Tandem concentrator photovoltaic array applied to Space Station Freedom evolutionary power requirements

Abstract

Additional power is required to support Space Station Freedom (SSF) evolution. Boeing Defense and Space Group, LeRC, and Entech Corporation have participated in the development of efficiency gallium arsenide and gallium antimonide solar cells make up the solar array tandem cell stacks. Entech's Mini-Dome Fresnel Lens Concentrators focus solar energy onto the active area of the solar cells at 50 times one solar energy flux. Development testing for a flight array, to be launched in Nov. 1992 is under way with support from LeRC. The tandem cells, interconnect wiring, concentrator lenses, and structure were integrated into arrays subjected to environmental testing. A tandem concentrator array can provide high mass and area specific power and can provide equal power with significantly less array area and weight than the baseline array design. Alternatively, for SSF growth, an array of twice the baseline power can be designed which still has a smaller drag area than the baseline.