Title :
Intermediate report on development of high voltage solar array in LEO plasma environment
Author :
Cho, Mengu ; Hosoda, Satoshi ; Okumura, Teppei ; Kim, Jeongho
Author_Institution :
Kyushu Inst. of Technol., Fukuoka, Japan
Abstract :
Summary form only given. The use of high power in future space missions calls for high voltage power generation and transmission to minimize the energy loss during power transmission and the cable mass. In order to promote industrial use of low earth orbit (LEO), such as manufacturing, sightseeing, or power generation, the power of a large LEO platform after the International Space Station (ISS) will soon reach the level of MW. In principle, the transmission voltage scales to the square root of the power to be delivered. Therefore, in order to realize a MW-class space platform, the power must be delivered at 400 volts at least. In order to realize 400 volts operation in LEO, arcing caused by interaction between the spacecraft and the surrounding LEO plasma must be overcome (D.E. Hastings et al, J. Spacecraft and Rockets, 29, pp. 538-554, 1992). The purpose of the present paper is to report the results of laboratory experiments carried out to develop a solar array capable of generating electricity at 400 V in LEO plasma environment. The development effort is carried out to suppress the inception of arcing completely.
Keywords :
Earth orbit; arcs (electric); astrophysical plasma; high-voltage techniques; microwave power transmission; plasma interactions; solar cell arrays; solar power satellites; solar power stations; space power generation; 400 V; ISS; International Space Station; LEO; LEO plasma environment; LEO platform power; arcing suppression; cable mass; energy loss; high voltage power generation; high voltage power transmission; high voltage solar array; low earth orbit industrial use; operating voltage; space missions; space platform; spacecraft-LEO plasma interaction; transmission voltage scaling; Energy loss; Low earth orbit satellites; Plasma applications; Plasma materials processing; Power generation; Power transmission; Solar power generation; Space missions; Space vehicles; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Radio Science Conference, 2004. Proceedings. 2004 Asia-Pacific
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-8404-0
DOI :
10.1109/APRASC.2004.1422580