title: Optimum single-gap solar cells for missions to Mercury
creator: López Estrada, Esther
creator: Martí Vega, Antonio
creator: Llorens, J.M.
creator: Buencuerpo, J.
creator: Versloot, T.
subject: Nuclear Energy
description: The power supply for space probes is usually based on photovoltaic (PV) systems. The first solar cells used in these systems were single-gap solar cells fabricated with Si and GaAs. Later on, multijunction solar cells (MJSC) based on III–V semiconductors  were developed because of their higher efficiency and tolerance to a radiation environment [1]. All these solar cells have been based on semiconductors that fulfill the needs of most near-Earth missions. However, those same semiconductors fail to meet the needs of some other missions involving harsh environments such as high-intensity high-temperature (HIHT) environments [2]. In this work, we investigate which semiconductor material is optimum to implement single-gap solar cells for missions to Mercury, where HIHT conditions are expected.  Because solar cell efficiency decreases as temperature increases [3], achieving high-efficiency photovoltaic conversion at HIHT conditions is a big challenge. Previous works have pointed out the need of using wide-bandgap semiconductors to reach this goal [4,5]. In this context, we will study the potential of solar cells based on AlxGa1−xAs, a well-known semiconductor whose physical properties have been extensively investigated. The limiting efficiency of these solar cells performing in near-Mercury missions will be calculated to determine the optimum composition for AlxGa1−xAs.
rights: (c) Editor/Autor
date: 2016-07-14
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
type: Article
source: Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, ISSN 0022-4650, 2016-07-14, Vol. Online
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: eng
relation: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.A33533
relation: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/CAM//S2013%20FMAE-2780
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
relation: info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.2514/1.a33533
identifier: https://oa.upm.es/42857/