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Title: Mir Cooperative Solar Array flight performance data and computational analysis

Abstract

The Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) was developed jointly by the United States (US) and Russia to provide approximately 6 kW of photovoltaic power to the Russian space station Mir. The MCSA was launched to Mir in November 1995 and installed on the Kvant-1 module in May 1996. Since the MCSA photovoltaic panel modules (PPMs) are nearly identical to those of the International Space Station (ISS) photovoltaic arrays, MCSA operation offered an opportunity to gather multi-year performance data on this technology prior to its implementation on ISS. Two specially designed test sequences were executed in June and December 1996 to measure MCSA performance. Each test period encompassed 3 orbital revolutions whereby the current produced by the MCSA channels was measured. The temperature of MCSA PPMs was also measured. To better interpret the MCSA flight data, a dedicated FORTRAN computer code was developed to predict the detailed thermal-electrical performance of the MCSA. Flight data compared very favorably with computational performance predictions. This indicated that the MCSA electrical performance was fully meeting pre-flight expectations. There were no measurable indications of unexpected or precipitous MCSA performance degradation due to contamination or other causes after 7 months of operation on orbit. Power delivered tomore » the Mir bus was lower than desired as a consequence of the retrofitted power distribution cabling. The strong correlation of experimental and computational results further bolsters the confidence level of performance codes used in critical ISS electric power forecasting. In this paper, MCSA flight performance tests are described as well as the computational modeling behind the performance predictions.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
347784
Report Number(s):
CONF-970701-
TRN: IM9923%%322
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 32. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Honolulu, HI (United States), 27 Jul - 2 Aug 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the thirty-second intersociety energy conversion engineering conference. Volume 1: Aerospace power systems and technologies; PB: 787 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; MIR ORBITAL STATION; SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES; PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES; SOLAR CELL ARRAYS; PERFORMANCE; FLIGHT TESTING; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; DATA

Citation Formats

Kerslake, T W, and Hoffman, D J. Mir Cooperative Solar Array flight performance data and computational analysis. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Kerslake, T W, & Hoffman, D J. Mir Cooperative Solar Array flight performance data and computational analysis. United States.
Kerslake, T W, and Hoffman, D J. 1997. "Mir Cooperative Solar Array flight performance data and computational analysis". United States.
@article{osti_347784,
title = {Mir Cooperative Solar Array flight performance data and computational analysis},
author = {Kerslake, T W and Hoffman, D J},
abstractNote = {The Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) was developed jointly by the United States (US) and Russia to provide approximately 6 kW of photovoltaic power to the Russian space station Mir. The MCSA was launched to Mir in November 1995 and installed on the Kvant-1 module in May 1996. Since the MCSA photovoltaic panel modules (PPMs) are nearly identical to those of the International Space Station (ISS) photovoltaic arrays, MCSA operation offered an opportunity to gather multi-year performance data on this technology prior to its implementation on ISS. Two specially designed test sequences were executed in June and December 1996 to measure MCSA performance. Each test period encompassed 3 orbital revolutions whereby the current produced by the MCSA channels was measured. The temperature of MCSA PPMs was also measured. To better interpret the MCSA flight data, a dedicated FORTRAN computer code was developed to predict the detailed thermal-electrical performance of the MCSA. Flight data compared very favorably with computational performance predictions. This indicated that the MCSA electrical performance was fully meeting pre-flight expectations. There were no measurable indications of unexpected or precipitous MCSA performance degradation due to contamination or other causes after 7 months of operation on orbit. Power delivered to the Mir bus was lower than desired as a consequence of the retrofitted power distribution cabling. The strong correlation of experimental and computational results further bolsters the confidence level of performance codes used in critical ISS electric power forecasting. In this paper, MCSA flight performance tests are described as well as the computational modeling behind the performance predictions.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/347784}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Wed Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}

Conference:
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