Next-generation solar cell technology reaches space

Somewhere among the glitter of the nighttime entity is simply a tiny outer powered by innovative, next-generation star compartment exertion developed astatine Sandia National Laboratories.

mPower Technology's DragonSCALES, dwell of small, highly interconnected photovoltaic cells formerly known arsenic star glitter astatine Sandia. They are orbiting Earth for the archetypal clip connected a Lynk Global Inc. outer that supports nonstop transportation to unmodified mobile phones. The outer was launched this summer.

The technology is being evaluated arsenic a imaginable star powerfulness solution for the Lynk Global constellation fleet. Data collected volition supply invaluable feedback to validate the product's show successful space.

"It's been astonishing to ticker this exertion look from the labs and go a merchandise sought aft by outer companies and national agencies," said Mary Monson, Sandia's elder manager of exertion partnerships and business development.

The solar compartment technology was developed astatine the labs to trim the outgo of creating star exertion and summation its efficiencies. mPower Technology, a small, New Mexico company, licensed the exertion from Sandia and commercialized it arsenic DragonSCALES. The interconnected cells are made of highly businesslike silicon that tin beryllium meshed into immoderate shape, size oregon form.

mPower executives accidental benefits of the exertion see easiness of installation and strategy integration. Development costs are little than different star technologies due to the fact that microcells necessitate small worldly to signifier well-controlled and highly businesslike devices.

"This was the archetypal motorboat of our innovative DragonSCALES merchandise with Lynk Global, and we look guardant to a palmy on-orbit objection for their constellation," said Kevin Hell, mPower Technology president and CEO. "With the rapidly expanding involvement successful our exertion for a wide scope of caller abstraction powerfulness missions, we expect galore much launches successful the adjacent future."

Aiming for the stars and a aboriginal lunar landing

Future projects whitethorn instrumentality the exertion arsenic acold arsenic the moon.

mPower and spacecraft systems institution Honeybee Robotics Inc. were precocious selected by NASA arsenic 1 of 5 commercialized teams to make designs for deployable star array systems to beryllium utilized connected the aboveground of the satellite and 1 time arsenic charging stations to recharge rovers, artillery packs and different electrical instrumentality utilized by spacecraft and astronauts.

The teams' designs indispensable beryllium maneuverable, fold into a measurement of little than fractional a cubic metre and, if selected by NASA, the developed presumption would beryllium dropped disconnected by lunar rovers to proviso power. The squad is focused connected a Honeybee conception called Lunar Array Mast and Power System, LAMPS, that incorporates DragonSCALES. The plan volition usage immoderate of the astir cost-effective, lightest, ample country extendable star panels ever made, according to mPower.

Murat Okandan, mPower main exertion officer, said, "Some of the astir breathtaking and challenging systems coming up person characteristics that are precise akin to LAMPS, wherever cost-effective, large-scale deployment of powerfulness systems is going to beryllium captious successful being capable to conscionable the ngo needs and enactment the envisioned enlargement of enactment successful orbit and for landed systems."

Labs programs enabled exertion to scope backstage sector

Sandia announced the improvement of star glitter successful 2009 aft the star cells were fabricated by researchers utilizing technologies to fabricate microelectromechanical systems successful Sandia's Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications facility, giving it the nickname MEPV for microsystem-enabled photovoltaics.

The archetypal Sandia squad continued to beforehand the exertion done assorted projects sponsored by Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, the subject and NASA. Today, immoderate of the fabrication approaches pioneered by MEPV, specified arsenic oxide bonding, proceed to beryllium utilized for probe involving semiconductors.

"DragonSCALES began arsenic a Laboratory Directed Research and Development task successful our laboratory implicit 12 years ago," said Keith Ortiz, manager of the microelectromechanical systems technologies department. "Now, the exertion is successful space, and I'm looking guardant to the adjacent 12 years of improvement beyond Sandia."

Okandan, 1 of the researchers who developed the technology, near Sandia done the Entrepreneurial Separation to Technology Transfer programme and founded mPower. The programme enables Sandia to transportation exertion to the backstage assemblage by permitting employees to permission the labs to commencement up oregon grow tech companies. Entrepreneurs are guaranteed reinstatement for up to 2 years if they take to instrumentality to Sandia.

In 2017, star glitter was licensed to mPower. While the exertion could beryllium applied to a assortment of devices of immoderate shape, the institution is focused connected the abstraction marketplace and rapidly deployable, portable star powerfulness systems.

"We couldn't beryllium prouder of the researchers who developed star glitter and established a exertion bound for space," Monson said. "This is precisely the benignant of interaction we are dedicated to astatine Sandia done our exertion transportation programs. When exertion leads to caller companies, jobs and commercialization, it's a win-win each around."

Mini star cells garner years of recognition

Solar glitter and DragonSCALES person received designation done awards and quality stories. In 2012 erstwhile the exertion was new, Sandia received a prestigious R&D100 Award.

Following palmy efforts to transportation the exertion to mPower, Sandia and the institution person been recognized aggregate times by the Federal Laboratory Consortium. Earlier this year, the concern received a nationalist Excellence successful Technology Transfer Award from the consortium for transforming abstraction powerfulness and different commercialized markets.

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