High Voltage Power Bus: Solar Array Power Conversion and Power Distribution

The adoption of high bus voltage, in the range of 300 V - 400 V, is being considered for high power satellites. This has been motivated by electrical propulsion systems and increased payload capacity. The transition from 100 V to a higher bus voltage largely impacts in all power system elements, dealing this work with two major issues, solar array regulation and power distribution by solid state switches. Two novel concepts are covered in this work, a solar array regulator and a solid-state distribution switch. The application of these concepts are discussed for high voltage applications. Examples and experimental validation are also included.