Dynamic Solar Cell Arrays for Optimized Power Output
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Summary
Problems
Conventional solar cell arrays in spaceflight applications have a fixed string length, leading to inefficiency as not all solar cells contribute to power production due to changing radiation and temperature conditions, resulting in suboptimal voltage and power output over the array's lifespan.
Innovation solutions
A solar cell array design with individually attached solar cells to a substrate, featuring corner conductors and switches that allow reconfiguration of string length in response to control signals, enabling dynamic adjustment of series connections and output voltage.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If solar cells are arranged in fixed-length strings to produce required output voltage, then the array can meet the voltage requirement under worst-case conditions, but solar cells become unused and power output decreases as radiation damage accumulates and temperature changes
Why choose this principle:
The patent implements dynamic reconfiguration of solar cell strings by introducing switches that can change the number of solar cells in series connections based on operating conditions. This allows the array to adapt its voltage output dynamically, transitioning from fixed-length strings to variable-length strings, thereby maintaining optimal power output throughout the array's lifespan despite radiation damage and temperature variations.
Principle concept:
If solar cells are arranged in fixed-length strings to produce required output voltage, then the array can meet the voltage requirement under worst-case conditions, but solar cells become unused and power output decreases as radiation damage accumulates and temperature changes
Why choose this principle:
The patent changes the electrical configuration parameters of the solar cell array by allowing the string length (number of series-connected cells) to vary. Through controlled switching, the system adjusts the series connection count to optimize voltage and power output under different operating conditions, rather than maintaining a fixed parameter configuration designed for worst-case scenarios.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A solar cell array design with individually attached solar cells to a substrate, featuring corner conductors and switches that allow reconfiguration of string length in response to control signals, enabling dynamic adjustment of series connections and output voltage.
Abstract
A solar cell array comprised of one or more solar cells (14) attached to a substrate. The substrate includes one or more electrical connections to the solar cells and one or more switches (54) for changing a string length for one or more of the solar cells by altering a current flow path between the one or more of the solar cells and one or more of the electrical connections.