An Integrated Thermal-Electrical Model for Simulations of Battery Behavior in CubeSats

Abstract

This work presents an integrated thermal-electrical simulation model, capable of taking into account the thermal and electrical effects of the battery and photovoltaic panels for each instant of time in a given orbit and attitude. Using the physical equations that govern the thermal and electrical models involved during a CubeSat operation, the proposed integrated model can estimate the temperature and energy conditions of the battery, not only in an isolated way but also in considering the mutual effects on the system. Besides, special attention is given to photovoltaic panels used in the energy harvesting process, whose performance is affected by irradiance and temperature along the orbit. The integrated model can be useful for engineers when developing the subsystems of their CubeSats, taking into account, for example, the battery temperature control through a heater. Simulations were performed to illustrate the functioning of the proposed model with variations in the power requirements of its modules and the temperature of the battery throughout the orbit, and a heater’s influence on it.

On‐board energy scheduling optimization algorithm for nanosatellites

“…The results presented make use of an integrated thermal and electrical model, 10 which is essentially a transient model that provides the irradiance input and temperature for the photovoltaic cells for a given attitude and orbital parameters.…”

“…With the P&O algorithm, we would calculate the direction of the disturbance, perturbðtÞ variable. If perturbðtÞ ¼ 1, the load consumption is decreased so that the solar panel's working point moves to the right, increasing the solar panels' voltage, Equation (10). If perturbðtÞ ¼ 0, we need to increase the consumption so that the panel's working point moves to the left, Equation (11), decreasing the solar panels' voltage.…”

“…This power level increases under low levels of temperature and high levels of solar radiation, conditions that are transient for typical orbits around the Earth. A recent work addressing this issue 10 proposes an integrated thermal‐electrical simulation model capable of taking into account the thermal and electrical effects of the battery and photovoltaic panels for a given orbit and attitude. The paper gives special attention to photovoltaic panels, whose performance is affected by irradiance and temperature along the trajectory.…”

“…Experimental results have shown that, although the MPPT boost regulator architecture harvests more energy than the other architectures, the VLDO architecture presents the best overall efficiency. 8 Different processes can maximize the energy provided by fixed solar panel size, for example, through an attitude control that locks the solar panels toward the solar rays, 9 proper thermal management of solar cells, 10 and also through the control of its voltage. 11 These techniques are based on the fact that the solar panel has a single point of peak performance related to the cells' voltage, which increases under low levels of temperature and high levels of solar radiation.…”

Classification of Contaminated Insulators Using k-Nearest Neighbors Based on Computer Vision

“…Due to population growth and improved access to energy, it is necessary to have a reliable electricity distribution grid [2]. There is a growing trend towards analyzing electrical system components with the aim of improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption [3,4]. Saline contamination in coastal regions is a problem that must be monitored; if the insulator has greater surface conductivity, it is more likely to develop a failure.…”