Influence of Power Supplies on the Secondary Arc Test of Solar Arrays

Abstract

A secondary arc test is necessary to improve the design reliability of a solar array. To simulate the power generation of solar arrays, various power supplies are employed for the ground tests. Solar arrays that are illuminated by a light source are the most ideal power supply for the ground test in terms of their impedance. Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the appropriateness of a solar array simulator and a current regulative diode power supply for the secondary arc test. There was little difference among the waveforms and the secondary arc duration obtained by a real solar array, the solar array simulator, and the current regulative diode power supply, except the small difference in the rush current at the beginning of the secondary arc and the temporary blackout after the secondary arc. The solar array simulator and the current regulative diode power supply are both acceptable as a power supply for the secondary arc test. The minor difference is associated with the output capacitance of each power supply, which exists even for the real solar array.