Floating Solar Arrays for Long-Endurance Sonobuoy Power Generation

MicroLink Devices proposes the development of a 40W floating solar array and rechargeable battery system that can continuously provide 5W of power for sonobuoys. The solar sheet will be composed of flexible, highly efficient (>30% AM1.5), lightweight (>1000 W/kg) multijunction GaAs solar cells. It will be accompanied by a state of the art battery (>400 Whr/kg, lasting over 2000 cycles) that will store up to 1000 kJ of extra energy for use at night and during cloudy weather. It will be attached to a lightweight floatation base developed by Roccor. The array and base will tightly roll up within a sonobuoy launch container. Power will transfer via a tether to the sonobuoy electronics. The solar sheet will be covered in a super-hydrophobic coating to protect it from water damage. For the Phase I Base, MicroLink will design the system, study super-hydrophobic coatings, and then a 12W prototype array will be encapsulated and tested. Roccor will design a floatation base during the Phase I Base. The focus of the Phase I Option will be both the assembly of the floatation base, and the assembly of the full 12W prototype solar array power system that will be tested under simulated ocean conditions.