Three types of solid state Remote Power Controllers

Three types of solid state Remote Power Controller (RPC) circuits for 120 VDC spacecraft distribution systems have been developed and evaluated. Both current limiting and non-current limiting modes of overload protection were developed and were demonstrated to be feasible. A second generation of circuits was developed which offers comparable performance with substantially less cost and complexity. Electrical efficiency for both generations is 98.5 to 99%. This paper describes various aspects of the circuit design, trade-off studies, and experimental test results. Comparisons of design parameters, component requirements, and engineering model evaluations will emphasize the high efficiency and reliability of the designs.