Balloon and Lear Jet Testing of Scarlet Modules and Cells

Abstract

This paper presents test results from SCARLET (Solar Concentrator Array with Refractive Linear Element Technology) experiments performed on several Lewis Research Center Lear jet flights and two JPL balloon flights. The tests were performed in support of the BMDO sponsored SCARLET II program, which is building a 2.6 kW SCARLET solar array to supply the primary power for the JPL New Millennium Deep Space 1 Mission. The experiments involve TECSTAR dual junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge cells flown bare and under two different types of SCARLET lenses. The two types of lenses tested were a developmental design consisting of monolithic THV fluoroplastic and the current baseline flight design consisting of ceria-doped microsheet and silicone. Measured lens and total module efficiencies are presented and the flight data is compared to various solar simulator test results.