Performance of the first flight experiment with dedicated space CIGS cells onboard the Delfi-C3 nanosatellite

Abstract

In this paper we analyze and explain the performance of CIGS on Ti cells which have been mounted in the Dutch Delfi-C 3 nanosatellite that was launched in April 2008. The CIGS experiment includes several novel technologies for thin film solar cells in space. A new interconnect method based on pressure contacts between the cells was developed to minimize stresses between the electrical contacts. A thin protective coating was developed especially for a high emissivity. An electrical model is presented to predict the electrical characteristics. The thermal properties of the cells have been modeled and simulated. Effective cell temperatures in space were in between -100 ºC and 82 ºC. The following measurements were taken: IV-curves, indirect cell temperatures and irradiance in the array plane. The monitoring fraction was 1.4 %. The efficiency at 25 ºC was 10.3 % at 700 W/m² irradiance. The performance in space has been compared to solar simulator measurements in the laboratory. The performance after three months in space is equal to laboratory measurements for all four solar arrays. There has been no indication of degradation during the first three months.

Conceptual design and finite element method validation of a new type of self-locking hinge for deployable CubeSat solar panels

“…Deployable solar panels increase power generation. 3,4 Anyway, the deployment of solar panels clearly changes the position of the mass centre for the whole satellite, which may help to improve, or to hinder, the stability and attitude of the satellite, depending on the design strategy of attitude determination control system (ADCS) subsystem (deployable boom). They also allow the integration of some other devices such as high-gain antennas to increase communication capabilities.…”

Thin film cadmium telluride solar cells on ultra‐thin glass in low earth orbit—3 years of performance data on the AlSat‐1N CubeSat mission

“…Delamination, of thin film PV for space applications, has been considered to be of particular concern to the research community since a research programme, conducted by Dutch Space B.V., investigating thin film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), on titanium foil, suffered delamination from the substrate at the interconnects when subject to the thermal cycling that might be encountered in space 7 . However, after these results, new interconnects were developed and a flight experiment conducted on the Delfi‐C 3 , 3‐unit CubeSat in a LEO 8 . The CIGS cells, on titanium foil, showed no signs of degradation over the initial 3‐month monitoring period during which time they were subject to temperature changes of 70°C twice a minute due to the quick rotation of the CubeSat and the cells' low heat capacity.…”

“…The CIGS cells, on titanium foil, showed no signs of degradation over the initial 3‐month monitoring period during which time they were subject to temperature changes of 70°C twice a minute due to the quick rotation of the CubeSat and the cells' low heat capacity. This demonstrated that the revised interconnect method had resolved the delamination issue 8 . More recently (2018), Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. have developed a prototype flexible CIGS module, which has been delivered to the International Space Station for a 1 year in‐orbit assessment of the technology 9…”

Development of Pogo Pin-Based Holding and Release Mechanism for Deployable Solar Panel of CubeSat

“…Several holding and release mechanisms have been developed and used to hold and release the deployable solar panels of a CubeSat [7,8]. In commercial satellites and aerospace engineering, pyrotechnic devices have been used in the HRMs.…”