The first solar array with 5 μm GaAs solar cells

Author

Bebermeier, Helmut ; Brõker, Hartmut ; Wehner, Karl-Heinz

Author_Institution

Dornier Satellitensyst. GmbH, Germany

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

301

Lastpage

304

Abstract

5 μm thick GaAs solar cells and the corresponding module and solar array technology have been developed under support of DARA and EsteC. The main advantages of this technology are: high electrical conversion efficiency; potential improvements by multijunction systems; bifacial application in LEO applications; and submodule protection against reverse operation by integrated shunt diodes. The first application of the 5 μm GaAs technology is the German small satellite Equator-S. The satellite will be launched into a 500/63000 km orbit in 1997

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aerospace testing; gallium arsenide; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor device testing; semiconductor thin films; solar cell arrays; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; 5 mum; 500 km; Equator-S satellite; GaAs; GaAs space power solar cell array; LEO; bifacial application; conversion efficiency; solar cell modules; submodule reverse operation protection; ultrathin solar cells; Batteries; Electrons; Gallium arsenide; Glass; Payloads; Photovoltaic cells; Satellites; Space technology; Space vehicles; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3166-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1996.564005

Filename

564005