Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Solar Panels on MarsThe Materials Adherence Experiment on the Mars Pathfinder mission measured an obscuration of the solar arrays due to dust deposition at a rate of about 0.2 8% per day. It was estimated that settling dust may cause degradation in performance of a solar panel of between 22% and 89% over the course of two years [1, 2]. These results were obtained without the presence of a global dust storm. Several types of adherence forces keep dust particles attached to surfaces. The most widely discussed adherence force is the electrostatic force. Laboratory experiments [3] as well as indirect evidence from the Wheel Abrasion Experiment on Pathfinder [4] indicate that it is very likely that the particles suspended in the Martian atmosphere are electrostatically charged.
Document ID
20120003264
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Calle, C. I. (NASA Kennedy Space Center Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Buhler, C. R. (ASRC Aerospace Corp. Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Mantovani, J. G. (Florida Inst. of Tech. Melbourne, FL, United States)
Clements S. (Appalachian State Univ. Boone, NC, United States)
Chen, A. (Oklahoma Baptist Univ. Shawnee, OK, United States)
Mazumder, M. K. (Arkansas Univ. Little Rock, AR, United States)
Biris, A. S. (Arkansas Univ. Little Rock, AR, United States)
Nowicki, A. W. (ASRC Aerospace Corp. Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)