Flashover Discharge on Solar Arrays: Analysis of Discharge Current and Image

Abstract

Electrostatic discharge testswere performed on large solar arraypanels under the simulated plasma environments of a geostationary orbit and a low Earth orbit to investigate the propagation length and velocity of flashover plasma. To investigate the propagation length, the neutralized current on the strings was also examined. The neutralized charge valuedue toflashover plasmawas found to decreasewith distance. Propagation lengthwas limited under both the geostationary orbit environment and the low-Earth-orbit environment. Visual investigation of the velocity of flashover plasma clarified that velocity decreases with time. The initial velocity of flashover plasma measured was several tens of km=s, regardless of orbital environment conditions.