RESULTS OF INSULATION RESISTANCE BETWEEN SOLAR CELL STRING GAPS WITHOUT RTV ADHESIVE GROUT AFTER ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE TESTS WITH COVERGLASS FLASHOVER

摘要

A series of electrostatic discharge (ESD) tests was performedon solar array test coupons consisting of Advanced TripleJunction InGaP2/InGaAs/Ge solar cells. The motivation forthese tests was to evaluate the effects of ESD on solar arraydesign without room temperature vulcanized (RTV) adhesivegrout between the string-to-string parallel gaps. To investigatethe threshold of permanently sustained secondary arcs, variouscombinations of gap width, load voltage and string currentwere tested in a vacuum chamber equipped with an electronbeam gun. This ESD test program included the ESD testcircuit with simulated panel coverglass flashover. AlthoughESD events did not result in permanent sustained arcs, theinsulation resistance between strings was found to decrease asthe number of secondary arcs accumulated in the gap.