LEO spacecraft leakage current and discharging phenomena: TRW LDEF SP-HVDE (space plasma-high voltage drainage experiment)

Author

Yaung, J.Y. ; Wong, W.C. ; Blakkolb, B.K. ; Ryan, L.E. ; Taylor, W.W.L.

Author_Institution

TRW, Redondo Beach, CA, USA

fYear

1991

fDate

7-11 Oct 1991

Firstpage

1566

Abstract

Two identical SP-HVDE solar cell trays were flown in the NASA 5.75-year LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility), one near the leading edge and the other near the trailing edge, in the LEO (low Earth orbit) environment. Each experiment tray consisted of six assemblies with each made of Kapton dielectric samples of varying thickness (i.e., 2 mils, 3 mils, and 5 mils) biased under ±300 V, ±500 V, and ±1000 V. The objectives have been successfully achieved by measuring the first post-flight long-term (i.e. roughly 8-month experiment) average leakage current through 95% measurable coulombmeters and surface materials

Keywords

leakage currents; solar cell arrays; space vehicle power plants; 1000 V; 2 mm; 3 mm; 300 V; 5 mm; 500 V; Kapton dielectric samples; Long Duration Exposure Facility; NASA; coulombmeters; discharging phenomena; leakage current; solar cells; space plasma-high voltage drainage experiment; spacecraft; surface materials; Current measurement; Dielectric measurements; Extraterrestrial measurements; Lead; Leakage current; Low earth orbit satellites; NASA; Photovoltaic cells; Space vehicles; Thickness measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1991., Conference Record of the Twenty Second IEEE

Conference_Location

Las Vegas, NV

Print_ISBN

0-87942-636-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1991.169467

Filename

169467