SPS, high voltage solar array, ambient plasma, aerospace environment, leak current, solar cell, electric discharge, potential distribution, glow discharge, research and development, arc discharge, LEO
その他のタイトル(英)
Basic experiment on the high voltage operation of a solar array system for SPS in plasma environment
Tokyo Institute of Technology Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Tokyo University of Science Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science
Shonan Institute of Technology Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Media Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Shonan Institute of Technology Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Media Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
National Space Development Agency of Japan
Tokyo Institute of Technology Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
出版者
宇宙科学研究所
出版者(英)
The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)
雑誌名
第22回宇宙エネルギーシンポジウム 平成14年度
雑誌名(英)
The 22nd ISAS Space Energy Symposium March 12, 2003
ページ
26 - 30
発行年
2003-05
抄録(英)
Recently, with the increase in the power requirements of the spacecraft, a solar array has the tendency to generate a high voltage in order to reduce a power loss in a cable and a power system. Especially, a solar power satellite (SPS) will be operated above several kV or several ten kV. In the existing satellites, as the interconnectors of the solar cells are exposed, in space environment, the electric discharge and the current leak occur through the ambient plasma. As the measures for these problems, it can be considered to use insulated films that cover the solar cells. But, it is desirable to avoid using those materials as much as possible, for the weight saving. Thus, it attempted to have the design and the operation of the high power and high voltage power system for the spacecraft, and a study is made on the formation of a potential distribution that is resistant to the electric discharge. The experiments were carried out concerning the interaction between ambient plasma, which simulates the low earth orbit conditions, and the high voltage solar array using a simulated solar array panel. In this paper, experimental results are described regarding the behavior of the plasma sheath on the interconnectors that is very important when a solar array generates a high voltage in plasma.