Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – With payload accommodation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-04
2004-10-05
Eldred, J. Woodrow (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
With payload accommodation
C136S292000, C136S244000, C136S245000, C136S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799742
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar panel which is mounted to an artificial satellite or a space station, for example, for use in space.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 27
is a schematic view showing a conventional artificial satellite
1
. As shown in
FIG. 27
, the artificial satellite
1
uses space solar panels
3
, and has solar paddles
2
, which protrude like wings from the left and right of a substantially cylindrical artificial satellite body
5
and are used as a power source of the artificial satellite body
5
.
The solar paddle
2
is composed of solar panels
3
which are connected with one another via hinges, which solar panels are integrally structured units that are not allowed to be folded. The electrical circuit of the solar panel
3
is usually connected directly to a bus line. The solar panel
3
is normally about 3 m×3.5 m in size and made up of several thousands to several tens of thousands of solar cells. The artificial satellite
1
is transported into space with the solar paddle
2
stored (folded up), and then spread out when the artificial satellite
1
reaches space.
FIG. 28
is an enlarged front view of section S
28
(solar panel portion) of the solar paddles
2
in FIG.
27
. As shown in
FIG. 28
, a large number of solar cells
4
are attached to the surface of the solar panels
3
.
FIG. 29
is an enlarged front view of section S
29
of the solar panel
3
of FIG.
28
. As shown in
FIG. 29
, the solar cells
4
are arranged in a matrix form and connected to one another by a current path
6
for collecting generated electricity. The solar cells
4
are provided with cover glass sheets
7
, and to prevent the cover glass sheets
7
from being charged by cosmic rays, for example, they are connected to ground wires
8
, which are connected to the satellite ground of the artificial satellite
1
.
FIG. 30
is across sectional view taken along the section line A—A of FIG.
29
. The solar cells
4
are fixed to a support plate (substrate)
11
by an adhesive
10
. The solar cells
4
have a solar cell body
9
and a cover glass sheet
7
, which is attached to the light receiving side of the solar cell body
9
. The support plate
11
is a honeycomb-structure made of aluminum, for example, and the solar cells
4
are attached to the surface of the support plate.
This type of conventional space solar panel
3
is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-275857 (1994), for example. In an ordinary solar panel, as represented by this disclosure, several thousand to several tens of thousands of solar panels that are approximately 4 cm×6 cm, for example, are arranged on a support plate (substrate) with a honeycomb structure made of aluminum. Furthermore, conductive links called inter-connectors, which electrically connect the solar cells to one another, are sandwiched between the solar cells and the surface of the support plate.
The cover glass sheets, which are provided tightly adhered to the light-receiving surface of the solar cells, are coated with a conductive film, and are linked by conductive linking wiring that electrically connects them to one another.
At this time, an irreversible connection technique such as welding or soldering is used as the method for electrically connecting the solar cells to the conductive links, and for electrically connecting each cover glass sheet to the conductive linking wiring. Moreover, an irreversible connection method using an adhesive, for example, is used also as means for disposing the solar cells and the conductive links on the support plate.
Irreversibly connecting the components that configure the solar panel in this way ensures that they are highly reliable with respect to vibration generated during the artificial satellite's transport into space and in the environment of space.
With this conventional technique, the manufacturing of a solar panel for space includes the task of adhering all of the several thousand to several tens of thousands of solar cells making up the solar panels to the support plate with an adhesive. Moreover, the task of electrically connecting all of the wiring for electrically connecting the solar cells and for electrically connecting the cover glass sheets, which are closely adhered to the light receiving surface of the solar cells, is performed by welding or soldering.
Conventional solar panels for space are large and come in various shapes depending on their intended uses, and thus it is difficult to manufacture solar panels on an automated production line. Consequently, complex process steps and an enormous amount of time are required to manufacture solar panels for space.
Furthermore, almost all components making up conventional space solar panels are joined together with an irreversible method, and therefore when problems, such as when the solar cells are damaged during the manufacturing or assembly steps, required solar panel repair work involving the replacement of solar cells, performing this replacement work is extremely difficult.
Replacement work involves first electrically disconnecting the solar cell from the solar panel by severing the metal wiring (inter-connector) that is welded, for example, between the solar cells to electrically connect them to one another. Next, the adhesive on the backside of the solar cell is cut and the solar cell is stripped from the solar panel. Then, a new solar cell slightly smaller than the created space is adhered to the stripped away space using an adhesive, and the wiring is reconnected by welding. The repair of solar panels involved performing these complex process steps.
This series of tasks is performed with respect to all of the numerous solar cells mounted on all regions of a solar panel each time a problem occurred, and becomes a large amount of work depending on the extent of the repair.
Furthermore, the increase in the size of artificial satellites has recently given rise to a demand for solar cells with a high photovoltaic efficiency, and thus the material for solar cells has changed from conventional silicon (Si) to III-V semiconductors such as gallium arsenide (GaAs). Normally, the crystal of III-V semiconductors is brittle and easily broken, and solar cells using such material have a higher percentage of cracking or chipping than Si solar cells. Even with conventional methods for manufacturing solar panels, this change to III-V semiconductors as the material for solar cells leads to an increased frequency of solar cell replacement or repair resulting from cracks in the solar cells.
Furthermore, heretofore the above-mentioned replacement work was performed on earth during the stage of manufacturing the solar panel or attaching it to the satellite. However, due to the recent progress in space technology, the environment is becoming one in which human beings can reside and work in space over comparatively long periods of time, for example collecting artificial satellites using manned space shuttles or performing feasibility experiments of manned space stations, and the possibility of performing repairs in space, which heretofore were physically difficult, has increased. With conventional methods, however, a large amount of complex tasks, like those mentioned above, is required in repairing a solar panel, and thus for all practical purposes performing repairs in space was impossible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of these circumstances, it is an object of the invention to provide a solar panel for use in space and a method for manufacturing the same, with which the solar panel for use in space can be manufactured easily and in short time, and replacement or repair work on solar cells can be performed easier and less expensively in time.
The invention provides a solar panel for use in space comprising a plurality of unit solar cell modules including a plurality of solar cells and connection wires for connecting the solar cells, wherein an entirety of the solar panel for use in space is configured by linking the plurality of unit so
Hisamatsu Tadashi
Kamimura Kunio
Nakamura Kazuyo
Saga Tatsuo
Eldred J. Woodrow
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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