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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Lifetime and diffusion length measurements on silicon material and solar cells

Experimental methods were evaluated for the determination of lifetime and diffusion length in silicon intentionally doped with potentially lifetime-degrading impurities found in metallurgical grade silicon, impurities which may be residual in low-cost silicon intended for use in terrestrial flat-plate arrays. Lifetime measurements were made using a steady-state photoconductivity method. Diffusion length determinations were made using short-circuit current measurements under penetrating illumination. Mutual consistency among all experimental methods was verified, but steady-state photoconductivity was found preferable to photoconductivity decay at short lifetimes and in the presence of traps. The effects of a number of impurities on lifetime in bulk material, and on diffusion length in cells fabricated from this material, were determined. Results are compared with those obtained using different techniques. General agreement was found in terms of the hierarchy of impurities which degrade the lifetime.

Othmer, S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The effect of internal stresses on solar cell efficiency

Diffusion induced stresses in silicon are shown to result in large localized changes in the minority carrier mobility which in turn have a significant effect on cell output. Evidence is given that both compressive and tensile stresses can be generated in either the emitter or the base region. Tensile stresses appear to be much more effective in altering cell performance. While most stress related effects appear to degrade cell efficiency, this is not always the case. Evidence is presented showing that arsenic induced stresses can result in emitter characteristics comparable to those found in the MINP cell without requiring a high degree of surface passivation.

Weizer, Victor G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Diffusion length measurements of thin GaAs solar cells by means of energetic electrons

A calculation of the short circuit current density (j sub sc) of a thin GaAs solar cell induced by fast electrons is presented. It is shown that in spite of the disparity in thickness between the N-type portion of the junction and the P-type portion of the junction, the measurement of the bulk diffusion length L sub p of the N-type part of the junction is seriously hampered due to the presence of a sizable contribution to the j sub sc from the P-type region of the junction. Corrections of up to 50% had to be made in order to interpret the data correctly. Since these corrections were not amenable to direct measurements it is concluded that the electron beam method for the determination of the bulk minority carrier diffusion length, which works so well for Si solar cells, is a poor method when applied to thin GaAs cells.

Vonross, O.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Relativistic electrons from the sun observed by IMP-4.

Evaluation of data obtained from the IMP-4 satellite concerning 0.3- to 12-MeV electrons from the sun between May 24, 1967, and May 2, 1969. Correlations with contemporary proton intensity increases at energies above 1 MeV are studied. The results of this study are the following: (1) the differential electron energy spectrum (0.3 to 12 keV) from solar flares appears to be a constant of the flare process, with the spectral index gamma = (-) 3.0 plus or minus 0.2; (2) particle emission from solar flares contains a prompt component, which is injected into the interplanetary medium beyond the sun and which is responsible for the diffusion characteristics of solar particle events, and a delayed component which is effectively contained in the lower solar atmosphere where it diffuses typically less than or equal to plus or minus 100 deg in longitude and gradually escapes into interplanetary space; the delayed component gives rise to the corotating features commonly observed after the impulsive and diffusive onset from the prompt component; (3) storage of electrons greater than 300 keV and protons greater than 1 MeV is essential to explain emission and propagation characteristics of solar particle events; and (4) the events with low proton/electron ratios all occur at least three weeks after the previous relativistic electron producing flare.

Simnett, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Theoretical effects of surface diffused region lifetime models on silicon solar cells

A computer simulation of silicon solar cells has indicated that the combination of band gap reduction due to heavy doping and certain spatial forms of lifetime dependence can combine to form severe limitations on the open-circuit voltage of such cells. The interaction of these effects tends to shift the active region of the diffused surface layer away from the injecting junction, resulting in an increase in the current density injected into the surface region. Reductions in open circuit voltage as great as 10% over models which do not include these effects can be seen.

Dunbar, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Injection and diffusive transport of suprathermal through energetic solar flare protons (35 keV to 20 MeV)

Consideration is given to the injection and interplanetary propagation of low-energy protons caused by the solar particle event of July 20, 1981, in which flare protons in the range from 35 keV to 20 MeV were observed by instruments on ISEE 3. The observed time-intensity and time-anisotropy profiles were fitted over the entire energy range using a model based on the spherically symmetric Fokker-Plank equation, including convection, diffusion, and adiabatic deceleration. The results are used to discuss the behavior of the radial interplanetary diffusion coefficient and the scattering mean free path for protons. Also, evidence is found for diffusive coronal shock acceleration of protons during the event.

Beeck, J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Evidence for solar flare rare gases in the Khor Temiki aubrite.

It has been found by studying a number of gas-rich meteorites, including Khor Temiki that there is a correlation between the abundance of 'track-rich' grains and the concentration of trapped rare gases. The amount of solar flare gas in Khor Temiki is examined. It is pointed out that the Khor Temiki enstatite is an ideal sample in which to look for evidence of solar flare gases because there has been little or no diffusion loss of solar wind gases.

Rajan, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Solar Airplanes and Regenerative Fuel Cells

A solar electric aircraft with the potential to "fly forever" has captured NASA's interest, and the concept for such an aircraft was pursued under Aeronautics Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Feasibility of this aircraft happens to depend on the successful development of solar power technologies critical to NASA's Exploration Initiatives; hence, there was widespread interest throughout NASA to bring these technologies to a flight demonstration. The most critical is an energy storage system to sustain mission power during night periods. For the solar airplane, whose flight capability is already limited by the diffuse nature of solar flux and subject to latitude and time of year constraints, the feasibility of long endurance flight depends on a storage density figure of merit better than 400-600 watt-hr per kilogram. This figure of merit is beyond the capability of present day storage technologies (other than nuclear) but may be achievable in the hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell (RFC). This potential has led NASA to undertake the practical development of a hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell, initially as solar energy storage for a high altitude UAV science platform but eventually to serve as the primary power source for NASAs lunar base and other planet surface installations. Potentially the highest storage capacity and lowest weight of any non-nuclear device, a flight-weight RFC aboard a solar-electric aircraft that is flown continuously through several successive day-night cycles will provide the most convincing demonstration that this technology's widespread potential has been realized. In 1998 NASA began development of a closed cycle hydrogen oxygen PEM RFC under the Aeronautics Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project and continued its development, originally for a solar electric airplane flight, through FY2005 under the Low Emissions Alternative Power (LEAP) project. Construction of the closed loop system began in 2002 at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. System checkout was completed, and testing began, in July of 2003. The initial test sequences were done with only a fuel cell or electrolyzer in the test rig. Those tests were used to verify the test apparatus, procedures, and software. The first complete cycles of the fully closed loop, regenerative fuel cell system were successfully completed in the following September. Following some hardware upgrades to increase reactant recirculation flow, the test rig was operated at full power in December 2003 and again in January 2004. In March 2004 a newer generation of fuel cell and electrolyzer stacks was substituted for the original hardware and these stacks were successfully tested at full power under cyclic operation in June of 2004.

Bents, David J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Dust Accumulation and Solar Panel Array Performance on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project

One of the most fundamental design considerations for any space vehicle is its power supply system. Many options exist, including batteries, fuel cells, nuclear reactors, radioisotopic thermal generators (RTGs), and solar panel arrays. Solar arrays have many advantages over other types of power generation. They are lightweight and relatively inexpensive, allowing more mass and funding to be allocated for other important devices, such as scientific instruments. For Mars applications, solar power is an excellent option, especially for long missions. One might think that dust storms would be a problem; however, while dust blocks some solar energy, it also scatters it, making it diffuse rather than beamed. Solar cells are still able to capture this diffuse energy and convert it into substantial electrical power. For these reasons, solar power was chosen to be used on the 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission. The success of this mission set a precedent, as NASA engineers have selected solar power as the energy system of choice for all future Mars missions, including the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project. Solar sells have their drawbacks, however. They are difficult to manufacture and are relatively fragile. In addition, solar cells are highly sensitive to different parts of the solar spectrum, and finding the correct balance is crucial to the success of space missions. Another drawback is that the power generated is not a constant with respect to time, but rather changes with the relative angle to the sun. On Mars, dust accumulation also becomes a factor. Over time, dust settles out of the atmosphere and onto solar panels. This dust blocks and shifts the frequency of the incoming light, degrading solar cell performance. My goal is to analyze solar panel telemetry data from the two MERs (Spirit and Opportunity) in an effort to accurately model the effect of dust accumulation on solar panels. This is no easy process due to the large number of factors involved. Changing solar flux (the amount of solar energy reaching the planet), solar spectrum, solar angle, rover tilt, and optical depth (the opacity of the atmosphere due to dust) were the most significant. Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic are used for data analysis. The results of this work will be used to improve the dust accumulation and atmosphere effects model that was first created after the Mars Pathfinder mission. This model will be utilized and applied when considering the design of solar panel array systems on future Mars projects. Based on this data, and depending upon the tenure and application of the mission, designers may also elect to employ special tools to abate dust accumulation, or decide that the expected level of accumulation is acceptable.

Turgay, Eren H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The electron diffusion coefficient in Jupiter's magnetosphere

A steady-state model of Jupiter's electron radiation belt is developed. The model includes injection from the solar wind, radial diffusion, energy degradation by synchrotron radiation, and absorption at Jupiter's surface. A diffusion coefficient of the form D sub RR/R sub J squared = k times R to the m-th power is assumed, and then observed data on synchrotron radiation are used to fit the model. The free parameters determined from this fit are m = 1.95 plus or minus 0.5, k = 1.7 plus or minus 0.5 x 10 to the 9th power per sec, and the magnetic moment of injected particles equals 770 plus or minus 300 MeV/G. The value of m shows quite clearly that the diffusion is not caused by magnetic pumping by a variable solar wind or by a fluctuating convection electric field. The process might be field line exchange driven by atmospheric-ionospheric winds; our diffusion coefficient has roughly the same radial dependence but is considerably smaller in magnitude than the upper bound diffusion coefficients recently suggested for this process by Brice and McDonough (1973) and Jacques and Davis (1972).

Birmingham, T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

New mounting improves solar-cell efficiency

Method boosts output by about 20 percent by trapping and redirecting solar radiation without increasing module depth. Mounted solar-cell array is covered with internally reflecting plate. Plate is attached to each cell by transparent adhesive, and space between cells is covered with layer of diffusely reflecting material. Solar energy falling on space between cells is diffused and reflected internally by plate until it is reflected onto solar cell.

Shepard, N. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A model for Jupiter's proton radiation belt

A model for electron and proton energy and density in Jupiter's radiation belt is proposed. It is assumed that electrons diffuse inward from the solar wind. The Davis and Chang diffusion model, in which there is a very steep L-shell dependence in density and energy, is scaled outwards from the peak of the belts at about 1.5 to 2 Jupiter radii to the magnetopause as defined by the magnetic moment. The energetic electron density is calculated to be one billionth of the density in the solar wind, and that is assumed to be the trapping ratio of Jupiter's synchrotron belts. It is further assumed that the same figures apply to protons. The flux density at 80 MHz was measured by the Culgoora ring to be identical to that at 3000 MHz, implying a constant flux density of the synchrotron source of over 20 or 30 to 1 in frequency. It is suggested that the synchrotron spectrum is flat over more than an order of magnitude of frequency. Jupiter is an enormous synchrotron source and has a strong magnetic field, causing long diffusion times for electrons in the magnetosphere.

Warwick, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A survey of the cosmic ray diurnal variation during 1973-1979. I - Persistence of solar diurnal variation. II - Application of diffusion-convection model to diurnal anisotropy data

An analysis of data obtained with the vertical underground muon telescope at Embudo, NM shows that the solar diurnal variation in cosmic ray intensity is a persistent phenomenon over the 1973-1979 period. Assuming that the daily fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of the diurnal variation are random perturbations about the mean vector, the relative magnitude of the random component is determined. In the second part, the Diffusion-Convection model of cosmic ray transport is applied to high rigidity particles detected at the earth in order to deduce the behavior of the heliospheric transport parameters between 1973 and 1979. It is suggested that the diurnal variation observed at Embudo during 1979 may require a contribution from the charged particle drifts.

Riker, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Diffusion lengths in irradiated N/P InP-on-Si solar cells

Indium phosphide (InP) solar cells are being made on silicon (Si) wafers (InP/Si) to take advantage of both the radiation-hardness properties of the InP solar cell and the light weight and low cost of Si wafers compared to InP or germanium (Ge) wafers. The InP/Si cell application is for long duration and/or high radiation orbit space missions. InP/Si cells have higher absolute efficiency after a high radiation dose than gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon (Si) solar cells. In this work, base electron diffusion lengths in the N/P cell are extracted from measured AM0 short-circuit photocurrent at various irradiation levels out to an equivalent 1 MeV fluence of 1017 1 MeV electrons/sq cm for a 1 sq cm 12% BOL InP/Si cell. These values are then checked for consistency by comparing measured Voc data with a theoretical Voc model that includes a dark current term that depends on the extracted diffusion lengths.

Wojtczuk, Steven↗