Design and manufacturing experience with GaAs/Ge solar cells as gained with the TEMPO solar generator program

Author

Schultze, Wolf D.

Author_Institution

Solar Array Technol., Daimler Benz Aerosp., Muenchen, Germany

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

357

Lastpage

360

Abstract

Besides a few relatively small applications, to date practically all spacecraft have been alimented by solar arrays based on silicon solar cells. Different types of cells have been developed resulting in different characteristics and cost. The relation is, however relatively proportional. The TEMPO digital communication satellite is the first to use GaAs/Ge solar cells in large quantities. For three identical arrays, around 80,000 cells have been applied so far; further rebuilds have also been started. In the following paper, the main relevant application differences of GaAs/Ge solar cells are compared with standard and advanced Si solar cells as currently used in the space power field

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; artificial satellites; design engineering; elemental semiconductors; gallium arsenide; germanium; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor device manufacture; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; GaAs-Ge; GaAs/Ge solar cells; TEMPO digital communication satellite; TEMPO solar generator program; design experience; manufacturing experience; solar arrays; space power solar cells; Assembly; Degradation; Gallium arsenide; Manufacturing; Photovoltaic cells; Satellites; Silicon; Solar power generation; Space technology; 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.1996.564019

Filename

564019