Switching Power Supply Solar-Array Latchup(3 of 4)

Solvability

Determine the stable operating points and how to move from an undesired stable operating point to the desired stable operating point. The pragmatic solution to the real latchup problem (getting the system to unlatch) is to reduce the load (load shedding) or increase the output of the solar array by pointing it more directly at the sun.

Solution

The problem and its solutions are described in a 1989 IECEC paper "Large-Signal Analysis of Spacecraft Power Systems" by Seong J. Kim, Jae R. Lee, and Bo H. Cho. Helpful to understanding the analysis is an earlier 1987 PESC paper by the same authors with the same title.

In this hypertext, see also: Latchup of Constant-Power Load With Current-Limited Source

Do not use this information for design without independent verification of the information.

Editor: Jerrold Foutz