Construction of solar panels for spacecraft. Space solar modules

The invention relates to rocket and space technology, namely to structural elements of solar batteries of spacecraft. The supporting panel of the solar battery of the spacecraft contains a frame and load-bearing upper and lower bases. Between the mentioned bases and the frame, a honeycomb-shaped filler and load-bearing partitions are hermetically installed perpendicular to the bases. To communicate the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, each of the variants of the invention provides for drainage holes in the side surfaces of each honeycomb of the filler and load-bearing partitions. To communicate the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the outside environment, the first version of the invention involves making drainage holes in at least one frame element, the second version of the invention provides for making drainage holes in the lower base of the panel evenly over its surface area, and the third version of the invention provides for making drainage holes at least at least in one frame element and in the lower base of the panel evenly over its surface area. In this case, the total areas of the drainage holes in the mentioned structural elements of the load-bearing panel are determined taking into account the total volume of the gaseous medium in the cells, the flow rates of the drainage holes and the maximum pressure difference of the gaseous medium along the flight path of the launch vehicle acting on the bases of the panel. The invention makes it possible to increase the structural strength of the load-bearing panels of solar batteries of a spacecraft without increasing their mass, to simplify the manufacturing and installation technology of the panels and to increase the reliability of their operation. 3 n.p. f-ly, 4 ill.

The invention relates to the field of aerogasdynamics aircraft(LA) and can be used in rocket science in the design and creation of solar battery panels (SB) for spacecraft (SC), made according to a three-layer load-bearing scheme.

Known and widely used in aviation in the manufacture of aircraft elements (fuselage, tail, wing, etc.) are panels made according to a three-layer load-bearing scheme, containing a frame (frame) supporting the upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is installed.

Designed to absorb and transmit distributed loads acting on aircraft elements, panels made according to a three-layer scheme with a honeycomb core provide greater rigidity and high load-bearing capacity. When the panel is loaded, the shear-hard and lightweight honeycomb core absorbs transverse shear and protects thin load-bearing layers from loss of stability during longitudinal compression.

The disadvantages of this technical solution include the increased weight of the frame elements and load-bearing bases of the panels due to significant pressure differences acting on the panel elements along the flight path of the aircraft when the aircraft's flight altitude changes.

There are known spacecraft SB panels used in rocketry, intended for installation on them of sensitive elements (photoelectric converters) of the spacecraft power supply system. The panels are also made according to a three-layer load-bearing scheme and contain a frame, supporting upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed, as well as load-bearing partitions, hermetically installed perpendicular to the bases to increase the rigidity of the panel. To reduce the weight of the SB panel structure, the frame, load-bearing bases and partitions are made of lightweight materials.

Load-bearing panels SB spacecraft, used in rocketry, as well as panels used in aviation, provide greater rigidity and high load-bearing capacity of the three-layer structure of the SB panel with honeycomb core.

The disadvantages of this technical solution include the reduced structural strength of the load-bearing SB panels and the possibility of loss of its general and local stability if there is a deviation in the technology of manufacturing and operating the panel, due to more significant aerodynamic loads acting on the elements of the SB panels of the spacecraft, compared to aviation loads. In this case, the external pressure acting on the SC panel of the spacecraft along the flight path of the launch vehicle (LV) varies over a wider range: from atmospheric (at Earth level at the launch of the LV) to practically zero when launched into interplanetary space, and the pressure inside the sealed panel along the flight path the launch vehicle remains atmospheric.

The objective of the invention is to increase the structural strength of the spacecraft's supporting panels without increasing their mass when the spacecraft is launched into interplanetary space by a launch vehicle.

The problem is solved in this way (option 1) that in the load-bearing panel SB KA, containing a frame, load-bearing upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed, load-bearing partitions are hermetically installed perpendicular to the bases, according to the invention, in the side surfaces of each honeycomb of the filler and partitions there are through drainage holes connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, and in the frame, at least in one element of the frame, there are drainage holes connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the outside environment, while the total effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the honeycombs, partitions and frame is determined from the ratios:

S 2 [cm 2 ] - the total area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame;

a, b are coefficients depending on the trajectory parameters of the launch vehicle, approximating the curve of the dependence of the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame on the maximum pressure drop along the trajectory acting on the bases of the panels.

The problem is also solved in this way (option 2) that in the load-bearing panel SB KA, containing a frame, load-bearing upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed, load-bearing partitions are hermetically installed perpendicular to the bases, according to the invention, in the side surfaces of each honeycomb filler and partitions, drainage holes are made, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, and in the lower base of the panel, evenly across its surface area, drainage holes are made, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the outside environment, while the total effective area of ​​​​the drainage holes in the honeycombs, partitions and the lower base determined from the relations:

S 1 [cm 2 ] - the total area of ​​the drainage holes in the end surface of the honeycomb;

S 3 [cm 2 ] - the total area of ​​the drainage holes in the lower base;

V [m 3 ] - total volume of the gaseous medium in honeycombs;

μ.GIF; 1 - flow rate of drainage holes in honeycombs and partitions;

μ.GIF; 3 - flow rate of drainage holes in the lower base;

Δ.GIF; P [kgf/cm 2 ] - the maximum pressure difference of the gas medium along the flight path of the launch vehicle acting on the base of the panel;

a, b are coefficients depending on the trajectory parameters of the launch vehicle, approximating the curve of the dependence of the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the bases of the panels on the maximum pressure difference along the trajectory acting on the bases of the panel.

The problem is also solved in this way (option 3) that in the load-bearing panel SB KA, containing a frame, load-bearing upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed, load-bearing partitions are hermetically installed perpendicular to the bases, according to the invention, in the side surfaces of each honeycomb the filler and partitions have through drainage holes connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, and in the frame, at least in one element of the frame, and in the lower base of the panel, drainage holes are made evenly over its surface area, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the external environment, with In this case, the total effective area of ​​drainage holes in the honeycombs, partitions, frame and lower base is determined from the ratios:

S 1 [cm 2 ] - the total area of ​​the drainage holes in the end surface of the honeycomb;

S 2, S 3 [cm 2] - the total area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame and lower base, respectively;

V [m 3 ] - total volume of the gaseous medium in honeycombs;

μ.GIF; 1 - flow rate of drainage holes in honeycombs and partitions;

μ.GIF; 2 , μ.GIF; 3 - flow rate of drainage holes in the frame and lower base of the panel, respectively;

Δ.GIF; P [kgf/cm 2 ] - the maximum pressure difference of the gas medium along the LV flight path acting on the base of the panel;

The technical results of the invention are:

Reducing the pressure drops acting on the bases and sensitive elements of the SB panel with the minimum permissible pressure drops acting on the walls of the honeycomb core;

Determination of the effective area of ​​drainage holes in honeycombs, frames, load-bearing bases and panel partitions;

Determination of the influence of trajectory parameters (Mach number, flight altitude H) on the effective area of ​​the drainage holes.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by diagrams of the SC panel of the spacecraft and a graph of changes in excess pressure acting on its elements.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show diagrams of the spacecraft SB panel, made respectively in options 1, 2 and 3, and its fragments are highlighted, where:

2 - upper base;

3 - lower base;

4 - filler;

5 - partitions;

6 - drainage holes;

7 - sensitive elements.

Here the arrows show the direction of flow of the gas medium in the honeycombs of the panel filler and its outflow into the external environment.

Figure 4 shows the dependence of the maximum pressure drop along the flight path of the launch vehicle Δ.GIF; P(Δ.GIF; P=Pvn-Pnar) of the gaseous environment acting on the bases of the panels, from the relative effective area of ​​the flow sections of the drainage holes μ.GIF; S/V, where:

Pvn - pressure of the gaseous medium inside the panel (in the honeycombs of the filler);

Pnar is the pressure of the gas medium outside the panel.

The supporting panel SB spacecraft (Fig. 1, 2, 3) contains a frame 1, a supporting upper base 2 and a lower base 3, as well as load-bearing partitions 5 installed perpendicular to these bases. A filler 4 in the form of a honeycomb is hermetically installed between the bases. Sensing elements 7 of the spacecraft power supply system are installed on the upper base 2.

In the side surfaces of each honeycomb of filler 4 and load-bearing partitions 5, unlike the prototype, in each version there are drainage holes 6 connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other and with the external environment (see view A and section along BB).

In option 1 (Fig. 1), the internal volumes of the honeycomb communicate with the external environment through drainage holes 6 made in the frame 1, at least in one of its elements.

In option 2 (Fig. 2), the internal volumes of the honeycomb communicate with the external environment through drainage holes 6 made in the load-bearing lower base 3, evenly spaced over the area of ​​its base.

In option 3 (Fig. 3), the internal volumes of the honeycomb communicate with the external environment through drainage holes 6 made in the frame 1, at least in one of its elements, as well as in the load-bearing lower base 3, evenly spaced along the area of ​​its base.

Due to the uniform arrangement of drainage holes over the area of ​​the panel bases, a uniform or close to uniform distribution of pressure in the aggregate honeycombs and, consequently, pressure differences acting on the panel bases is ensured. This eliminates stress concentrations at the junction of panel elements due to uneven pressure differences, which leads to a simplification of the panel manufacturing technology and an increase in the reliability of its operation in the presence of hidden defects during its manufacture, for example, when individual elements of the honeycomb core are not glued to the load-bearing bases.

The choice of panel drainage option is determined by the permissible operational loads acting on the bases of the panels along the flight path of the launch vehicle, taking into account the structural and technological features production of panels.

The total effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame 1, in the filler honeycombs 4, partitions 5 and the lower base 3 for a given flight path of the launch vehicle is determined by relations (1), (2) and (3), for options 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with taking into account the coefficients a and b included in these relationships, which depend on the parameters of the launch vehicle trajectory.

Formulas (1), (2) and (3) contain a mathematical description of the dependence of the relative total effective area of ​​the drainage holes μ.GIF; ·S/V from the maximum pressure drop along the LV flight path Δ.GIF; P and were obtained from the results of an analysis of the flow of a gaseous medium in a system of gas-dynamic interconnected containers formed by drained honeycombs of filler 4 with power partitions 5, upper base 2 and lower base 3 with its subsequent outflow into the external environment.

In rocket science, frame 1 is made of carbon fiber, load-bearing bases 2 and 3, as well as load-bearing partitions 5 are made of titanium. The filler 4 in the form of a honeycomb is made from aluminum alloy and hermetically attached to the upper base 2 and lower base 3 of the panel using, for example, aviation glue VKV-9. Also, sensitive elements 7 SB are attached to the upper base 2.

The carrier panel SB KA works as follows.

Since in the lateral surfaces of each honeycomb of the filler 4 and the panel elements (Fig. 1, 2 and 3), in contrast to the prototype, drainage holes 6 are made, during the flight of the spacecraft as part of the head unit of the launch vehicle, as well as in the autonomous flight of the spacecraft, after dropping the fairings head block, the gas medium flows between the honeycombs of the filler 4, the power partitions 5 and flows out through the drainage holes in the frame 1 and the lower base 6 into the external environment (see section along the explosive). The flow of the gas medium occurs with an insignificant delay in pressure equalization in the honeycombs of filler 4.

In this case, the outflow of the gas medium from the honeycombs of the filler 4 into the external environment occurs at a subsonic speed without blocking it in the honeycombs of the filler 4, since the total effective areas μ.GIF; 2 ·S 2 drainage holes 6 in frame 1 and μ.GIF; 3 ·S 3 - in the lower base 3 are made greater than or equal to the total effective area μ.GIF; 1 ·S 1 in honeycombs of filler 4 with power partitions 5 (μ.GIF; 2 ·S 2 ≥.GIF; μ.GIF; 1 ·S 1 , μ.GIF; 3 ·S 3 ≥.GIF; μ.GIF; 1·S 1).

During the flight of the spacecraft as part of the LV head unit, the maximum pressure drop Δ.GIF is realized; P (Fig.4), acting on the bases of panels 2 and 3, in accordance with formulas (1), (2) and (3). In this case, the gaseous environment from the honeycomb of the filler 4 flows into a closed volume under the head fairing, the maximum permissible pressure difference in which, in comparison with the external one along the flight path of the launch vehicle, is determined by a known technical solution using a compartment drainage system.

During autonomous flight of the spacecraft, an internal pressure P VN is established inside the body panel, close to atmospheric (static surrounding atmosphere). Changes Δ.GIF; In this case, the pressure P between the honeycombs of the filler 4, as well as the internal pressure Pvn in the honeycombs of the filler 4 and the external environment Pnar, acting on the upper base 2 and lower base 3 of the panel, are close to zero.

Thus, the pressure drops acting on the panel elements and the sensitive elements of the spacecraft power supply system installed on it are reduced. Thereby, the structural strength of the spacecraft SB is increased without increasing the spacecraft mass, which leads to the accomplishment of the assigned task.

In addition, due to the reduction in pressure differences acting on the panel elements, the manufacturing and installation technology of the SB spacecraft panel is simplified and the reliability of its operation is increased.

Calculations carried out for the body panel developed for the Yamal spacecraft launched by the Proton launch vehicle showed that the pressure drops Δ.GIF; P acting on the base of the panel, in comparison with the prototype, decreases by an order of magnitude and practically approaches zero.

Currently, the technical solution has passed experimental testing and is being implemented on spacecraft being developed by the enterprise.

Technical solution can be used for various types of spacecraft: near-Earth, interplanetary, automatic, manned and other spacecraft.

The technical solution can also be applied in aviation, for example, when using the SB panel as part of an aircraft wing element. In this case, the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the panel elements is determined taking into account the maximum pressure differences acting on the wing elements along the aircraft flight path.

Literature

1. Aviation. Encyclopedia. M.: TsAGI, 1994, p. 529.

2. At the turn of two centuries (1996-2001). Ed. acad. Yu.P. Semenova. M.: RSC "Energia" named after S.P. Korolev, 2001, p. 834.

3. Patent RU 2145563 C1.

Claim

1. A supporting panel of a solar battery of a spacecraft, containing a frame, supporting upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed and power partitions perpendicular to the bases, characterized in that through drainage holes are made in the side surfaces of each honeycomb of the filler and power partitions, connecting the internal volumes of the cells with each other, and in at least one frame element there are drainage holes connecting the internal volumes of the cells with the external environment, while the total effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the cells, load-bearing partitions and frame is determined from the ratios

S 2 - total area of ​​drainage holes in the frame, cm 2;

μ.GIF; 2 - flow rate of drainage holes in the frame;

a, b are coefficients depending on the trajectory parameters of the launch vehicle, approximating the curve of the dependence of the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame on the maximum pressure drop along the trajectory acting on the bases of the panel.

2. A supporting panel of a solar battery of a spacecraft, containing a frame, supporting upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed and power partitions perpendicular to the bases, characterized in that drainage holes are made in the side surfaces of each honeycomb of the filler and power partitions, communicating internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, and in the lower base of the panel, drainage holes are made evenly over its surface area, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the external environment, while the total effective area of ​​​​the drainage holes in the honeycombs, power partitions and the lower base of the panel is determined from the ratios

μ.GIF; 1 ·S 1 /V=a·Δ.GIF; P-b,

where S 1 is the total area of ​​drainage holes in the side surfaces of the honeycombs and power partitions, cm 2 ;

S 3 - total area of ​​drainage holes in the lower base of the panel, cm 2;

V is the total volume of the gaseous medium in cells, m3;

μ.GIF; 1 - flow rate of drainage holes in the side surfaces of honeycombs and power partitions;

μ.GIF; 3 - flow rate of drainage holes in the lower base of the panel;

Δ.GIF; P is the maximum pressure difference of the gas medium along the flight path of the launch vehicle acting on the base of the panel, kgf/cm 2 ;

a, b are coefficients depending on the trajectory parameters of the launch vehicle, approximating the curve of the dependence of the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the lower base of the panel on the maximum pressure drop along the trajectory acting on the base of the panel.

3. The supporting panel of the solar battery of the spacecraft, containing a frame, supporting upper and lower bases, between which a honeycomb-shaped filler is hermetically installed and power partitions perpendicular to the bases, characterized in that through drainage holes are made in the side surfaces of each filler honeycomb and power partitions, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with each other, and in at least one element of the frame and in the lower base of the panel, drainage holes are made evenly over its surface area, connecting the internal volumes of the honeycombs with the external environment, while the total effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the honeycombs, power partitions, frame and lower base of the panel is determined from the relations

μ.GIF; 1 ·S 1 /V=a·Δ.GIF; P-b,

μ.GIF; 2 ·S 2 /V≥.GIF; μ.GIF; 1 S 1 /V,

μ.GIF; 3·S 3 /V≥.GIF; μ.GIF; 1 S 1 /V,

where S 1 is the total area of ​​drainage holes in the side surfaces of the honeycombs and power partitions, cm 2 ;

S 2, S 3 - total areas of drainage holes in the frame and lower base of the panel, respectively, cm 2;

V is the total volume of the gaseous medium in cells, m3;

μ.GIF; 1 - flow rate of drainage holes in the side surfaces of honeycombs and power partitions;

μ.GIF; 2 , μ.GIF; 3 - flow coefficients of drainage holes in the frame and lower base of the panel, respectively;

Δ.GIF; P is the maximum pressure difference of the gas medium along the flight path of the launch vehicle acting on the base of the panel, kgf/cm 2 ;

a, b are coefficients depending on the trajectory parameters of the launch vehicle, approximating the curve of the dependence of the effective area of ​​the drainage holes in the frame and lower base of the panel on the maximum pressure difference along the trajectory acting on the base of the panel.

Solar battery on the ISS

Solar battery - several combined photoelectric converters (photocells) - semiconductor devices that directly convert solar energy into direct energy electricity, Unlike solar collectors, producing heating of the coolant material.

Various devices that make it possible to convert solar radiation into thermal and electrical energy are the object of research in solar energy (from the Greek helios Ήλιος, Helios -). The production of photovoltaic cells and solar collectors is developing in different directions. Solar panels come in a variety of sizes, from those built into microcalculators to those that occupy the roofs of cars and buildings.

Story

The first prototypes of solar cells were created by an Italian photochemist of Armenian origin, Giacomo Luigi Ciamician.

On April 25, 1954, Bell Laboratories announced the creation of the first silicon-based solar cells to generate electric current. This discovery was made by three employees of the company - Calvin Souther Fuller, Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson. Just 4 years later, on March 17, 1958, the first one with solar panels, Vanguard 1, was launched in the United States. Just a couple of months later, on May 15, 1958, Sputnik 3 was launched in the USSR, also using solar panels.

Use in space

Solar panels are one of the main ways to obtain electrical energy on: they work for a long time without consuming any materials, and at the same time are environmentally friendly, unlike nuclear and.

However, when flying at a great distance from the Sun (beyond orbit), their use becomes problematic, since the flow of solar energy is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the Sun. When flying to and, on the contrary, the power of solar panels increases significantly (in the Venus region by 2 times, in the Mercury region by 6 times).

Efficiency of photocells and modules

The power of the solar radiation flux at the entrance to the atmosphere (AM0) is about 1366 watts per square meter(see also AM1, AM1.5, AM1.5G, AM1.5D). At the same time, the specific power of solar radiation in Europe in very cloudy weather, even during the day, can be less than 100 W/m². Using common industrially produced solar panels, this energy can be converted into electricity with an efficiency of 9-24%. In this case, the price of the battery will be about 1-3 US dollars per watt of rated power. For industrial generation of electricity using solar cells, the price per kWh will be $0.25. According to the European Photovoltaics Association (EPIA), by 2020 the cost of electricity generated by solar systems will drop to less than €0.10 per kW. h for industrial installations and less than 0.15 € per kWh for installations in residential buildings.

In 2009, Spectrolab (a subsidiary of Boeing) demonstrated a solar cell with an efficiency of 41.6%. In January 2011, solar cells from this company with an efficiency of 39% were expected to enter the market. In 2011, the Californian company Solar Junction achieved an efficiency of 43.5% for a 5.5x5.5 mm solar cell, which was 1.2% higher than the previous record.

In 2012, Morgan Solar created the Sun Simba system from polymethylmethacrylate (plexiglass), germanium and gallium arsenide, combining a concentrator with a panel on which a solar cell is mounted. The efficiency of the system when the panel was stationary was 26-30% (depending on the time of year and the angle at which the Sun is located), twice the practical efficiency of solar cells based on crystalline silicon.

In 2013, Sharp created a three-layer solar cell measuring 4x4 mm on an indium gallium arsenide base with an efficiency of 44.4%, and a group of specialists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin created a photocell using Fresnel lenses with an efficiency of 44.7%, surpassing his own achievement of 43.6%. In 2014, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems created solar cells that, thanks to a lens focusing light onto a very small photocell, had an efficiency of 46%.

In 2014, Spanish scientists developed a photovoltaic cell made from silicon that can convert infrared radiation from the sun into electricity.

A promising direction is the creation of photocells based on nanoantennas that operate by directly rectifying currents induced in a small antenna (about 200-300 nm) by light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation with a frequency of about 500 THz). Nanoantennas do not require expensive raw materials for production and have a potential efficiency of up to 85%.

Factors affecting the efficiency of photocells

The structural features of photocells cause a decrease in the performance of panels with increasing temperature.

From the performance characteristics of the photovoltaic panel it is clear that to achieve the greatest efficiency, the correct selection of load resistance is required. To do this, photovoltaic panels are not connected directly to the load, but use a photovoltaic system control controller that provides optimal mode panel operation.

Production

Very often single photocells do not produce enough power. Therefore, a certain number of photovoltaic cells are combined into so-called photovoltaic solar modules and a reinforcement is mounted between the glass plates. This assembly can be fully automated.

In 2016 (a key division of IPPT) an ultra-lightweight composite mesh solar panel for spacecraft was designed. The lightweight supporting structure, developed within the framework of the SPbPU IPPT concept, is intended to replace three-layer panels with honeycomb core. The product was manufactured at the enterprise of IPPT partner - Baltico company (Germany).

The development was repeatedly demonstrated at industrial exhibitions, including at the forum, where, in particular, it attracted the attention of the First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia G.S. Nikitin and other government officials, as well as heads of a number of leading industrial enterprises.

Innoprom-2016. Scientific director IPPT SPbPU, Head of the Engineering Center SPbPU A.I. Borovkov (right) demonstrates a composite panel for space solar panels, developed by IPPT SPbPU and Baltico GmbH, to the First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia G.S. Nikitin (in the center) and Director of the Department of Machine Tools and Investment Engineering of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia M.I. Ivanov

The composite panel was also demonstrated to the Minister of Industry and Trade D.V. Manturov, who visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University on November 7, 2016.

A.I. Borovkov tells the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade D.V. Manturov about the developed in IPPT
ultra-lightweight composite solar panel

Material: composite - carbon fiber / epoxy matrix

Technology: Digital additive manufacturing. Robotic placement of continuous fibers onto a frame.

Production cycle: 15 minutes

Cost for mass production: from 6000 rub./sq. m.

Advantages of the technology:

• the characteristics of a unidirectional composite material along the reinforcing fibers are used to the maximum;
• direct process, use of primary materials (roving and binder);
• compatible with metal structures;
• low material consumption and cost of structures;
• waste-free production;
• the ability to manufacture complex geometric shapes, modularity;
• reducing the weight of load-bearing structures by 20-30 times;
• fully automated technology;
• manufacturing accuracy 0.1-1.0 mm;
• use of domestic materials.

• Fantastic power plants

It is no secret that in line with the constant struggle for more productive, environmentally friendly and cheaper energy, humanity is increasingly resorting to alternative sources of precious energy. In many countries, a fairly large number of residents have identified the need to use solar modules to supply their homes with electricity.

Some of them came to this conclusion thanks to difficult calculations to save material resources, and some were forced to take such a responsible step by circumstances, one of which is difficult to reach geographical position, causing a lack of reliable communications. But it’s not only in such hard-to-reach places that solar panels are needed. There are boundaries much more distant than the edge of the earth - this is space. A solar battery in space is the only source of generating the required amount of electricity.

Basics of Space Solar Energy

The idea of ​​using solar panels in space first appeared more than half a century ago, during the first launches of artificial earth satellites. At that time, in the USSR, Nikolai Stepanovich Lidorenko, a professor and specialist in the field of physics, especially in the field of electricity, substantiated the need for the use of endless energy sources on spacecraft. Such energy could only be the energy of the sun, which was produced using solar modules.

Currently, all space stations operate exclusively on solar energy.

Space itself is a great helper in this matter, since the sun’s rays, so necessary for the process of photosynthesis in solar modules, are abundant in outer space, and there is no interference with their consumption.

A disadvantage of using solar panels in low-Earth orbit may be the effect of radiation on the material used to make the photographic plate. Due to this negative influence, the structure of solar cells changes, which leads to a decrease in electricity production.

Fantastic power plants

In scientific laboratories all over the world, a similar task is currently taking place - the search for free electricity from the sun. Just not on the scale of an individual house or city, but on the scale of the entire planet. The essence of this work is to create solar modules that are huge in size and, accordingly, in energy production.

The area of ​​such modules is huge and placing them on the surface of the earth will entail many difficulties, such as:

• large and free areas for installing light receivers,
• influence of weather conditions on the efficiency of modules,
• maintenance and cleaning costs solar panels.

All these negative aspects exclude the installation of such a monumental structure on the ground. But there is a way out. It consists of installing giant solar modules in low-Earth orbit. When such an idea is implemented, humanity receives a solar source of energy, which is always under the influence sun rays, will never require snow removal, and most importantly, will not take up useful space on the ground.

Of course, whoever is the first to install solar panels for space will dictate their terms in the global energy sector in the future. It is no secret that the reserves of minerals on our earth are not only not endless, but on the contrary, every day reminds us that soon humanity will have to switch to alternative sources forcibly. That is why the development of space solar modules in Earth orbit is on the list of priority tasks for power engineers and specialists designing power plants of the future.

Problems of placing solar modules in earth orbit

The difficulties of creating such power plants are not only in the installation, delivery and deployment of solar modules in low-Earth orbit. The greatest problems are caused by the transmission of electric current generated by solar modules to the consumer, that is, to the ground. Of course, you can’t stretch the wires, and you can’t transport them in a container. There are almost unrealistic technologies for transmitting energy over distances without tangible materials. But such technologies cause many controversial hypotheses in the scientific world.

Firstly, such strong radiation will negatively affect a wide area of ​​signal reception, that is, a significant part of our planet will be irradiated. And if there are such space stations will it become too much over time? This could lead to irradiation of the entire surface of the planet, resulting in unpredictable consequences.

Secondly a negative point may be the partial destruction of the upper layers of the atmosphere and the ozone layer, in places where energy is transferred from the power plant to the receiver. Even a child can imagine consequences of this kind.

In addition to everything, there are many nuances of a different nature that increase the negative aspects and delay the moment of launch similar devices. There can be many such emergency situations, from the difficulty of repairing panels in the event of an unexpected breakdown or collision with a cosmic body, to the banal problem of how to dispose of such unusual building, after the end of its service life.

Despite all the negative aspects, humanity, as they say, has nowhere to go. Solar energy, today, is the only source of energy that can, in theory, cover the growing needs of people for electricity. None of the currently existing energy sources on earth can compare their future prospects with this unique phenomenon.

Approximate implementation timeframe

A solar space power plant has long ceased to be a theoretical question. The first launch of the power plant into earth orbit is already scheduled for 2040. Of course, this is only a trial model, and it is far from the global structures that are planned to be built in the future. The essence of such a launch is to see in practice how such a power plant will operate under operating conditions. The country that took on such a difficult mission is Japan. The estimated area of ​​the batteries, theoretically, should be about four square kilometers.

If experiments show that such a phenomenon as a solar power plant can exist, then the mainstream of solar energy will have a clear path for the development of such inventions. If the economic aspect cannot stop the whole thing initial stage. The fact is that, according to theoretical calculations, in order to launch a full-fledged solar power plant into orbit, more than two hundred launches of cargo launch vehicles are needed. For your information, the cost of one launch of a heavy truck, based on existing statistics, is approximately 0.5 - 1 billion dollars. The arithmetic is simple, and the results are not reassuring.

The resulting amount is huge, and it will only be used to deliver the disassembled elements into orbit, but it is still necessary to assemble the entire construction set.

To summarize all that has been said, it can be noted that the creation of a space solar power plant is a matter of time, but such a structure can only be built by superpowers that will be able to bear the entire economic burden from the implementation of the process.

These are photovoltaic converters - semiconductor devices that convert solar energy into direct electric current. Simply put, these are the basic elements of the device we call “solar panels.” With the help of such batteries, artificial Earth satellites operate in space orbits. Such batteries are made here in Krasnodar - at the Saturn plant. The plant management invited the author of this blog to look at the production process and write about it in his diary.

1. The enterprise in Krasnodar is part of the Federal Space Agency, but Saturn is owned by the Ochakovo company, which literally saved this production in the 90s. The owners of Ochakovo bought a controlling stake, which almost went to the Americans. Ochakovo invested heavily here, purchased modern equipment, managed to retain specialists, and now Saturn is one of the two leaders in Russian market production of solar and rechargeable batteries for the needs of the space industry - civil and military. All profits that Saturn receives remain here in Krasnodar and go towards the development of the production base.

2. So, it all starts here - at the so-called site. gas phase epitaxy. In this room there is a gas reactor, in which a crystalline layer is grown on a germanium substrate for three hours, which will serve as the basis for a future solar cell. The cost of such an installation is about three million euros.

3. After this, the substrate still has a long way to go: electrical contacts will be applied to both sides of the photocell (moreover, on the working side the contact will have a “comb pattern”, the dimensions of which are carefully calculated to ensure maximum passage of sunlight), an anti-reflective coating will appear on the substrate coating, etc. - a total of more than two dozen technological operations at various installations before the photocell becomes the basis of the solar battery.

4. Here, for example, is a photolithography installation. Here, “patterns” of electrical contacts are formed on photocells. The machine performs all operations automatically, according to a given program. Here the light is appropriate, which does not harm the photosensitive layer of the photocell - as before, in the era of analog photography, we used “red” lamps.

5. In the vacuum of the sputtering installation, electrical contacts and dielectrics are deposited using an electron beam, and antireflective coatings are also applied (they increase the current generated by the photocell by 30%).

6. Well, the photocell is ready and you can start assembling the solar battery. Busbars are soldered to the surface of the photocell in order to then connect them to each other, and protective glass is glued onto them, without which in space, under radiation conditions, the photocell may not withstand the loads. And, although the glass thickness is only 0.12 mm, a battery with such photocells will work for a long time in orbit (in high orbits for more than fifteen years).

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7. Electrical connection Photocells are connected to each other using silver contacts (they are called bars) with a thickness of only 0.02 mm.

8. To obtain the required network voltage generated solar battery, photocells are connected in series. This is what a section of series-connected photocells (photoelectric converters - that's correct) looks like.

9. Finally, the solar battery is assembled. Only part of the battery is shown here - the panel in mockup format. There can be up to eight such panels on a satellite, depending on how much power is needed. On modern communications satellites it reaches 10 kW. Such panels will be mounted on a satellite, in space they will open like wings and with their help we will watch satellite television, use satellite Internet, navigation systems (GLONASS satellites use Krasnodar solar panels).

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10. When a spacecraft is illuminated by the Sun, the electricity generated by the solar battery powers the spacecraft's systems, and excess energy is stored in the battery. When the spacecraft is in the shadow of the Earth, the device uses electricity stored in the battery. The nickel-hydrogen battery, having a high energy capacity (60 W h/kg) and an almost inexhaustible resource, is widely used on spacecraft. The production of such batteries is another part of the work of the Saturn plant.

In this photo, the assembly of a nickel-hydrogen battery is carried out by Anatoly Dmitrievich Panin, holder of the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.

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11. Assembly area for nickel-hydrogen batteries. The battery contents are prepared for placement in the housing. The filling is positive and negative electrodes separated by separator paper - it is in them that the transformation and accumulation of energy occurs.

12. Installation for electron beam welding in a vacuum, with the help of which the battery case is made from thin metal.

13. Section of the workshop where battery housings and parts are tested for high pressure.
Due to the fact that the accumulation of energy in the battery is accompanied by the formation of hydrogen, and the pressure inside the battery increases, leak testing is an integral part of the battery manufacturing process.

14. The housing of a nickel-hydrogen battery is a very important part of the entire device operating in space. The housing is designed for a pressure of 60 kg s/cm 2; during testing, rupture occurred at a pressure of 148 kg s/cm 2.

15. Tested batteries are charged with electrolyte and hydrogen, after which they are ready for use.

16. The body of a nickel-hydrogen battery is made of a special metal alloy and must be mechanically strong, lightweight and have high thermal conductivity. The batteries are installed in cells and do not touch each other.

17. Rechargeable batteries and batteries assembled from them are subjected to electrical tests on installations of our own production. In space it will no longer be possible to correct or replace anything, so every product is carefully tested here.

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18. All space technology is subjected to mechanical testing using vibration stands that simulate the loads when launching a spacecraft into orbit.

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19. In general, the Saturn plant made the most favorable impression. The production is well organized, the workshops are clean and bright, the people working are qualified, communicating with such specialists is a pleasure and very interesting for a person who is at least to some extent interested in our space. I left Saturn in a great mood - it’s always nice to see a place here where they don’t engage in idle chatter and shuffle papers, but do real, serious work, successfully compete with similar manufacturers in other countries. There would be more of this in Russia.

Photos: © drugoi

P.S. Blog of the Vice President of Marketing at Ochakovo