Research on discharge effect of solar array with power supply subjected to hypervelocity impact

Enling Tang,Mei Liu,Yafei Han,Liangliang Zhao

doi:10.1063/1.5046312

Abstract

Plasma-induced discharge is an important effect on the solar array of orbiting space vehicles subjected to hypervelocity impact, which will pose a serious threat to the power supply system of spacecraft. The paper investigates experimentally the process that the projectile in various impact velocities and incidence angles impact on solar array with sandwich structure comprising of a coverglass, a silica gel and a 2A12 aluminum liner at the different positions. The electron temperature and density of the plasma were diagnosed by applying in independent-constructed Triple Langmuir Probe diagnostic system, meanwhile, the charging and discharge test system were also constructed by ourselves. Three sets of experiments have been performed by two-stage light gas gun loading system and related measurement system. Especially, residual velocity was measured when projectile pierced through the solar array with composite structure. Experimental results revealed the discharge causes based on stress wave theory, and the discharge current characteristics of a primary and a secondary discharge of solar array induced by hypervelocity impact were given through hypervelocity impact experiments. Finally, it will provide a valuable benchmark for the construction of solar array against space debris.

Highlights

In the early exploration to space, the solar array was directly fixed on the main structure of space vehicles
Li from Center for Space Science and Applied Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences investigated cumulative damage to the exposed spacecraft materials such as solar cells by the micro debris of Low Earth Orbit,[7,8,9] the results indicate that the transmittance of coverglass decreases after the micro-debris impact on the solar array, which was one of the main causes that weaken the solar array of space vehicle
Nicholas utilized two-stage light gas gun to conduct the impact test that a 50μm sphere soda-limit glass projectile with impact angle from 0◦ to 75◦obliquely impacted the solar array of space vehicle, results showed that impact velocity influenced minimally the diameter of shell-shaped crater on the condition that the impact angle was less than 45◦, and if the impact angle exceeded 45◦, the crater diameter decreased with the increasing of the incidence aCorresponding author

Summary

Introduction

In the early exploration to space, the solar array was directly fixed on the main structure of space vehicles. W. Li from Center for Space Science and Applied Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences investigated cumulative damage to the exposed spacecraft materials such as solar cells by the micro debris of Low Earth Orbit,[7,8,9] the results indicate that the transmittance of coverglass decreases after the micro-debris impact on the solar array, which was one of the main causes that weaken the solar array of space vehicle. G. Nicholas utilized two-stage light gas gun to conduct the impact test that a 50μm sphere soda-limit glass projectile with impact angle from 0◦ to 75◦obliquely impacted the solar array of space vehicle, results showed that impact velocity influenced minimally the diameter of shell-shaped crater on the condition that the impact angle was less than 45◦, and if the impact angle exceeded 45◦, the crater diameter decreased with the increasing of the incidence

Methods

Results

Conclusion