Design and Development of High Voltage Direct Current (DC) Sources for the Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment

Author:: Bibyk, Irene K.
Published:: Sep 1, 1995.
Physical Description:: 1 electronic document
Additional Creators:: Wald, Lawrence W.

Online Version

hdl.handle.net , Connect to this object online.

Availability

Finding items...

Restrictions on Access:

Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available.
Free-to-read Unrestricted online access

Summary:

Two programmable, high voltage DC power supplies were developed as part of the flight electronics for the Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment (SAMPIE). SAMPIE's primary objectives were to study and characterize the high voltage arcing and parasitic current losses of various solar cells and metal samples within the space plasma of low earth orbit (LEO). High voltage arcing can cause large discontinuous changes in spacecraft potential which lead to damage of the power system materials and significant Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). Parasitic currents cause a change in floating potential which lead to reduced power efficiency. These primary SAMPIE objectives were accomplished by applying artificial biases across test samples over a voltage range from -600 VDC to +300 VDC. This paper chronicles the design, final development, and test of the two programmable high voltage sources for SAMPIE. The technical challenges to the design for these power supplies included vacuum, space plasma effects, thermal protection, Shuttle vibrations and accelerations.

Other Subject(s):

ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Collection:

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Collection.

Note:

Document ID: 19960003749.
Accession ID: 96N13759.
E-9981.
NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center, The 1995 Shuttle Small Payloads Symposium; 51-58.

Terms of Use and Reproduction:

No Copyright.

View MARC record | catkey: 15652163