[extropy-chat] Nanoengineered terrestrial solar vs.nanoengineered space solar power

[BillK]

On 4/7/07, spike wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jay Dugger
> >
> > Will photovoltaics degrade in-orbit...
>
> Yes, but the old fashioned gallium arsenide cells are remarkably durable.
>
> >... and by what mechanism? Radiation?
>
> Yes.  Over time the output gradually decreases from impacts from high energy
> particles.  Occasionally you get a cell shorted out from an extremely high
> energy cosmic ray that causes an SEGR or single event gate rupture.  A
> particle whacks a cell hard enough to cause an ionized path across the NP
> region.
>
> > Corrosion?...
>
> Not exactly corrosion as we think of it down here, oxidation.  Metals can
> migrate but I wouldn't call that corrosion.
>
> > Impact?
>
> If you meant micrometeoroid, there are so sparse they aren't a major factor.
>


And solar cell technology is improving all the time.
There is a lot of research in this field now as part of the move to
more 'green' technology.
But, of course,  what works fine on earth may not be suitable for space.



<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405171830.htm>

Source: Massey University       Date: April 6, 2007

Solar cell technology developed by Massey University's Nanomaterials
Research Centre will enable New Zealanders to generate electricity
from sunlight at a 10th of the cost of current silicon-based
photo-electric solar cells.



BillK