Space solar cell array with custom voltage
A solar cell array comprised of one or more solar cells attached to a substrate, such as a pre-fabricated flex circuit, wherein: the substrate includes one or more insulating layers and one or more conductive layers patterned as one or more conductors for making electrical connections with the solar cells; and the substrate includes one or more decision points for removing or adding electrical continuity to the conductors, for customizing circuits of the solar cells to a desired dimension of the solar cells and a desired output voltage.
1 . A method of configuring a solar cell array, comprising:
including a plurality of insulating layers and one or more conductive layers encapsulated by the insulating layers in a substrate;
attaching one or more solar cells to the substrate;
embedding the one or more conductive layers within the substrate, wherein the one or more conductive layers are patterned as conductors in prefabricated continuous conductive pathways for making electrical connections with the one or more solar cells, the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways including traces, a first insulating layer from the plurality of insulating layers connected by a first adhesive to a first conductive layer from the one or more conductive layers, the first conductive layer directly connected to a second insulating layer from the plurality of insulating layers, the second insulating layer directly connected to a second conductive layer from the one or more conductive layers, the second conductive layer connected by a second adhesive to a third insulating layer, the third insulating layer connected by a third adhesive to the one or more solar cells;
associating one or more decision points with the traces in the substrate; and
cutting the traces at the one or more decision points to create a gap or discontinuity in the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways based on a desired configuration of the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways, the traces becoming extraneous to the electrical continuity after the electrical continuity is broken.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a pre-fabricated flex circuit comprising the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
at least one of the one or more solar cells has at least one cropped corner that defines a corner region;
an area of the pre-fabricated flex circuit remains exposed when the one or more solar cells having the cropped corner that defines the corner region are attached to the pre-fabricated flex circuit; and
the electrical connections between the one or more solar cells and the conductors are made using interconnects in the corner region on or in the area of the pre-fabricated flex circuit that remains exposed.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein ends of the conductors are aligned and exposed through a surface of the pre-fabricated flex circuit in the area of the pre-fabricated flex circuit that remains exposed, in order to electrically connect to the interconnects.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the conductors on multiple layers of the pre-fabricated flex circuit are connected using vias in the pre-fabricated flex circuit.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing electrical continuity to the conductors using the one or more decision points to define a series configuration of the one or more solar cells, a parallel configuration of the one or more solar cells, or both a parallel and series configuration of the one or more solar cells.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductors are series connections for the one or more solar cells.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductors are circuit terminations for the one or more solar cells.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductors are connected together at their crossing points.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductors are patterned in separate conductive metal layers in the substrate.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductors are formed in one metal layer in the substrate.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more decision points are used to customize a circuit length for the solar cell array.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is trimmed to adjust its size and an overall quantity of the one or more solar cells.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the traces are cut by removing an interconnect or triggering a fuse.
15 . A solar cell array, comprising:
a substrate including a plurality of insulating layers and one or more conductive layers encapsulated by the insulating layers and embedded within the substrate, wherein the one or more conductive layers are patterned as conductors in prefabricated continuous conductive pathways for making electrical connections with one or more solar cells, first insulating layer from the plurality of insulating layers connected by a first adhesive to a first conductive layer from the one or more conductive layers, the first conductive layer directly connected to a second insulating layer from the plurality of insulating layers, the second insulating layer directly connected to a second conductive layer from the one or more conductive layers, the second conductive layer connected by a second adhesive to a third insulating layer, the third insulating layer connected by a third adhesive to the one or more solar cells;
the one or more solar cells attached to the substrate;
traces included in the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways; and
one or more decision points associated with the traces in the substrate,
wherein the traces are cut at the one or more decision points to create a gap or discontinuity in the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways based on a desired configuration of the prefabricated continuous conductive pathways, the traces becoming extraneous to the electrical continuity after the electrical continuity is broken.
16 . The solar cell array of claim 15 , further comprising removing electrical continuity to the conductors using the one or more decision points to define a series configuration of the one or more solar cells, a parallel configuration of the one or more solar cells, or both a parallel and series configuration of the one or more solar cells.
17 . The solar cell array of claim 15 , wherein the one or more decision points are used to customize a circuit length for the solar cell array.
18 . The solar cell array of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is trimmed to adjust a length of the one or more solar cells.
19 . The solar cell array of claim 15 , wherein the traces are cut by removing an interconnect or triggering a fuse.