In satellites, and for other applications in space, a combination of solar panels and batteries are used for power supply. At times, the goal is to generate as much energy as possible using the solar panels and store as much of it as possible using the batteries.
This setup comes with certain natural limitations.
Limitations
To begin with, batteries are naturally heavy. So, the more power you need to store, the heavier your batteries will be and the heavier your satellite is.
Additionally, solar panels usually take a lot of space. The more power you need, the larger an area your panels will cover.
The space taken up by solar panels and the weight of the batteries are important considerations. You might have to make a trade-off between these components of power supply and other functional parts of your satellite.
Having an efficient power supply can reduce the restrictions on other components of the satellite.
Before we dive into how to maximize efficiency, what applications is a satellite power supply used for?
What Applications Is a Satellite Power Supply Used For?
Most systems that are used in space use the same setup for power, that is a combination of solar cells for generation and batteries for storage.
The applications that satellite power supply can be used for include:
- Solar probes
- Unmanned planetary probes
- Earth orbits, both manned and unmanned
- Space stations
- Stationary lunar power stations
Optimizing Efficiency
Electrical systems for use in space require multiple low noise and efficient point-of-load supplies, efficient isolated power supplies, and a feedback method to monitor secondary power supply among other requirements.
Efficiency is crucial because it maximizes power and minimizes the equipment used to generate it, allowing more space for other equipment that are central to the mission, for example, sensors.
One of the ways of optimizing efficiency is ensuring that the battery is charged with the maximum possible efficiency while considering the situation of the satellite.
Some of the factors that may reduce the efficiency of the power generation and storage of a satellite include:
- Shadow, caused by other equipment on the satellite.
- Environmental conditions, including radiation and temperature change.
- Damage to the solar cells, caused by electrostatic discharge as a result of potential difference between the solar array and the rest of the satellite.
- Weariness as a result of collisions with space radiations.
Custom Military Power Supplies
When procuring power supplies for satellites, you might need to have one custom-made for a specific application. This is common in defense applications.
Custom military power supplies are made according to unique design specifications to fit unique applications. They are necessary when existing off-the-shelf supplies can’t fit the existing use case. This gap may be in the form factor, in size, output and input power characteristics, and so on.
What to Look For When Procuring Custom Power Supplies
You’ll need to look for a company that can provide the following features for your custom power supply:
- Unique form factors to fit any of your equipment and facility designs
- A variety of protective features, including diagnostics and protection against overload, reverse polarity, voltage surges, and short circuiting.
- High power efficiency
- Remote monitoring and control, including on and off switches
- Lower noise than normal, if your application needs it
- Hermeticity, in case your application needs power supplies that are both air and water-tight.
- The required range of input voltage
- Different mounting options, including rack-mounted, bench-mounted, and so on.
- As many outputs as you need
- The required noise interference management
Differences Between Custom and Off-The-Shelf Solutions
If you opt for custom solutions, you have to be prepared to pay more. Off-the-shelf solutions are more economical.
Custom solutions also take longer to put together. So, if time is an issue for you, you might be better off with off-the-shelf solutions.
However, custom solutions have their advantages.
They provide better performance and require less maintenance. Moreover, they come specifically designed for unique environmental conditions. For example, size and shape will be perfect and the power characteristics will be exactly what you need them to be.
