The potential of spacecraft’s high-voltage solar battery in plasma of electric propulsion thruster

Aeronautical and Space-Rocket Engineering


Аuthors

Valiullin V. V.1*, Nadiradze A. B.2**

1. Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), 4, Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, А-80, GSP-3, 125993, Russia
2. ,

*e-mail: valiullinvv@mai.ru
**e-mail: nadiradze@mai.ru

Abstract

A mathematical model and results of calculation for leakage currents and floating potential of a high voltage solar battery (SB) of a spacecraft (SC) in plasma generated by electric propulsion thruster (EPT) is presented. The floating potential of the solar battery is determined as a potential of SB minus bus with respect to plasma potential generated by EPT. Floating potential value is determined according to Kirchhoff ‘s law by using electron and ion currents coming through open electrodes of solar elements and SB frame. Electron currents are calculated according to relationships known in probe theory for positively and negatively charged electrodes depending on their potential, surface area and electron temperature. The ion current is determined according to jet parameters at electrode surface without considering electric field effect to the trajectories of accelerated ions.

With the help of the presented model we calculated the floating potential and leakage currents for an abstract SB with working voltage of 150 V and with current of 16 A. SB panel has pipe frame with size of 2.5 × 3.2 m. It contains 40 strings with 60 solar arrays (SA) with size of 40 × 80 mm, working voltage of 2.5 V and current of 0.4 А. The area of SA open electrodes is set equal to 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 cm2. The array is rotated round its own axis and subjected to the impact of SPT-100 jet. Ion currents are calculated for the worst case without considering ion incident angle to open electrodes and SB frame. As a result of calculations we reveal that SB floating potential is defined mainly by leakage current trough SB frame and its value runs up to 100 mА in the point closest to EPT jet axis. SB potential ranges from −140 up to −40 V depending on the angle of SA rotation. Maximal value of leakage current is 1400 mcА and it takes place at positively charged electrode in the area where plasma concentration is maximal. SB power loss due to leakage currents through plasma is not higher than 1%.

Leakage currents heat impact to electrodes is estimated for heat removal by radiation. We reveal that leakage current through positively charged electrodes can heat electrodes up to high temperature, cause secondary arc discharges, which can destroy electrodes and failed some SB strings. Microarcs can appear at negatively charged electrodes and they can transform into powerful arc discharge, which also can destroy SA.

The obtained results show that EPT plasma impact onto high voltage SB of the SC can be great and it should be consider under designing and testing of power plant of the SC based on high voltage SB.

Keywords:

spacecraft, electric propulsion thrusters, high voltage solar batteries, secondary arc discharge

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