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Aerospace power system for a

1U CubeSat built by SSU students


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Wes M. Watson

Department of Physics & Astronomy

Taking empirical data from a solar cell.

9.7cm

Solar cell

Analysis, in this context, refers


to developing a mathematical
model which describes the
electrical behavior of a specific
component. An equation is
determined by fitting empirical
current and voltage data from
each unique component to its
known generic current-voltage
relationship (see right).

Solar cell current-voltage relationship


Current: i(v)/mA

Simulations of electronic systems allow


quick predictions of how changing any
component will affect the behavior of the
power system. This simulation solves a
nonlinear differential equation to predict
the energy in the system at any time.

Acknowledgements:
Dr. Garrett Jernigan - Project adviser
Dr. Lynn Cominsky - SSU faculty adviser
Ben Cunningham & Hunter Mills - Debugging help

i3 AppBoard microcontroller

5cm

Abstract: Students at SSU have been working on small satellites known as CubeSats for several years , and we
intend to launch another by January. In anticipation of designing its power system - the most common failure
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point for CubeSats - I spent the spring semester studying and analyzing electronic components, simulating
charge cycles, and getting familiar with the microcontroller and Logo language it will employ.

This microcontroller will run


most systems on the satellite;
the power system, however,
must have a fail-safe circuit as
it powers the microcontroller.

Generic equation:

Specific equation:

Voltage: v/V

Simulation coding in progress.

Further information:
1. T-LogoQube: http://universe.sonoma.edu/T-LogoQube/
2. The First One Hundred CubeSats: A Statistical Look
Swartwout, M. (2013): JoSS, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 213-233

Energy will be stored in both a


nickel cadmium battery pack
and an ultra-rugged (but lower
capacity) supercapacitor.
Supercapacitor

NiCad batteries

SSU CubeSat team:


Demitri Call :: Wes Watson :: Max Torke
Aman Gill :: Anna McCowen:: Alyssa Afaese
Aaron Owen :: Tyler Whitmarsh :: Michael Schwarz

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