Preliminary results from the Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment flight test

Author

Brinker, David J. ; Hart, R.E. ; Hickey, John R.

Author_Institution

NASA Lewis Res. Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

fYear

1990

fDate

21-25 May 1990

Firstpage

1213

Abstract

The Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment is a space flight test designed to provide reference cell standards for photovoltaic measurements and to investigate the solar spectrum and the effect of the space environment on solar cells. After a flight of 69 months in low Earth orbit as part of the Long Duration Exposure Facility set of experiments, it was retrieved in January 1990. The electronic data acquisition system functioned as designed, measuring and recording cell performance data over the first 358 days of flight, limited by battery lifetime. Significant physical changes are also readily apparent, including erosion of front surface paint, micrometeoroid and debris cratering, and contamination

Keywords

solar cells; space vehicles; testing; Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment; Long Duration Exposure Facility; battery lifetime; contamination; debris cratering; electronic data acquisition system; flight test; low Earth orbit; micrometeoroid cratering; paint erosion; photovoltaic measurements; solar cells; Aerospace electronics; Data acquisition; Extraterrestrial measurements; Low earth orbit satellites; Measurement standards; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Pollution measurement; Solar power generation; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1990., Conference Record of the Twenty First IEEE

Conference_Location

Kissimmee, FL

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1990.111808

Filename

111808