On-orbit reconfigurable solar array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815575-B2
Application number	US-201213617747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure teaches a method for reconfiguring a solar array. The method involves providing, for the solar array, at least one string of solar cells. The method further involves deactivating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of solar cells of the solar array when power produced by the solar array reaches a maximum power allowance threshold. In addition, the method involves activating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells in the solar array when the power produced by the solar array reaches a minimum power allowance threshold.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for reconfiguring a solar array, the method comprising:
providing, for the solar array, a plurality of strings of solar cells;
deactivating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells of the solar array, when a power produced by the solar array reaches a maximum power allowance threshold; and
activating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells in the solar array, when the power produced by the solar array reaches a minimum power allowance threshold,
wherein the deactivating of at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is performed by connecting a respective connection on at least one shunting plug to each of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be deactivated, wherein the at least one shunting plug allows for dissipation of heat.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating of at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is performed by disconnecting each of the connections on the at least one shunting plug from the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be activated.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deactivating of at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is performed by closing at least one relay switch that is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be deactivated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating of at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is performed by opening at least one relay switch that is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be activated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solar array is contained on one of a space station, a satellite, and an unmanned vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the satellite is one of a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a geosynchronous earth orbiting (GEO) satellite.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solar array is mounted onto a deployable blanket.

8. A reconfigurable solar array system, the system comprising:
a solar array comprising a plurality of strings of solar cells,
wherein at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells of the solar array is deactivated, when a power produced by the solar array reaches a maximum power allowance threshold, and
wherein at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells in the solar array is activated, when the power produced by the solar array reaches a minimum power allowance threshold,
wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is deactivated, a respective connection on at least one shunting plug is connected to each of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be deactivated, wherein the at least one shunting plug allows for dissipation of heat.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is activated, each of the connections on the at least one shunting plug is disconnected from the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be activated.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is deactivated, at least one relay switch, which is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be deactivated, is closed.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells is activated, at least one relay switch, which is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar cells to be activated, is open.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the solar array is contained on one of a space station, a satellite, and an unmanned vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the satellite is one of a low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbiting (MEO) satellite, and a geosynchronous earth orbiting (GEO) satellite.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the solar array is mounted onto a deployable blanket.

15. A reconfigurable solar array apparatus, the solar array comprising:
a plurality of strings; and
a plurality of solar cells, wherein the at least one string comprises the plurality of solar cells,
wherein at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar array is deactivated, when a power produced by the solar array reaches a maximum power allowance threshold, and
wherein at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar array is activated, when the power produced by the solar array reaches a minimum power allowance threshold,
wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array is deactivated, a respective connection on at least one shunting plug is connected to each of the at least one of the strings of the solar array to be deactivated, wherein the at least one shunting plug allows for dissipation of heat.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array is activated, each of the connections on the at least one shunting plug is disconnected from the at least one of the strings of the solar array to be activated.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the solar array further comprises at least one relay switch,
wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array is deactivated, the at least one relay switch, which is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array to be deactivated, is closed, and
wherein when at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array is activated, the at least one relay switch, which is connected to the at least a portion of the at least one of the strings of the solar array to be activated, is open.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the solar array is contained on one of a space station, a satellite, and an unmanned vehicle.

Assignees

• Levy Robert K
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Levy Robert K

Classifications

• B64G1/428 Primary

  Power distribution and management · CPC title

• Y10T307/832

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64G2001/1064

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/44

  using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays · CPC title

• B64G1/443 Primary

  Photovoltaic cell arrays · CPC title