Ultra-lightweight space power from hybrid thin-film solar cells

The development of hybrid inorganic/organic thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified, durable substrates provides an attractive solution for space power generation with high mass specific power (W/kg). The high-volume, low-cost fabrication potential of organic cells will allow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE aerospace and electronic systems magazine 2008-09, Vol.23 (9), p.31-41
Main Authors: Hepp, A., McNatt, J., Bailey, S., Raffaelle, R., Landi, B., Sun, S.-S., Bonner, C., Banger, K., Rauh, D.
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrays
Durability
Fabrication
Inorganic materials
Launches
NASA
Photovoltaic cells
Plastic films
Power generation
Production
Solar cells
Solar power generation
Space technology
Substrates
Thin films
Transistors
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Summary:The development of hybrid inorganic/organic thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified, durable substrates provides an attractive solution for space power generation with high mass specific power (W/kg). The high-volume, low-cost fabrication potential of organic cells will allow for square miles of solar cell production at one-tenth the cost of conventional inorganic materials. Plastic solar cells take a minimum of storage space and can be inflated or unrolled for deployment. We explore a cross-section of NASA in-house and sponsored research efforts that aim to provide new hybrid technologies that include both inorganic and polymer materials as active and substrate materials. For NASA applications, any solar cell or array technology must not only meet weight and AMO efficiency goals, but also must be durable enough to survive launch and space environments. Also, balance of system technologies must be developed to take advantage of ultra-lightweight solar arrays in power generation systems.
ISSN:0885-8985
1557-959X
DOI:10.1109/MAES.2008.4635069