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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Effects of temperature and moisture on module leakage currents

Experimental and analytical results are presented that characterize the rate dependency of leakage currents on environmental temperature and humidity level and quantify the influence of module construction features such as rear-surface films and foils, cell-frame gap spacings, and encapsulant resistivity and thickness. The relative roles of surface and bulk resistivity are illuminated together with their differing dependencies on surface moisture, bulk moisture, and temperature.

Mon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Corrosion In Amorphous-Silicon Solar Cells And Modules

Paper reports on corrosion in amorphous-silicon solar cells and modules. Based on field and laboratory tests, discusses causes of corrosion, ways of mitigating effects, and consequences for modules already in field. Suggests sealing of edges as way of reducing entry of moisture. Cell-free perimeters or sacrificial electrodes suggested to mitigate effects of sorbed moisture. Development of truly watertight module proves to be more cost-effective than attempting to mitigate effects of moisture.

Mon, Gordon R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Testing and analysis of photovoltaic modules for electrochemical corrosion

This paper describes the testing and evaluation used to characterize the mechanisms of electrochemical corrosion of photovoltaic modules - encapsulated solar cells. Accelerated exposure testing was performed on a sample matrix of cell/encapsulant combinations, and microanalytical failure analysis was performed on selected samples to confirm the correlation between the accelerated test data and the life prediction model. A quantitative correlation between field exposure time and exposure time in the accelerated multistress tests was obtained based upon the observation that equal quantities of interelectrode charge transfer resulted in equivalent degrees of electrochemical charge.

Neff, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1987

Corrosion of a-Si cells and modules

The authors report on corrosion/erosion phonemena observed in exposing a-Si cells, modules, and specially designed test structures to natural and accelerated test environments. Relevant cell and module I-V curve data used for monitoring degradation are presented. The causes of the observed degradation, methods of mitigation, and consequences for fielded modules are discussed.

Mon, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Encapsulant free-surfaces and interfaces: Critical parameters in controlling cell corrosion

Results are reported of studying the interaction of moisture with photovoltaic (PV) modules and custom-built test coupons in both laboratory and outdoor ambient environments. Characteristics measured included module cell-to-frame leakage currents, encapsulant bulk and surface currents, glass surface currents, and encapsulant/glass interface currents as functions of temperature and humidity. Using a computer model of interelectrode conduction, preferential conduction paths in PVB- and EVA-encapsulated modules are identified. In comparing the results of field and laboratory test environments on identical samples, comments are made about the greater severity of the outdoor environment. Several aspects of water-module interaction, including design strategies and continuing research, are discussed.

Mon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Encapsulants And Corrosion In Photovoltaic Modules

Paper reports studies of effects of moisture on photovoltaic modules, presenting data useful in further quantitative studies of such phenomena. Measured data used in computer simulation of two-dimensional conduction to analyze ionic-conduction characteristics of PVB- and EVA-encapsulated modules. Notes encapsulant plays important role in electrochemical processes in photovoltaic module. Indicates how variations in design parameters affect levels of leakage currents in modules. Points out likely leakage-current paths in modules at various temperatures and humidities. Compares results of field and laboratory tests of same specimens and notes greater severity of outdoor environment.

Mon, Gordon R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Moisture interaction and stability of ZOT (Zinc Orthotitanate) thermal control spacecraft coating

Two of the many performance requirements of the zinc orthotitanate (ZOT) ceramic thermal control paint covering parts of the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft are that it be sufficiently electrically conductive so as to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to onboard electronics and that it adhere to and protect the substrate from corrosion in terrestrial environments. The bulk electrical resistivity of ZOT on an aluminum substrate was measured over the ranges 22 C to 90 C and 0 percent RH to 100 percent RH, and also in soft (10 (minus 2) Torr) and hard (10 (minus 7) Torr) vacuums. No significant temperature dependence was evident, but measured resistivity values ranged over 9 orders of magnitude: 10 to the 5th power ohm-cm at 100 percent RH greater than 10 to the 12th power ohm-cm in a hard vacuum. The latter value violates the ESD criterion for a typical 0.019 cm thick coating. The corrosion study involved exposing typical ZOT substrate combinations to two moisture environments - 30 C/85 percent RH and 85 C/85 percent RH - for 2000 hours, during which time the samples were periodically removed for front-to-back electrical resistance and scratch/peel test measurements. It was determined that the ZOT/Al and ZOT/Mg systems are stable (no ZOT delamination), although some corrosion (oxide formation) and resistivity increases observed among the ZOT/Mg samples warrant that exposure of some parts to humid environments be minimized.

Mon, Gordon R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electrochemical and galvanic corrosion effects in thin-film photovoltaic modules

The electrochemical and galvanic corrosion properties of thin-film photovoltaic (TF-PV) modules and module subcomponents are determined and interpreted in the light of established corrosion science. Results of a detailed study of thin-film aluminum metallization corrosion are presented. Bar-graph corrosion, observed in fielded modules, has been induced experimentally and found to be electrochemical in nature. Corrosion rates and passivation techniques for TF-PV modules are discussed.

Mon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electromigration in thin-film photovoltaic module metallization systems

Electromigration as a possible thin-film module failure mechanism was investigated using several specially made, fully aluminized thin-film photovoltaic (TF-PV) modules. The effect of electromigration, as determined experimentally by measuring increases in electrical resistance across scribe lines, can be expressed as the product of a damage function, which correlates degradation rate with operating conditions such as current density and temperature, and a susceptibility function, which is defined by module design parameters, particularly aluminum purity and the configuration of the intercell region. Experimental measurements and derived acceleration factors suggest that open-circuit failure resulting from electromigration should not be a serious problem in present state-of-the-art TF-PV modules. Nevertheless, significant intercell resistance increases can result from long-term electromigration exposure, especially in future high-efficiency modules. The problem can be alleviated, however, by appropriate metallization applications and/or proper design of the intercell region.

Wen, L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Water-module interaction studies

Mechanisms by which moisture enters photovoltaic modules and techniques for reducing such interactions are reported. Results from a study of the effectiveness of various module sealants are given. Techniques for measuring the rate and quantity of moisture ingress are discussed. It is shown that scribe lines and porous frit bridging conductors provide preferential paths for moisture ingress and that moisture diffusion by surface/interfacial paths is considerably more rapid than diffusion by bulk paths, which implies that thin-film substrate and supersubstrate modules are much more vulnerable to moist environments than are bulk-encapsulated crystalline-silicon modules. Design approaches that reduce moisture entry are discussed.

Mon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electrical isolation design and electrochemical corrosion in thin-film photovoltaic modules

The development of a proposed wet insulation-resistance qualification test specification for production-line modules is presented. Laboratory research directed toward understanding and eliminating problems associated with electrical isolation of thin-film photovoltaic module circuitry is presented. Test results serve to measure module field life as limited by electrochemical corrosion degradation mechanisms. Current module-level research covering encapsulant voltage withstand capability is also described, and suggestions for improving module electrical isolation are offered.

Sugimura, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Effects Of Moisture On Zinc Orthotitanate Paint

Report presents results of tests of electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion of zinc orthotitanate (ZOT) paint. Measured effects of temperature, humidity, and vacuum on ceramic paint. Used as temperature-control coating designed to have low and stable ratio of absorptance to emittance for heat radiation. Helps to prevent buildup of static electric charge and helps to protect electronic circuitry from potentially damaging static discharges.

Mon, Gordon R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Long-term photothermal/humidity testing of photovoltaic module polymer insulations and cover films

The life expectancies of Tedlar and other polymer films considered for use as cover materials in terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules were investigated by exposing them for more than 13,000 h on an outdoor test stand and for up to 10,000 h in several accelerated multistress environments. Visual observations and diagnostic analyses of weight and mechanical strength losses were periodically conducted to assess the nature and rate of degradation of mechanical properties and to assess the effects of film thickness and UV stabilizer content. Spectroscopic analyses of pristine and degraded materials linked weight and mechanical property losses to the underlying photothermal/photooxidation chemistry. It is shown that heavy doses of UV stabilizers prolong, while elevated temperatures shorten, the useful life of these materials; humidity plays only a minor role. The most heavily UV-stabilized films are expected to operate usefully in a PV module front-cover application for only five to ten years. The performance of none of the tested films appears consistent with the 20-30 year life goals of the PV industry.

Mon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Experiences in the development of the Mighty Worm

A 'Mighty Worm' actuator with the active member capable of carrying large loads during the launch phase was developed for adaptive structures applications. Two types of Mighty Worm performance are characterized, namely, long-stroke motion and incremental positioning at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 lb. Long-stroke motion involves successive translations of all Mighty Worm moving elements, and incremental positioning involves only in-place stack expansion.

Bamford, R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Solder creep-fatigue interactions with flexible leaded parts

With flexible leaded parts, the solder-joint failure process involves a complex interplay of creep and fatigue mechanisms. To better understand the role of creep in typical multi-hour cyclic loading conditions, a specialized non-linear finite-element creep simulation computer program has been formulated. The numerical algorithm includes the complete part-lead-solder-PWB system, accounting for strain-rate dependence of creep on applied stress and temperature, and the role of the part-lead dimensions and flexibility that determine the total creep deflection (solder strain range) during stress relaxation. The computer program has been used to explore the effects of various solder creep-fatigue parameters such as lead height and stiffness, thermal-cycle test profile, and part/board differential thermal expansion properties. One of the most interesting findings is the strong presence of unidirectional creep-ratcheting that occurs during thermal cycling due to temperature dominated strain-rate effects. To corroborate the solder fatigue model predictions, a number of carefully controlled thermal-cycle tests have been conducted using special bimetallic test boards.

Ross, R. G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Virtual Instrumentation for a Fiber-Optics-Based Artificial Nerve

A LabView-based computer interface for fiber-optic artificial nerves has been devised as a Masters thesis project. This project involves the use of outputs from wavelength multiplexed optical fiber sensors (artificial nerves), which are capable of producing dense optical data outputs for physical measurements. The potential advantages of using optical fiber sensors for sensory function restoration is the fact that well defined WDM-modulated signals can be transmitted to and from the sensing region allowing networked units to replace low-level nerve functions for persons desirous of "intelligent artificial limbs." Various FO sensors can be designed with high sensitivity and the ability to be interfaced with a wide range of devices including miniature shielded electrical conversion units. Our Virtual Instrument (VI) interface software package was developed using LabView's "Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench" package. The virtual instrument has been configured to arrange and encode the data to develop an intelligent response in the form of encoded digitized signal outputs. The architectural layout of our nervous system is such that different touch stimuli from different artificial fiber-optic nerve points correspond to gratings of a distinct resonant wavelength and physical location along the optical fiber. Thus, when an automated, tunable diode laser sends scans, the wavelength spectrum of the artificial nerve, it triggers responses that are encoded with different touch stimuli by way wavelength shifts in the reflected Bragg resonances. The reflected light is detected and a resulting analog signal is fed into ADC1 board and DAQ card. Finally, the software has been written such that the experimenter is able to set the response range during data acquisition.

Lyons, Donald R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

GOES SXI Monthly Project Status Report Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center Month of October 2004

The Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Advanced Technology Center (LMATC) is developing three Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) instruments. Two are being built for flights on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) N and O, and one will be a flight spare. The SXI development is being managed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The SXI will image the full sun at wavelengths between approximately 6 and 60 A with a detector having 5 arcsec pixels. The launch of the first SXI will be on GOES N and the second SXI is to be launched on on GOES O or P.

Morrison, Mons D.↗