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Qualification test results for blue-red reflecting solar coversRecent market forces and design innovations have spurred the development of solar cell covers that significantly reduce the solar absorptance for a cell array. GaAs cells, using Ge as the substrate host material, can have a significantly higher output if the solar absorptance of the cell array is reduced. New optical coating design techniques have allowed the construction of covers that reflect the ultraviolet energy (below 350 nm) and the near infrared energy (above 900 nm) resulting in the beneficial reduction in absorptance. Recent modeling suggests three or more present output increase due to the lowered temperature with such a device. Within the last several months we have completed the testing of production samples of these new covers in a qualification series that included the usual environmental effects associated with the routine testing of solar cell covers and the combined effects of protons, electrons and solar UV as would be encountered in space. For the combined effects testing the samples were exposed to 300 sun days equivalent UV, 5 x 10(exp 14)/sq cm of 0.5 MeV protons and 10(exp 15)/sq cm of 1.0 MeV electrons. Measurements of the reflectance, transmission, emittance and other appropriate parameters were made before and after the testing. As measured by the averaged transmission over the cell operating band, the change in transmission for the samples was less than or about equal to 1 percent. The details of the testing and the results in terms of transmission, reflectance and emittance are discussed in the paper.
Document ID
19950014109
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Beauchamp, W. T. (Optical Coating Lab., Inc. Santa Rosa, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Lewis Research Center, Proceedings of the 13th Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology Conference (SPRAT 13)
Subject Category
Energy Production And Conversion
Meeting Information
Meeting: IEEE Photospecialist Conference
Location: Louisville, KY
Country: United States
Start Date: May 1, 1994
Accession Number
95N20525
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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