High Survivability Adhesive-less Photovoltaic Panel Assembly for Space Solar Arrays

ABSTRACT: Deployable Space Systems, Inc. (DSS), in partnership with Emcore Photovoltaics (EMCORE) and JDS Uniphase Corporation (JDSU) proposes the development of an adhesive-less photovoltaic panel assembly, termed"HSP"for High Survivability Panel. Space solar array adhesives have been known to significantly outgass and become a major source of contamination, and after typical space environmental exposure will tend to have reduced optical transmission, degraded electrical dielectric and conductivity performance, and degraded elastic modulus and strength properties. Adhesives are the biggest contributor for thermally induced CTE mismatched mechanical strains. To mitigate these aforementioned concerns and to enable survivability under extreme high temperature threat conditions our teams"proposed HSP technology has been specifically developed to utilize NO adhesives. The proposed adhesive-less HSP technology offers superior mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and outgassing performance/properties, and promises to provide superior environmental stability with little degradation throughout a typical mission life or after exposure to rapid heating and/or long-term high temperature. The HSP panel integrates onto a flexible blanket, compactly stows in z-folded or rolled configurations, and accommodates standard and advanced multijunction-PV photovoltaics. The adhesive-less construction reduces blanket assembly mass and dramatically increases temperature survivability to potentially 500C-600C sustainable extremes. BENEFIT: The proposed technology is applicable to all future DoD, NASA and commercial missions (including communications and earth observation) as a direct replacement for existing technologies. The proposed technology potentially provides the DoD with a near-term and low-risk solar array panel assembly that could enable ultra-high survivability missions where survivability from exposure to natural or man-made events such as rapid heating and/or long-term high temperature is required. The proposed adhesive-less HSP technology promises to offer superior mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and outgassing performance/properties, and promises to provide superior environmental stability with little degradation throughout a typical mission life, and overall improved/enhanced mission capability for certain applications.