Intelligent sequential switching shunt regulation for satellite solar arrays

EPS (Electric power system) of the satellite is a critical aspect for the success of the satellite mission, likewise the optimum usage of the available power resources for the satellite EPS is the main key of success for the system design process. Furthermore, implementing the modular concept in the design of the satellite EPS improves the reliability and quality of the design and makes the platform adaptable for various missions and payloads. Optimizing the usage of solar array output power during beginning of life and exiting from shadow periods while there are excess of power from the solar arrays stabilizes the bus voltage within the required designed margins and consequently protects all satellite loads connected to the main bus. A hybrid modular configuration is proposed including linear and non-linear regulation for implementing the sequential switching shunt regulation of the solar array output power, the proposed configuration employs the fuzzy logic concept to issue the switching pattern for the solar array sections subjected to the error signal in the feedback loop of the bus voltage. Moreover, a simulation is performed for the three domain control concept of the EPS demonstrating how the bus voltage levels decide the operating domain of the EPS.