Predicting short circuit current of single junction and multi-junction solar cells at low temperature for planetary missions

Author

Jenkins, Phillip ; Scheiman, David ; Brinker, David

Author_Institution

NYMA SETAR, NASA Lewis Res. Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

2228

Abstract

Past NASA missions to Mars, Jupiter and the outer planets were powered by radioisotope thermal generators. Future missions however, will have to rely on solar power to meet mission needs. Many of these missions will require cells to operate well below room temperature. In this paper quantum efficiency measurements taken at low temperature are used to study the response of single junction and multi-junction cells at low temperature. The following tandem systems were analysed: GaInP/GaAs, GaAs/GaSb and InP/InGaAs

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; p-n junctions; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor materials; short-circuit currents; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; GaAs-GaSb; GaAs/GaSb; GaInP-GaAs; GaInP/GaAs; InP-InGaAs; InP/InGaAs; Jupiter; Mars; NASA missions; low temperature; multi-junction solar cells; outer planets; planetary missions; quantum efficiency measurements; short circuit current prediction; single junction solar cells; tandem systems; Gallium arsenide; Jupiter; Mars; NASA; Planets; Power generation; Radioactive materials; Short circuit currents; Solar power generation; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.521667

Filename

521667