Comparison of n-on-p cells and lithium containing p-on-n cells
Radiation damage characteristics of lithium doped p-n solar cells and n-p solar cells
SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Radiation damage characteristics of lithium doped p-n solar cells and n-p solar cells
Electrical performance characteristics of single crystal silicon solar cells as function of cell temperature and solar intensity
Acceptance tests including capacity, cell short, high vacuum leak, overcharge, and internal resistance of nickel-cadmium secondary cells with nickel braze ceramic seals for spacecraft
Effect of cell vintage and certain testing procedures on degradation of cadmium sulfide thin film solar cells
Acceptance tests of 100 ampere-hour nickel-cadmium cells for inclusion in life cycle program of secondary spacecraft cells
The results of a study concerned with the effects of the Martian environment on the performance of solar cells are given. The results indicate that the efficiency of a power system composed of solar cells will be greatly reduced when subjected to dust storms such as may occur on Mars. Two factors are responsible for this, (1) accumulation of dust on the protective covers, and (2) damage to covers by pitting, cracking, and chipping. It is recommended that this type of power system not be used on Mars landing vehicles. Experimental procedures are described and results are summarized and damage assessed.
The development of an inorganic separator material for use in construction of 40 ampere-hour silver zinc cells is discussed. Acceptance tests were conducted to determine real quality, physical defects and ampere-hour capacity. All acceptance tests were performed at an ambient temperature of 23 to 27 C at existing relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. Of the 63 cells tested, only one failed to meet the equipment specifications.
The three types of solar cells investigated were: (1) one consisting of a nGaAs substrate, a Zn doped pGaAs region, and a Zn doped Ga(1-x)Al(x)As layer, (2) one consisting of an nGaAs substrate, a Ge doped pGaAs region, and a pGa(1-x)Al(x)As upper layer, and (3) one consisting of an n+GaAs substrate, an nGa(1-x)Al(X)As region, a pGa(1-x)Bl(X) As region, and a pGa(1-y)Al(y)As upper layer. In all three cases, the upper alloy layer is thin and of high Al composition in order to obtain high spectral response over the widest possible range of photon energies. Spectral response, capacitance-voltage, current-voltage, diffusion length, sunlight (or the equivalent)-efficiency, and efficiency-temperature measurements were made as a function of device parameters in order to analyze and optimize the solar cell behavior.
A new fabrication process is being developed which significantly improves the efficiency of metal-semiconductor solar cells. The resultant effect, a marked increase in the open-circuit voltage, is produced by the addition of an interfacial layer oxide on the semiconductor. Cells using gold on n-type gallium arsenide have been made in small areas (0.17 sq cm) with conversion efficiencies of 15% in terrestrial sunlight.
Ground-based electrokinetic data on the electrophoresis flight experiment to be flown on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project experiment MA-011 are stipulated. Aldehyde-fixed red blood cells, embryonic kidney cells and lymphocytes were evaluated by analytical particle electrophoresis. The results which aided in the interpretation of the final analysis of the MA-011 experiment are documented. The electrophoresis chamber surface modifications, the buffer, and the material used in the column system are also discussed.
The identity of pine cell membranes bearing PAL enzyme activity, the isolation of a plasma membrane preparation from pine cells for testing as a regulatory barrier in lignification, and the measurement of the geopotential effect in pine stems are presented. A model to describe and predict the interaction of gravity and lignification of higher plants was developed.
Performance data concerning sealed nickel-cadmium cells operating under a synchronous orbit regime are presented. A space satellite maintaining a position over a fixed point on earth as the earth rotates on its axis and revolves about the sun was simulated. Results include: (1) exposure to synchronous orbit testing at a temperature of 40 C yields less than 6 years of life; (2) performance at -20 C presents a low capacity problem; (3) the capacity check, performed at the middle of each show period, provides a temporary red reconditioning effect on the cells in that the end-of-discharge voltages are higher, for approximately 7 to 10 days, following the capacity check than they were 7 to 10 days prior to the capacity check; (4) all the test packs at -20 C and 40 C have either failed or were discontinued because of low capacity; and (5) test packs at temperatures of 0 C and 10 C have delivered the best capacity during life and packs tested at 20 C showed better life capability than packs tested at -20 C and 40 C.
Parametric characterization data on Spectrolab 2 by 4 cm, 2 ohm/cm, 228 micron thick wraparound cell, a candidate for the Solar Electric Propulsion Mission, are presented. These data consist of the electrical characteristics of the solar cell under a wide range of temperature and illumination intensity combinations of the type encountered in space applications.
The Pd contact to GaAs was studied using backscattering, Auger analysis, and sheet resistance measurements. Several metallurgical phases were present at low temperatures, but PdGa was the dominant phase in samples annealed at 500 C. Ti/Pd/Ag contacts appeared to have the lowest contact resistance. Etchback epitaxy (EBE) was compared to saturated melt epitaxy (SME) method of growing liquid phase epitaxial layers. The SME method resulted in a lower density of Ga microdroplets in the grown layer, although the best solar cells were made by the EBE method. Photoluminescence was developed as a tool for contactless analysis of GaAs cells. Efficiencies of over 8 percent were measured at 250 C.
Electrical characteristics of liquid phase epitaxy, P/N gallium aluminum arsenide solar cells are presented in graphical and tabular format as a function of solar illumination intensity and temperature. The solar cells were exposed to 1 MeV electron fluences of, respectively, 0, one hundred trillion, one quadrillion, and ten quadrillion e/sq cm.
The scanning laser acoustic microscope (SLAM) has been evaluated for non-destructive examination of solar cells and interconnector bonds. Using this technique, it is possible to view through materials in order to reveal regions of discontinuity such as microcracks and voids. Of particular interest is the ability to evaluate, in a unique manner, the bonds produced by parallel gap welding. It is possible to not only determine the area and geometry of the bond between the tab and cell, but also to reveal any microcracks incurred during the welding. By correlating the SLAM results with conventional techniques of weld evaluation a more confident weld parameter optimization can be obtained.
Lithium-counterdoped n(+)p silicon solar cells were irradiated by 10-MeV protons, and their performance was determined as a function of fluence. It was found that the cell with the highest lithium concentration exhibited the higher radiation resistance. Deep-level transient spectroscopy studies of deep-level defects were used to identify two lithium-related defects. Defect energy levels obtained after the present 10-MeV irradiations were found to be markedly different than those observed after previous 1-MeV electron irradiations. However, the present DLTS data are consistent with previous suggestion by Weinberg et al. (1984) of a lithium-oxygen interaction which tends to inhibit formation of an interstitial boron-oxygen defect.
Two efficient and robust finite-volume multigrid schemes for solving the Navier-Stokes equations are investigated. These schemes employ either a cell centered or a cell vertex discretization technique. An explicit Runge-Kutta algorithm is used to advance the solution in time. Acceleration techniques are applied to obtain faster steady-state convergence. Accuracy and convergence of the schemes are examined. Computational results for transonic airfoil flows are essentially the same, even for a coarse mesh. Both schemes exhibit good convergence rates for a broad range of artificial dissipation coefficients.