15EE753 Spacecraft Power Technologies syllabus for EE

Spacecraft:

Introduction, the Beginnings, the Electrical Power System.

Environmental Factors:

Introduction, Orbital Considerations, The Near-earth Space Environment.

Solar Energy Conversion:

Introduction, Solar Cell Fundamentals, Space Solar Cell Calibration and Performance Measurements, Silicon Space Solar Cells, III-V Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells, Thin Film Solar Cells.

Solar Energy Conversion (continued):

Space Solar Cell Arrays, Space Thermo photovoltaic Power Systems.

Chemical Storage and Generation Systems:

Introduction, Inventions, Evolution of Batteries in Space, Fundamentals of Electrochemistry, Cell and Battery Mechanical Design, Performance Metrics.

Chemical Storage and Generation Systems (continued):

Electrochemical Cell Types, Fuel Cell Systems.

Power Management and Distribution (PMAD):

Introduction, Functions of PMAD, Components and Packaging, System Examples.

Course outcomes:

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Discuss the increasing demand for space craft power systems and to give an overview of electrical power system and its technology.
• Discuss near – earth environmental factors that will affect the design of space craft power systems.
• Describe the elements of a space photovoltaic power system, the status of solar cell technologies presently in use.
• Discuss advances in both cell and array technology, and solar thermo photovoltaic energy conversion.
• Discusses, space-qualified components, the array of chemical storage technologies including both batteries and fuel cells.
• Describe components and techniques for achieving the various Power Management and Distribution functions and examples of several PMAD configurations.

Graduate Attributes (As per NBA)

Engineering Knowledge, Problem Analysis, Design/ Development of Solutions, Conduct investigations of complex problems, Modern Tool Usage, Ethics, Individual and Team Work, Communication, Life-long Learning.

Question paper pattern:

• The question paper will have ten questions.
• Each full question is for 16 marks.
• There will be 2full questions (with a maximum of four sub questions in one full question) from each module.
• Each full question with sub questions will cover the contents under a module.
• Students will have to answer 5 full questions, selecting one full question from each module.

Textbook

1 Spacecraft Power Technologies A.K. Hyder et al Imperial College Press 1st Edition, 2000

Reference Books

1 Spacecraft Power Systems Mukund R. Patel CRC Press 1st Edition, 2004