Real Time Assessment of Improved Lithium-Doped Solar Cells.
Abstract
Lithium-doped silicon solar cells were irradiated at an accelerated real-time rate, with a Strontium-90 radioisotope simulating the trapped electron environment. The irradiation was performed for a one-year period in a simulated space environment. Three advanced types of lithium cells and two types of conventional N/P cells were controlled to temperatures typical of normal oriented solar array satellite operational conditions. At the six-month point, the cells were exposed to a pulsed neutron environment simulating a nuclear weapon detonation. The experiment was successful in providing high quality data characterizing the comparative performance of several solar cell types. The experimental program demonstrated the advantages obtained by using recent production lithium-doped solar cells for spacecraft missions requiring nuclear hardening. The feasibility of designing and producing solar arrays using aluminum contact lithium-doped solar cells has been shown to have definite advantages for arrays subjected to neutron environments. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA000451
Entities
People
- Darryl G. Peterson
- Donald C. Briggs
- Howard E. Pollard