Lecture

Testing and verification of a tape spring based solar array

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In course

ME-314: Concurrent engineering project

L'étudiant apprend à appliquer les compétences acquises en travaillant dans une équipe responsable d'une portion d'un projet plus vaste. ...

Description

This lecture presents the Kiet Space One mission, funded by the European Space Agency, aiming to clean human debris from Earth's orbits. The ECPS lab was tasked with developing a solar panel line and its deployment using tape springs. The lecture covers the design of a test structure simulating 0G space conditions, the acquisition system based on video analysis, and simulations to optimize tape spring arrangements.

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Related concepts (25)

Solar panel

A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that generate electrons when exposed to light. The electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct current (DC) electricity, which can be used to power various devices or be stored in batteries. Solar panels are also known as solar cell panels, solar electric panels, or PV modules. Solar panels are usually arranged in groups called arrays or systems.

Solar panels on spacecraft

Spacecraft operating in the inner Solar System usually rely on the use of power electronics-managed photovoltaic solar panels to derive electricity from sunlight. Outside the orbit of Jupiter, solar radiation is too weak to produce sufficient power within current solar technology and spacecraft mass limitations, so radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are instead used as a power source. The first practical silicon-based solar cells were introduced by Russell Shoemaker Ohl, a researcher at Bell Labs in 1940.

Simulation

A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the simulation represents the evolution of the model over time. Often, computers are used to execute the simulation. Simulation is used in many contexts, such as simulation of technology for performance tuning or optimizing, safety engineering, testing, training, education, and video games.

Solar cell

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical phenomenon. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as solar panels.

Solar vehicle

A solar vehicle or solar electric vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic (PV) cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part of a vehicle's propulsion. Solar power may also be used to provide power for communications or controls or other auxiliary functions.

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