GaAs photovoltaic technology application: ARSENE solar array

Author

Brambilla, L. ; Caon, A. ; Contini, R. ; D´Accolti, C. ; Rossi, E. ; Verzeni, G. ; Flores, C. ; Paletta, F. ; Rapp, E. ; Viola, F.

Author_Institution

FIAR Spa, Italy

fYear

1993

fDate

10-14 May 1993

Firstpage

1453

Lastpage

1458

Abstract

This paper describes the solar array design, manufacturing and testing of ARSENE, a French radioamateur minisatellite planned for launch into an elliptic equatorial orbit (20000-36000 km) in May 1993 with the ARIANE 4 vehicle. The six solar panels composing the solar array embody 29 strings of 34 GaAs solar cells, series connected, necessary to meet the end-of-life power requirement of 42 W at 25.5 V. Different considerations that have led to the electrical design optimization and layout definition are discussed in the paper. Testing activity, successfully carried out both at panel level and satellite level, has completed the activity on the ARSENE satellite

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; artificial satellites; gallium arsenide; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor device testing; solar cell arrays; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; 25.5 V; 42 W; ARSENE solar array; French radioamateur minisatellite; GaAs; GaAs photovoltaic technology; electrical design optimization; electrical layout definition; elliptic equatorial orbit; end-of-life power requirement; solar cells; solar panels; testing activity; Costs; Gallium arsenide; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Satellite broadcasting; Silicon; Solar power generation; Space missions; Space technology; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1993., Conference Record of the Twenty Third IEEE

Conference_Location

Louisville, KY

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1220-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1993.346902

Filename

346902