Power Systems Research at MSFC
Power system developments for rockets and space flights - fuel cells, improved zinc-silver oxide battery, brushless dc motors, switching transformer regulator, and Pegasus electricity
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Power system developments for rockets and space flights - fuel cells, improved zinc-silver oxide battery, brushless dc motors, switching transformer regulator, and Pegasus electricity
Analyses of Marzolf tunnel diode inverter, dc to dc regulated converter, and self-regulating dc to sine wave inverter for use in spacecraft power conditioning systems
High efficiency dc to dc converter regulators for spacecraft power supply
Nondissipative dc to dc regulator-converter study
Sensing circuit in which a tunnel diode controls a series regulator transistor protects a low voltage transistorized dc regulator from damage by excessive load currents. When a fault occurs, the faulty circuit is limited to a preset percentage of the current when limiting first occurs.
Nondissipatively regulated variable frequency DC TO DC converter with variable on time and variable off time
Variable ratio dc transformer regulator used to process main vehicle power from solar array battery power system in radio astronomy explorer spacecraft
Built by the Lockheed-Martin Corporation, the Earth Observing System (EOS) TERRA spacecraft represents the first orbiting application of a 120 Vdc high voltage spacecraft electrical power system implemented by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The EOS TERRA spacecraft's launch provided a major contribution to the NASA Mission to Planet Earth program while incorporating many state of the art electrical power system technologies to achieve its mission goals. The EOS TERRA spacecraft was designed around five state-of-the-art scientific instrument packages designed to monitor key parameters associated with the earth's climate. The development focus of the TERRA electrical power system (EPS) resulted from a need for high power distribution to the EOS TERRA spacecraft subsystems and instruments and minimizing mass and parasitic losses. Also important as a design goal of the EPS was maintaining tight regulation on voltage and achieving low conducted bus noise characteristics. This paper outlines the major requirements for the EPS as well as the resulting hardware implementation approach adopted to meet the demands of the EOS TERRA low earth orbit mission. The selected orbit, based on scientific needs, to achieve the EOS TERRA mission goals is a sun-synchronous circular 98.2degree inclination Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a near circular average altitude of 705 kilometers. The nominal spacecraft orbit is approximately 99 minutes with an average eclipse period of about 34 minutes. The scientific goal of the selected orbit is to maintain a repeated 10:30 a.m. +/- 15 minute descending equatorial crossing which provides a fairly clear view of the earth's surface and relatively low cloud interference for the instrument observation measurements. The major EOS TERRA EPS design requirements are single fault tolerant, average orbit power delivery of 2, 530 watts with a defined minimum lifetime of five years (EOL). To meet these mission requirements, while minimizing mass and parasitic power losses, the EOS TERRA project relies on 36, 096 high efficiency Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) on Germanium solar cells adhered to a deployable flexible solar array designed to provide over 5,000 watts of power at EOL. To meet the eclipse power demands of the spacecraft, EOS TERRA selected an application of two 54-cell series connected Individual Pressure Vessel (IPV) Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH2) 50 Ampere-Hour batteries. All of the spacecraft observatory electrical power is controlled via the TERRA Power Distribution Unit (PDU) which is designed to provide main bus regulation of 120 Vdc +/- -4% at all load interfaces through the implementation of majority voter control of both the spacecraft's solar array sequential shunt unit (SSU) and the two battery bi-directional charge and discharge regulators. This paper will review the major electrical power system requirement drivers for the EOS TERRA mission as well as some of the challenges encountered during the development, testing, and implementation of the power system. In addition, spacecraft test and early on orbit performance results will also be covered.
A method for the regulation of a capacitor diode voltage multiplier dc-dc converter has been developed which has only minor penalties in weight and efficiency. An auxiliary inductor is used, which only handles a fraction of the total power, to control the output voltage through a pulse width modulation method in a buck boost circuit.
A method for the regulation of a capacitor diode voltage multiplier dc-dc converter has been developed which has only minor penalties in weight and efficiency. An auxiliary inductor is used, which only handles a fraction of the total power, to control the output voltage through a pulse width modulation method in a buck boost circuit.
Seven-transistor voltage stabilizer with output power of 25 watts
High temperature ceramic rectifier, thyratrons, and voltage reference tubes for use in nuclear- electric space power systems
Ground emitter transistor amplifier biasing to improve quiescent voltage stability and minimum power dissipation
DC to DC HF converter using two synchronized complementary converters to minimize ripple and filtering problems
RC network and ideal current negative immittance converter with unity gain used in obtaining RLC VOLTAGE transfer functions
Voltage transformation and power/energy utilization of radioisotopic thermoelectric generator source /RTG/ for space applications, analyzing components, inverter/converter circuits, etc
Single cell batteries with low input voltage conversion regulation considered as long life energy storage system, noting circuit integration
Design, fabrication, and testing of 12-kilowatt inductor alternator, voltage regulator-exciter, and parasitic loading speed controller - summary