Colloquium: Jonathan Tegischer (Space Flight)

The rapidly increasing utilization of small satellites and their enhanced systems has led to a growing demand for improved solar array technologies. Traditional solar arrays are limited by their mass and volume constraints, and thus are struggling to meet the increased demands. This feasibility study explores the potential of roll-out solar arrays, characterised by their unfurling method of deployment, as a solution to enhance the power generation capabilities of small satellites. The study combines an analytical model with a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to generate a set of optimal designs by maximising the power to mass ratio and stowed power density of the solar array. The optimisation results revealed that a variety of design combinations exist that could outperform the state of the art solar array capabilities, with optimal designs demonstrating power to mass ratios exceeding 145 W/kg and stowed power densities over 55 kW/m3. These designs would deliver double the performance of traditional solar arrays in the 300-1000 W range, while remaining comparable to existing roll-out solar arrays outside of this range. Despite some limitations, the study provides for a strong foundation for the development of a roll-out solar array, with several verification and validation tests conducted to confirm the accuracy of the analytical model. The results confirm the potential of such a system, and future research is recommended to solidify the feasibility of this innovative technology.

Supervisor: Jasper Bouwmeester