Power sources: triple junction gallium arsenide solar panels, 2 8 amp-hr rechargeable lithium batteries
- Triple junction gallium arsenide solar panels: 27 percent efficiency [5]. The high efficiency of these solar cells means that fewer panels can be used for the same output power. The typical output of the panels is 110 Watts per kilogram of material (compared to 50 Watts per kilogram for Silicon based solar panels). These panels can sustain very high temeratures and high light intensity, so they will perform well on the surface of the moon when temperatures are high. The solar illumination intensity in space is 1,367 Watts/meter squared [7]. Using gallium arsenide solar panels with 27 percent efficiency will produce 369 Watts/meter squared. This will produce enough power for the rover during sunlight, even when the sunlight is not normal to the surface of the solar panels. We will also use solar tracking panels in order to maximize the power.
- Lithium-ion batteries have one of the best energy to weight ratios and a slow loss of charge rate. These batteries can be recharged with the solar panels when there is an abundance of sunlight.
