NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Promising Results from Three NASA SBIR Solar Array Technology Development ProgramsResults from three NASA SBIR solar array technology programs are presented. The programs discussed are: 1) Thin Film Photovoltaic UltraFlex Solar Array; 2) Low Cost/Mass Electrostatically Clean Solar Array (ESCA); and 3) Stretched Lens Array SquareRigger (SLASR). The purpose of the Thin Film UltraFlex (TFUF) Program is to mature and validate the use of advanced flexible thin film photovoltaics blankets as the electrical subsystem element within an UltraFlex solar array structural system. In this program operational prototype flexible array segments, using United Solar amorphous silicon cells, are being manufactured and tested for the flight qualified UltraFlex structure. In addition, large size (e.g. 10 kW GEO) TFUF wing systems are being designed and analyzed. Thermal cycle and electrical test and analysis results from the TFUF program are presented. The purpose of the second program entitled, Low Cost/Mass Electrostatically Clean Solar Array (ESCA) System, is to develop an Electrostatically Clean Solar Array meeting NASA s design requirements and ready this technology for commercialization and use on the NASA MMS and GED missions. The ESCA designs developed use flight proven materials and processes to create a ESCA system that yields low cost, low mass, high reliability, high power density, and is adaptable to any cell type and coverglass thickness. All program objectives, which included developing specifications, creating ESCA concepts, concept analysis and trade studies, producing detailed designs of the most promising ESCA treatments, manufacturing ESCA demonstration panels, and LEO (2,000 cycles) and GEO (1,350 cycles) thermal cycling testing of the down-selected designs were successfully achieved. The purpose of the third program entitled, "High Power Platform for the Stretched Lens Array," is to develop an extremely lightweight, high efficiency, high power, high voltage, and low stowed volume solar array suitable for very high power (multi-kW to MW) applications. These objectives are achieved by combining two cutting edge technologies, the SquareRigger solar array structure and the Stretched Lens Array (SLA). The SLA SquareRigger solar array is termed SLASR. All program objectives, which included developing specifications, creating preliminary designs for a near-term SLASR, detailed structural, mass, power, and sizing analyses, fabrication and power testing of a functional flight-like SLASR solar blanket, were successfully achieved.
Document ID
20050206379
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Eskenazi, Mike
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
White, Steve
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
Spence, Brian
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
Douglas, Mark
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
Glick, Mike
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
Pavlick, Ariel
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
Murphy, David
(Able Engineering Co., Inc. Goleta, CA, United States)
O'Neill, Mark
(Entech, Inc. Keller, TX, United States)
McDanal, A. J.
(Entech, Inc. Keller, TX, United States)
Piszczor, Michael
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: 18th Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology Conference
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS3-03017
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
No Preview Available