Gallium Arsenid device technology is nearing production readiness. Latest flight information from the LIPS II satellite shows satisfactory performance. System designers seriously pursue gallium for flight applications, servicing launch and mission requirements previously limited by silicon. Weight and product cost limit the use of gallium for broader applications. Cell costs for 1-2 kW satellites would increase from 1 % (Si) to an estimated 5 % (GaAs) of total satellite cost, yet the offset in improved power to weight ratios and extended mission life (about 60 %), as well as lower operating temperature and improved power to area (about 50 %) are just a few elements that warrant systems savings far in excess of the increased cell cost. In order to achieve superiority in weight to power density to area for arrays using gallium arsenide solar cells, the weight of the gallium panel has been optimized and compared to the state-of-the-art silicon panel in industry. The improvement described is realized in thinner GaAs devices (about 150 micrometers) and a more weight efficient rigid panel structure. The construction of the GaAs panel uses 'welded' interconnects.
Rigid lightweight GaAs solar array design
Entwurf eines leichten starren GaAs-Solarzellenfeldes
1985
5 Seiten, 3 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 9 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Lightweight rigid multi-kilowatt solar arrays.
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