Flex Circuit Wiring for Rigid Solar Panels Under Deployment Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies for wiring solar cell arrays in rigid panel solar arrays are labor-intensive and prone to failure during the storage and deployment of spacecraft, necessitating a more efficient and durable solution.
Innovation Solution
The use of a flex circuit with a flexible substrate and conducting layers to provide electrical connections and wiring for solar cell arrays, which can be attached to a rigid panel and configured to run underneath or adjacent to the solar cells, reducing labor and enhancing durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional wiring methods are used for rigid panel solar arrays, then electrical connections can be established, but the wiring process becomes labor-intensive and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the wiring function with the structural panel by integrating conductive traces directly into the panel substrate. This merging of electrical connection functions with the mechanical structure eliminates separate wiring steps, reducing labor intensity and improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining reliable electrical connections between solar cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel structure is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for solar cells, establishes electrical connections through integrated conductive traces, and enables wiring routing. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps required, directly addressing the labor-intensive nature of traditional wiring processes.
2Reliability
If traditional wiring is used in spacecraft solar arrays, then power can be transmitted, but the wiring is prone to failure during storage and deployment
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the conductive traces directly into the panel substrate, the wiring becomes an inherent part of the structural assembly rather than a separate component. This integration ensures that the wiring moves with the panel as a unified structure during storage and deployment, eliminating relative motion and stress concentration points that would cause failure in traditional separate wiring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive traces are implemented as thin film layers deposited on the panel substrate, creating a flexible yet durable wiring solution. This thin film approach allows the wiring to flex and deform with the panel during storage and deployment without breaking, significantly improving reliability under mechanical stresses compared to rigid traditional wiring.
3Device complexity
If extensive wiring is required for solar cell connections, then all cells can be connected, but the design and testing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive traces are segmented into distinct functional regions within the panel substrate, with each segment serving a specific connection purpose. This segmentation simplifies the design by breaking down the complex wiring problem into manageable sections that can be independently designed and tested, reducing overall design complexity while maintaining complete electrical connectivity.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more solar cells are connected to a flex circuit, wherein: the flex circuit is comprised of a flexible substrate having one or more conducting layers for making electrical connections to the solar cells; the flex circuit is attached to a panel; and the solar cells are attached to the panel. The flex circuit can be attached to the panel so that the conducting layers are adjacent the solar cells, or the flex circuit can be attached to the panel so that the conducting layers run underneath the solar cells. The conducting layers can be deposited on the flexible substrate and/or the conducting layers can be embedded in the flex circuit, wherein the conducting layers are sandwiched between insulating layers of the flex circuit.