43rd Congress of the International Astronautical Federation
Missions to Mars will require electric power. A leading candidate for providing power is solar power produced by photovoltaic arrays. To design such a power system, detailed information on solar-radiation availability on the Martian surface is necessary. The variation of the solar radiation on the Martian surface is governed by three factors: (1) variation in Mars-Sun distance; (2) variation in solar zenith angle due to Martian season and time of day; and (3) dust in the Martian atmosphere. A major concern is the dust storms, which occur on both local and global scales. However, there is still appreciable diffuse sunlight available even at high opacity, so that solar array operation is still possible. Typical results for tracking solar collectors are also shown and compared to the fixed collectors. During the Northern Hemisphere spring and summer the isolation is relatively high, 2-5 kW-hr/sq m-day, due to the low optical depth of the Martian atmosphere. These seasons, totalling a full terrestrial year, are the likely ones during which manned mission will be carried out.
- Research Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 7006715
- Report Number(s):
- N-92-33899; NASA-TM-105827; E-7262; NAS-1.15:105827; CONF-9208154-; CNN: NAS3-25266; NAGW-2022; RTOP 506-41-11
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 43. congress of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Washington, DC (United States), 28 Aug - 5 Sep 1992; Other Information: Sponsored by AIAA, NASA, and NAS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
MARS PLANET
SOLAR RADIATION
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
DESIGN
ACCUMULATORS
ALBEDO
DIFFUSE SOLAR RADIATION
DUSTS
INSOLATION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEMS
SPACE FLIGHT
ATMOSPHERES
CONTAINERS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HELIOSTATS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
POWER SUPPLIES
RADIATIONS
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FLUX
SOLAR TRACKING
STELLAR RADIATION
TANKS
VARIATIONS
140600* - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems