Solar array maximum power tracker with arcjet load

A system for regulating power output from a solar array associated with a spacecraft where the power output is applied to a thruster to maneuver the spacecraft, said system comprising:

• an on-board computer, said on-board computer being responsive to a bus voltage signal and a current signal from the solar array, said on-board computer determining a power output of the solar array from the bus voltage signal and the current signal and generating a first reference signal indicative of a change in the solar array power output;
• a remote error amplifier, said error amplifier being responsive to the bus voltage signal from the solar array and the first reference signal from the on-board computer and generating an output voltage signal representing a change in the output power of the solar array;
• and
• a power processor unit, said power processor unit being responsive to the output signal from the error amplifier and the bus voltage signal from the solar array, said power processor unit combining the output signal from the error amplifier with the bus voltage signal from the solar array so as to generate an output signal that is applied to the thruster, wherein the output signal from the remote error amplifier provides an adjustment of the solar array power output in an attempt to operate the solar array at its peak power output point.

A method of regulating power output from a solar array associated with a spacecraft wherein the power output is applied to a thruster to maneuver the spacecraft, said method comprising the steps of:

• measuring the power output of the solar array;
• generating an updated reference signal in response to the measured power output of the solar array, said update reference signal being indicative of a power change of the solar array, wherein the step of generating an updated reference signal includes incrementing an original reference signal a predetermined amount to either increase or decrease the original reference signal depending on the direction of a direction indicator;
• combining the updated reference signal and a current bus voltage signal from the solar array in order to generate a modified reference signal representing a change in the power output of the solar array;
• combining the modified reference signal with the current bus voltage signal;
• generating an output signal that is based on the combination of the modified reference signal and the current bus voltage signal;
• and
• applying the output signal to the thruster, wherein the updated reference signal attempts to operate the solar array at its peak power output.