JPH08258800A - Solar battery paddle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the size of a surplus power processing system and to reduce the size of a sun light incident surface. CONSTITUTION: A windable screen member 12 is positioned facing a sun light incident surface in such a manner to cover the sun light incident surface of a solar battery cell 10 therewith and an incident amount of incident rays containing sun light to the sun light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10 is controlled. In an initial stage state, by covering the sun light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10 with the screen member 12, a generating power is adjusted to a value approximately equal to a demanding power by regulating an incident amount of incident rays containing sun light. At the terminal stage state of a life, by removing the screen member 12 from the sun light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10, incident rays containing sun light are sufficiently inputted and the generation of a power at maximum capacity is allowed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell paddle mounted on a spacecraft such as an artificial satellite.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a solar cell paddle is irradiated with incident rays of sunlight, radiation (electron beam, proton beam) or the like for a long period of time. Considering the life of the satellite, it is designed to secure sufficient electric power even at the end of the life of the satellite. Therefore, a surplus power processing system such as a shunt circuit is provided in the solar cell paddle, and a method of processing surplus power generated at the initial stage of power generation using this surplus power processing system is adopted.

However, in the above solar cell paddle, the amount of power generation is relatively low due to aging, and the power generation at the initial stage must be set so as to secure the power generation at the end of life. In the initial state, there is a problem that the surplus power is very large and the surplus power processing system that processes the surplus power becomes large.

Further, if it is constructed so as to sufficiently secure the generated power at the end of the life of the satellite, there is a problem that a large-area sunlight incident surface is required and the size becomes large.
This problem is one of the important issues in the future in the field of space development, where there is a strong demand for downsizing and weight reduction.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional solar cell paddle has a problem that the surplus power processing circuit becomes large and a large-area sunlight incident surface is required. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a solar cell paddle capable of miniaturizing a surplus power processing system, and also capable of miniaturizing a sunlight incident surface. To do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a solar battery cell mounted on a spacecraft, which converts sunlight incident on a sunlight incident surface into electric energy, and sunlight incident on the solar battery cell. A screen member that is provided so as to cover the surface and regulates the incidence of incident rays including sunlight, and the area of the screen member facing the sunlight incident surface of the solar cell is variably set, and A solar cell paddle was provided with an incident ray control means for controlling the incident amount.

According to the above structure, in the initial state of the solar battery cell, the sunlight incident surface is covered with the screen member so that the incident amount of incident rays containing sunlight is regulated and the generated power is weakened. Then, in the end-of-life state, the solar cell, by removing the screen member of the sunlight incident surface, the incident line containing sunlight is sufficiently taken in,
Electricity is generated with maximum capacity. As a result, the surplus power in the initial state can be reduced, the surplus power processing system can be miniaturized, and the deterioration due to aging due to the incident ray can be prevented. As a result, the paddle miniaturization can be promoted.

Further, the present invention is a solar battery cell mounted on a spacecraft for converting sunlight incident on a sunlight incident surface into electric energy, and a sunlight incident angle on the sunlight incident surface of the solar battery cell. And an incident angle adjusting means for variably setting the incident angle adjusting means to variably set the incident angle of the sunlight on the sunlight incident surface of the solar cell by controlling the operation of the incident angle adjusting means. A solar cell paddle was provided with the incident ray control means for controlling.

According to the above construction, in the initial state of the solar battery cell, the incident angle of sunlight on the sunlight incident surface is set to an acute angle, and the incident amount of incident rays containing sunlight is regulated.
The generated power is weakened. Then, in the end-of-life state, the solar cell is set so that the sunlight incident angle of its sunlight incident surface is substantially orthogonal to the sunlight, the incident line containing the sunlight is sufficiently taken in, and the maximum capacity is obtained. Electricity is generated in. As a result, the surplus power in the initial state can be reduced, the surplus power processing system can be miniaturized, and the deterioration due to aging due to the incident ray can be prevented. As a result, the paddle miniaturization can be promoted.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a main part of a solar battery paddle according to an embodiment of the present invention. A solar battery cell 10 is folded and housed in a satellite body 11 through a folding and unfolding mechanism (not shown) and transported to outer space. When it reaches outer space, it is unfolded by this folding and unfolding mechanism (not shown) and its orientation is controlled in the direction of the sun. A screen member 12 made of, for example, a semitransparent material is disposed so as to face the sunlight incident surface of the solar battery cell 10. The screen member 12 is provided so as to be freely wound via the winding mechanism 13, and is provided in opposition to the sunlight incident surface of the solar battery cell 10 to regulate the incidence of incident rays containing sunlight.

The winding mechanism 13 is connected to the incident ray control section 14 and controls the winding of the screen member 12 according to a drive signal from the incident ray control section 14 to control the solar cell 10.
Controls the area confronting the sunlight incident surface of. The incident ray control unit 14 drives and controls the winding mechanism 13 in response to a command signal transmitted by a command, for example.

In the above structure, in the initial state of the life, the incident amount control unit 14 is installed so that the screen member 12 covers the entire solar light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10 via the winding mechanism 13. . As a result, the screen member 12 acts so as to suppress the amount of power generated by the solar battery cell 10 by restricting the amount of incident rays including sunlight on the solar light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10.

After a lapse of years, the incident amount control section 14 generates a drive signal according to the command and drives the winding mechanism 13 to drive the solar cell 10 of the screen member 12.
The area facing the sunlight incident surface is reduced, and the amount of sunlight incident on the sunlight incident surface is increased. Furthermore, when the end of the life is reached, the screen member 12 will be
It is removed from the sunlight incident surface of 0. As a result, in the solar cell 10, the maximum amount of incident rays are incident on the sunlight incident surface, and the generated power is generated in the maximum capacity state.

As described above, in the above solar battery paddle, the windable screen members 12 are arranged so as to face the solar light incident surface of the solar battery cell 10 so as to face each other, and the sun of the incident line including the solar light is arranged. In the initial state, the solar cell 1 is controlled so as to control the incident amount of the battery cell 10 on the sunlight incident surface.
By covering the sunlight incident surface of No. 0 with the screen member 12, the incident amount of incident rays including sunlight is regulated so that the generation of electric power approaches the required electric power. By removing the screen member 12 from the sunlight incident surface of 10, the incident line including sunlight was sufficiently taken in, and the power generation at the maximum capacity was allowed.

According to this, the surplus power in the initial state can be reduced, the surplus power processing system can be miniaturized, and further, the deterioration over time due to the incident ray can be prevented, and as a result, the paddle miniaturization can be promoted. .

In the above embodiment, the screen member 1
2 has been described in the case where the translucent material is used to reduce the power generated in the solar battery cells 10 facing the screen member 12, but the invention is not limited to this.
The screen member 12 may not be configured to generate electric power only by the solar cells 10 that are not opposed to each other.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but may be constructed as shown in FIG. 2 and substantially the same effect is expected. That is, the solar cell 20 is provided so as to be foldable and expandable via the angle adjusting mechanism 21, and the angle adjusting mechanism 21 is drive-controlled by the incident ray control unit 22 to control the solar cell 2
The incident angle of sunlight is variably set by controlling the inclination angle of the direction 0 orthogonal to the extension direction, and the incident amount of the incident line containing sunlight is controlled. According to this, in the initial state, by setting the sunlight incident angle of the sunlight incident surface of the solar battery cell 20 at an acute angle, the incident amount of the incident line containing the sunlight is regulated to generate the electric power. In the end-of-life state, the sunlight incident angle of the sunlight incident surface of the solar cell 20 is set to be substantially orthogonal to the sunlight so that the incident line including the sunlight is sufficiently captured. Perform power generation at maximum capacity. As a result, similarly, the surplus power in the initial state can be reduced, the surplus power processing system can be miniaturized, and the deterioration due to the incident ray over time can be prevented, and as a result, the paddle miniaturization can be promoted.
Therefore, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0018]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, there is provided a solar cell paddle capable of downsizing the surplus power processing system and downsizing the sunlight incident surface. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a solar cell paddle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 20 ... Solar cells. 11 ... Satellite main body. 12 ... Screen member. 13 ... Winding mechanism. 14, 22 ... Incident ray control unit. 21 ... Angle adjustment mechanism.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A solar cell mounted on a spacecraft, which converts sunlight incident on a sunlight incident surface into electrical energy, and a solar cell provided so as to cover the sunlight incident surface of the solar cell. A screen member for restricting the incidence of an incident ray, and an incident ray control means for variably setting an area of the screen member facing the sunlight incident surface of the solar battery cell to control the incident amount of the incident ray. Solar array paddle equipped with. 2. The solar cell paddle according to claim 1, wherein the screen member is made of a translucent material. 3. A solar cell mounted on a spacecraft for converting sunlight incident on a sunlight incident surface into electric energy, and a sunlight incident angle on the sunlight incident surface of the solar cell is variably set. Incident angle adjusting means and an incident line for variably setting the incident angle of sunlight on the incident surface of the solar cell by controlling the operation of the incident angle adjusting means to control the incident amount of the incident ray containing the sunlight. A solar cell paddle provided with a control means. 4. The incident angle adjusting means is provided such that the solar cells are provided so as to be foldable and expandable, and the incident angle of the sunlight is set by adjusting a tilt angle in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction. The solar cell paddle according to claim 3.