Electrical and thermal testing and modelling of breakdown in space solar cells and generators

The paper presents a summing up of experimental results relative to electrical and thermal testing of destroying breakdown apt to occur in a space solar array when a cell may be reverse biased due for instance to accidental shadowing. The results give time during which the cell can withstand the power corresponding to reverse biasing without destruction. Infrared observations of hot spots are also presented and typical damage caused by breakdown in cells are described. A comparison is made with results obtained for thermal simulation of hot spot phenomenon induced and also for an electrical modelling of breakdown involving cell edges impurities or defects influence.<>