High Dynamic Performance Solar Array Simulator Based on a SiC MOSFET Linear Power Stage

Abstract

The power conditioning unit system is a critical part in a spacecraft and is responsible for converting the solar panel energy into a stable bus voltage. This system requires a high dynamic characteristic solar array simulator (SAS) for testing purposes. Space solar array simulators (SSASs) used for testing space power systems generally use a linear power topology because of its fast dynamic performance and good simulation accuracy. However, commercially available SASs are not sufficiently fast for simulating the actual solar array panel output and, therefore are unreliable for terrestrial testing. In this paper, a highly dynamic SSAS is developed with multipath SiC MOSFET linear voltage-controlled current source paralleling for power regulation. The proposed 510 W SSAS, consisting of 20 linear current paths paralleling the power stage and a high-speed FPGA digital controller, can quickly react to a load step between the nominal and short circuit at 50-kHz stepping frequency. It can also react to a step change from a short circuit to an open circuit perfectly at a 1-kHz stepping frequency offering a superior dynamic performance compared to other similar devices.