ABSTRACT
This chapter is dedicated to the solar array design, construction, and operation of traditional and state-of-the-art high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cells. The equivalent electrical circuit for analyzing the cell’s electrical performance is presented. The current, voltage, and output power relations in a typical photovoltaic cell under various operating conditions—such as the sun’s intensity, temperature, and charged particle radiation dose—are discussed in detail. The options of mounting the solar array on a rigid panel, on flexible cloth, on one, two, or three wings, or all around the spacecraft body are presented with their pros and cons. The sun sensors and controls to keep the array normal to the sun are presented. The degradations in photovoltaic cell power output due to various construction processes and charge particle radiation damage are covered. Concentrator solar arrays are briefly discussed.
