Plasma Bubble Expansion Model of the Flash-Over Current Collection on a Solar Array-Comparison to EMAGS3 Results

Sarrailh, Pierre; Inguimbert, Virginie; Siguier, Jean-Michel; Matéo‐Vélez, Jean-Charles; Baur, C.; Payan, D.; Boulanger, Bernard; Gerhard, A.; Pélissou, P.

doi:10.1109/tps.2013.2276454

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The plasma bubble model suggests that high energy electrons accelerated along the electric field lines from an expanding spherical plasma sheath can preneutralize distant surfaces early in the discharge [8]- [10]. However, it is not immediately obvious that this will produce a 1/r 2 scaling on a 2-D plane.…”

Section: A Discharge Onset Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

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ESD Propagation Dynamics on a Radially Symmetric Coupon

Young

Crofton

2015

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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An increasing body of research has been dedicated to determining the magnitude and scaling of spurious electrostatic discharge current transients on solar arrays and other spacecraft dielectrics under inverted gradient charging conditions. A flashover propagation velocity is typically determined, and assumed to be a single constant number that characterizes the collection of events. The complexity of flight-like test articles and diversity of methods used for deriving this velocity from laboratory data have led to apparently conflicting results. In this paper, we attempt to clarify the radial dynamics of electrostatic discharge (ESD) plasmas on a positively charged surface via the use of a simple test article, composed of eight concentric annular electrodes covered with Kapton. Time-resolved induced ESD currents, recorded as a function of electrode radial distance from the inception point, were used to derive empirical velocity distributions. These distributions lead to a number of effects, such as ∼1/r 2 scaling with distance at the beginning of a discharge. Implications for ESD propagation and comparison with previous studies are discussed.Index Terms-ESD, flashover, Kapton, plasma propagation, vacuum discharge.

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Section: A Discharge Onset Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This velocity is historically presumed to be constant and single valued for a given discharge [1]- [18]. Recent studies have challenged this paradigm, for instance, finding apparent acceleration [3], [4] and instantaneous neutralization occurring over broad radial spans [5]- [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ESD Propagation Dynamics on a Radially Symmetric Coupon

Young

Crofton

2015

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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“…4. The shape of the time-dependent amplitude is due to complex propagative physical mechanisms involving plasma thermal expansion, space charge limited current, fast electrons driven by electric field [13], and so on.…”

Section: B Flashover Simulator Is a Kapton Filmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7. This flashover simulator has been developed and tested in [13]. As in the first setup, two adjacent strings are connected to a double SAS and the coupon is charged in IPG mode to trigger ESDs and, if so, secondary arcs.…”

Section: Flashover Simulator Is An Rlc Circuitmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But new results on flashover characteristics [9]- [13] show that representing the missing part of the solar array by a capacitance is not satisfactory because the discharge capacitance current is not representative of the in-flight flashover current in terms of amplitude and duration: 1) few tenths of amperes for a discharge capacitance compared with less than 10 A for a full solar array flashover; 2) few tenths of microseconds for a discharge capacitance compared with several hundreds of microseconds for an actual flashover duration, such as that measured in [3]. With the aim of being as representative as possible as in-flight situation, new flashover simulators were proposed in [10], [11], [13]. Thus, in this paper, we tested and compared two types of flashover simulators: 1) 1-m 2 Kapton film and 2) RLC circuit.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arcing Test on an Aged Grouted Solar Cell Coupon With a Realistic Flashover Simulator

Siguier

Inguimbert

Murat

et al. 2015

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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We have performed arcing tests on an aged grouted solar cell coupon provided by Kyutu Institute of technology (Japan) under New Energy and Industrial Development Organization (Japan) grant. Aging is simulated by electrons, protons, and UV irradiations combined with thermal cycling, corresponding to 10 years in the geostationary orbit. Arcing tests are performed with a European standard setup implemented with two different flashover simulators. Instead of using a large capacitance corresponding to the missing solar panel surface, we have implemented two more realistic devices: 1) a 2.4-m 2 Kapton surface charged in an inverted potential gradient mode, which releases an average flashover current of 6-A peak at 200 µs and 2) RLC circuit, deduced from the European Etude et Modelisation des Arcs sur Generateur Solaire study (large flashover on an 8-m 2 solar array panel). This circuit is connected between the solar array simulator (SAS) line and the surrounding environment with a ringshape electrode, which releases an adaptable flashover current of 5-A peak during 600 µs (average values). The results present the occurrence of different arc types versus current/voltage SAS values. A comparison is made with other tests, on a similar coupon, performed by U.S. and Japanese laboratories and also with comparable coupons without grouting.

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Flash-over propagation simulation upon spacecrafts solar panels

Monnin

Hess

Roussel

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Physics

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A plasma expansion model is developed. It is used to compute flash-over propagation upon spacecraft solar panels. In order to take into consideration the plasma extinction, a cathode spot model is developed and coupled to a plasma expansion model. A minimum on the sheath potential has been found, and it explains the end of plasma emission by the cathode and, therefore, the end of the plasma expansion. Numerical results are compared with experimental measurements and are in good agreement with them. The model can be later used to prevent arcing on spacecrafts solar panels.

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Plasma Bubble Expansion Model of the Flash-Over Current Collection on a Solar Array-Comparison to EMAGS3 Results

Cited by 15 publications

References 11 publications

ESD Propagation Dynamics on a Radially Symmetric Coupon

ESD Propagation Dynamics on a Radially Symmetric Coupon

Arcing Test on an Aged Grouted Solar Cell Coupon With a Realistic Flashover Simulator

Flash-over propagation simulation upon spacecrafts solar panels

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