Customizable, Multifunctional, and Highly Environmentally Stable Pseudomorphic Glass for Space Flexible Photovoltaic

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Space photovoltaic (PV) devices require flexible, transparent encapsulation offering radiation protection.
• Achieving both high efficiency and stability in solar cells under extreme space conditions remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a customizable multifunctional pseudomorphic glass (PMG) composite for encapsulating large-area flexible multijunction solar cells for space applications.
• To assess the performance and durability of PMG-encapsulated solar cells under simulated space conditions.

Main Methods:

• A novel PMG composite material was designed for geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications.
• The PMG material was laminated onto large-area flexible multijunction solar cells.
• Encapsulated PV devices underwent space environment assessments, including UV irradiation, charged particle irradiation, and thermal cycling.

Main Results:

• PMG encapsulation maintained high power conversion efficiency (∼30.69%) with enhanced power generation (12.71% higher than colorless polyimide) under omnidirectional sunlight.
• Space assessment experiments demonstrated excellent durability and reliability of the PMG and encapsulated PV devices.
• The PMG-based flexible solar arrays achieved a specific power of 550 W/kg, reducing launch weight by 40% compared to rigid panels.

Conclusions:

• The developed PMG composite shows significant potential for space flexible solar arrays, offering high-efficiency power generation and long-term reliability.
• The PMG design methodology and encapsulation technique are adaptable for other flexible PV devices and orbital missions.
• This innovation addresses key challenges in space solar cell encapsulation, enabling advanced space facilities.