Kyushu Institute of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Kyushu Institute of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Kyushu Institute of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Kyushu Institute of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
出版者
宇宙航空研究開発機構
出版者(英)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
雑誌名
宇宙航空研究開発機構特別資料
雑誌名(英)
JAXA Special Publication: 9th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference
巻
JAXA-SP-05-001E
ページ
179 - 191
発行年
2005-08-01
抄録(英)
Arcing on satellite solar array due to interaction with space plasma may cause permanent loss of satellite power, once the arc becomes permanent sustained arc. An arc on solar array becomes a secondary arc when solar array circuit is short-circuited and provides energy to the arc plasma. The permanent sustained arc, the final stage of the secondary arc, destroys a solar array string or the complete power circuits at the worst case. To investigate the threshold conditions for the secondary arc formation, laboratory tests are carried out in a xenon plasma chamber simulating LEO plasma environment with an external circuit simulating a spacecraft power system. Solar array coupon panels simulating the hot and return ends of a string circuit are tested for various combinations of string voltage and string current. Experimental results show that formation of secondary arc strongly depends on the string voltage and duration of secondary arc depends on the string current.