Influence of Multijunction Ga/As Solar Array Parasitic Capacitance in S3R and Solving Methods for High-Power Applications

This paper deals with the influence produced by the solar array parasitic capacitance and its solving methods in the sequential switching shunt regulator (S3R). Nowadays, the usage of triple-junction Ga/As solar cells with larger parasitic capacitance has prompted new problems about power losses, steady state, and dynamic response in the S3R, especially for high section current, voltage applications. Effects of parasitic capacitance on voltage ripple, “double sectioning,” phase margin, and output impedance are represented and analyzed, and turn-off delay caused by parasitic capacitance is mathematically modeled. A novel shunt regulator topology passive and active shunt regulator (PASR) with low switching losses, low mass, and short turn-off time delay is proposed. To further reduce the impact of delay, nonlinear control is added in the control loop, achieving better performances in the stability margin, output impedance, and dynamic performance. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the proposed PASR together with nonlinear control scheme.