Satellite
How It works :
Satellites can generally be regarded as spacecraft that receive signals and send them back
to Earth. However, these spacecraft are extremely complex and expensive – each one
costs millions of Euros – because they have to work and survive in space for periods of
up to 15 years. To make this possible, a satellite has to produce its own power, generating
electricity from sunlight falling on photovoltaic cells or solar panels. The sun is a kind of
very clean , powerful and convenient source of power particularly for satellite . The sun
is a kind of very clean , powerful and convenient source of power particularly for satellite
. Solar panels are now quite a common sight here on Earth, but they were actually first
used in space in 1958 to power the ‘Vanguard’ satellite. Despite the strength of the Sun,
the solar arrays needed by an average sized satellite are quite large, due to the rather low
efficiency of the individual solar cells. This is why most pictures of classical satellites
show a pair of long wings extending from their sides, which
are the ‘solar panels’. More modern solar cells based on semiconductor materials like
gallium-arsenide/arsenium are now becoming available, with efficiency figures nearly
double those of silicon cells.These new types of cells will allow smaller solar arrays to be
used on future space missions.
The only source of power available within early weight restrictions was a very inefficient
panel of solar cells without battery backup. Satellites orbiting the Earth pass through a
shadow region on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. Depending on the type of
orbit, this can happen just a few times a year or every few hours. During these so-called
‘eclipses’, the solar panels cannot produce electrical energy and the satellite would not
only be unable to operate, but would also freeze to incredibly low temperatures
(eventually around –270°C) if a backup power source were not available. Electrical
energy therefore has to be stored onboard the spacecraft when in sunlight for
consumption during these eclipses. Batteries are used to store the energy, so that the
satellite can continue to work when the Sun is eclipsed or far away – for example during
a mission to visit a comet or a distant planet.
Materials
1. Solar Panels : Epoxy carbon prepregs, aluminum honeycomb, film adhesive
2. Reflectors Antennae : Epoxy/aramid prepreg, cyanate carbon prepreg,
aramid/aluminum honeycomb
3. Satellite Structures : Carbon prepreg, aluminum honeycomb, film adhesive
http://www.hexcel.com/Markets/Space+and+Defense/SatelliteMat.htm
http://www.esa.int/esapub/br/br202/br202.pdf
Comparison
1. BIPV uses grid connection and satellite store the energy in battery.
2. Sunlight collected in space is unaffected by weather and air . (144% energy of the energy
collected on terrestrial )
3. The satellite orbit accordingly around the earth and hence the sunlight can be collected
24 hours ( During night time , the solar cells on terrestrial is not working) .
