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Integration of Photovoltaic Cells Into Composite Wing Skins

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Integration of Photovoltaic Cells Into Composite Wing Skins INTEGRATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS INTO COMPOSITE WING SKINS By JAMES LEONARD Bachelor of Science in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2010 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE December, 2014 INTEGRATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS INTO COMPOSITE WING SKINS Thesis Approved: Dr. Jamey Jacob Thesis Adviser Dr. Andy Arena Dr. Joe Conner ii Name: JAMES LEONARD Date of Degree: DECEMBER, 2014 Title of Study: INTEGRATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS INTO COMPOSITE WING SKINS Major Field: MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING ABSTRACT: The integration of thin film solar cells into composite wing skins is explored by first testing and evaluating the integration of single solar cells into small composite samples with no encapsulating material, fiberglass encapsulating material and polyurethane film encapsulating material for the impacts that these processes and materials have on solar cell performance, aircraft performance and solar cell durability. Moving on from single cell samples, three encapsulation methods were chosen to be used in the construction of two wings utilizing arrays of multiple solar cells with each encapsulation method being utilized on 3 of the four wing skins comprising the 2 complete wings. The fourth wing skin was integrated with a functioning removable solar panel manufactured to the contours of the wing. Performance and weight data gathered from the development and fabrication of single cell and wing-skin specimens was used to develop a basic model of endurance for each encapsulation material evaluated in order to compare the effects of encapsulation materials and processes on the primary parameter that the integration of the photovoltaic cells into the wing skins is intended to improve. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................. 3 Outline of Thesis ........................................................................................................ 4 II. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 5 Solar Flight................................................................................................................. 6 Solar Cells ................................................................................................................ 13 Preliminary Evaluation ............................................................................................ 21 Solar Aircraft Performance ...................................................................................... 25 III. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ........................................................................................ 31 Composite Layup Processes .................................................................................... 31 Parting Surface ................................................................................................... 31 Composite Fabric and Epoxy ............................................................................. 32 Surface Preparation ............................................................................................ 34 Fabric placement and epoxy infusion ................................................................ 35 Bagging of layup specimen ............................................................................... 36 Small Scale Photovoltaic Cell and Composites Sample Preparation and Testing ... 39 Single Cell Specimens and Evaluation Strategy ................................................ 41 The First Stage of Individual Cell Testing ......................................................... 45 Second Stage of Individual Cell Testing ........................................................... 50 Processing of Individual Cell Samples .............................................................. 50 Solar Cell Testing .................................................................................................... 51 Equipment and Basic Setup ............................................................................... 54 Choosing a Light Source .................................................................................... 54 Single Cell Testing Apparatus ........................................................................... 63 Structural Testing ..................................................................................................... 65 Static Loading Apparatus ................................................................................... 68 Wing Construction ................................................................................................... 68 Components of the Wing Skin ........................................................................... 70 Components of the Internal Structure ................................................................ 73 Building the Wing .............................................................................................. 74 Removable Panels and Hatches ......................................................................... 75 Solar Cell Array Integration............................................................................... 78 iv IV. RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 81 Single Cell Testing ................................................................................................... 81 Stage One Testing Results ................................................................................. 82 Stage Two Testing Results................................................................................. 89 Figure of Merit: Endurance ................................................................................ 94 Static Load Testing .................................................................................................. 96 Wing Construction ................................................................................................. 101 Un-Laminated Array Skin................................................................................ 104 Fiberglass Laminated Array Skin .................................................................... 106 Film Laminated Array Skin ............................................................................. 108 Removable Panel Development and Wing Skin Integration ........................... 109 Internal Wiring ................................................................................................. 117 Array Performance Testing Before and After Skin Integration ....................... 117 Detailed Weight Buildup and Revised Endurance Calculation ....................... 118 V. CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................ 126 Encapsulation Processes ........................................................................................ 126 Encapsulation Materials ......................................................................................... 128 No Encapsulation Material .............................................................................. 128 Fiberglass Encapsulation Material ................................................................... 129 Film Encapsulation Material ............................................................................ 130 Wing Integration .................................................................................................... 131 Extrapolation of Results ......................................................................................... 133 Future Work ........................................................................................................... 135 VI. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 137 VII. APPENDICES ............................................................................................................ 139 Encapsulation Material Data .................................................................................. 139 Single Cell Testing ................................................................................................. 140 Stage One Single Cell Testing ......................................................................... 140 Stage Two Single Cell Testing ........................................................................ 142 Endurance Estimaion ....................................................................................... 144 Wing Integration Weight Buildup ......................................................................... 146 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 1: Confirmed terrestrial cell performance as measured at AM1.5 at 25°C from [5] ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Table 2: Relative impacts on endurance for increases in cell efficiency versus decreases in weight at 20% overweight conditions ........................................................................... 29 Table 3: Different types of fiberglass and polyurethane tested .......................................
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