years from now, perhaps using a laser on the InternationalSpace Station to transmit solar power collected by its panels to Earth.

　　這可能要在五年之后實現(xiàn)，或許會利用國際空間站上的激光器將空間站電池板收集的太陽能傳送回地球。

　　Such an experimental system would deliver but a kilowatt of power, as a test.

　　作為測試，該試驗系統(tǒng)將只傳送一千瓦的能量。

　　In 10-15 years Astrium hopes it will be possible to deploy a complete, small-scale orbitingpower station producing significantly more than that from its own solar cells.

　　Astrium 希望在未來10到15年的時間內(nèi)能夠建立一個完整的、小規(guī)模的、沿軌道運行的太陽能站，利用自身的太陽能電池發(fā)出大量電能。

　　Other researchers, in America and Japan, are also looking at using lasers rather thanmicrowaves to transmit power through the atmosphere.

　　美日其他研究者也在考慮棄微波、用激光器，穿過大氣層將能量傳送回地球。

　　NASA, America s space agency, has started using them to beam energy to remotelycontrolled drones.

　　美國航天機構國家航空航天局已開始采用激光器傳送能源至遙控飛機。

　　Each stage of converting and transmitting power results in a loss of efficiency, but withtechnological improvements these losses are being reduced.

　　能量轉化、傳送的每一個環(huán)節(jié)都會有一定的功耗，但隨著技術的改進，損耗正在降低。

　　Some of the latest solar cells, for instance, can covert sunlight into electricity with anefficiency of more than 40%. In the 1980s, 20% was thought good.

　　例如，部分最新型的太陽能電池將陽光轉換成電能的功率超過了40%。而在上世紀80年代，20%的功率就很高了。

　　Whether the Astrium system will remain a specialised novelty or will be the forerunner ofsomething more like the cosmic power stations of Asimov s imagination is anybody s guess.

　　Astrium 系統(tǒng)將是一個專業(yè)用途的創(chuàng)新，還是某個更接近阿西莫夫想象中的太空太陽能電站的先導?一切都還是未知數(shù)。

　　But if it comes to pass at all, it will be an intriguing example, like the geostationarycommunications satellites dreamed up by Asimov s contemporary, Arthur C. Clarke, of themusings of a science-fiction author becoming science fact.

　　但倘若系統(tǒng)通過測試，它定將激起人們的興趣，正如與阿西莫夫同一時代的科幻小說作家亞瑟C克拉克所夢想的地球同步通訊衛(wèi)星一樣夢想最終成為了現(xiàn)實。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.solar a.太陽的;太陽能的

　　Solar irradiance decreases towards the poles.

　　太陽輻照率向兩極遞減。

　　2.transmit v.傳達;傳染

　　Gypsies frequently transmit recipes orally withinthe family.

　　吉普賽人經(jīng)常以口頭形式把秘方世代相傳。

　　3.atmosphere n.大氣;空氣;氣氛

　　The burning of fossil fuels results in the pollution of the atmosphere.

　　礦物燃料的燃燒導致了大氣污染。

　　4.ludicrous a.荒謬的;可笑的

　　It is ludicrous to argue that this would be an insupportable burden.

　　認為這種負擔不可承受的說法是荒謬的。

　　5.customer n.顧客;主顧

　　My father asked me to see the customer to the door.

　　我父親要我送顧客到門口。