This article describes the design and implementation of a dc–dc converter used to power a microsatellite on-board electrolyzer. The proposed topology is a four-phase interleaved synchronous buck converter with output current control. The proposed converter is single point failure free (SPFF), so in case of any individual component failure, the functionality of the system is not compromised. SPFF operation is achieved using individual protections in each buck phase, redundant output current control, and redundant clock systems. Besides, analog majority voter circuits are used to select the correct control signal after any failure and to isolate it. Detailed mathematical analysis and circuit design are presented. Furthermore, a 40-W prototype has been implemented to validate the concept. Experimental results presented show the correct performance of the system in every case and its fault tolerant capability. In addition, the ac behavior and stability of the system have been studied and verified under the full range of possible operating conditions. Finally, efficiency measurements are presented.

• A Solar Panel curve tracer based on a Raspberry Pi has been developed. • The system uses the capacitive charging method. • An Analog Discovery 2 is used for the data acquisition. • The device has a graphical user interface programmed in python. • Possible failures of a photovoltaic installation can be detected with this device.

This paper presents the design of a digital twin for a 6U CubeSat electrical power system, including the solar arrays, solar array regulators, battery, power distribution unit, and load subsystems. The digital twin is validated by comparing its real-time outputs with those of the physical system. Experimental tests confirm its feasibility, showing that the digital twin’s real-time outputs closely match those of the physical system. Additionally, the digital twin can be used for control-hardware-in-the-loop and power-hardware-in-the-loop tests, allowing the real-time integration of simulated subsystems with hardware. This capability facilitates testing of new subsystems and optimization during the project’s development phases. Additionally, to demonstrate the advanced capabilities of this model, the digital twin is used to simulate the CubeSat electrical power system behavior in real time throughout a complete orbital cycle in low Earth orbit conditions. This simulation provides valuable insights into the CubeSat operation by capturing the transient and steady-state responses of the EPS components under real orbital conditions. The results obtained indicate that the digital twin significantly enhances the testing and optimization process of new subsystems during the development phases of the project. Moreover, the capabilities of the digital twin can be further augmented by incorporating real-time telemetry data from the CubeSat, resulting in a highly accurate replication of the satellite’s in-orbit behavior. This approach is crucial for identifying and diagnosing failures or malfunctions in the electrical power system, ensuring the robust and reliable operation of the CubeSat.

Power distribution using latching current limiters (LCLs) [also known as solid-state power controllers (SSPCs)] is very common for 28- and 50-V bus voltage distribution on European satellite platforms. However, 100-V and even higher voltage distribution platforms generally do not employ the same approach as lower bus voltage platforms since the commonly employed p-MOSFET devices are not well suited for such voltage levels. This work introduces an LCL for 100-V distribution units using a composite power device consisting of a low-voltage p-MOSFET device and a high-voltage, normally-ON silicon carbide junction field effect transistor (SiC JFET). The description of the circuit and the experimental validation using a hypothetical class-2 (2.2–2.8 A), 100-V, LCL is discussed. In addition, in this work, two interesting characteristics are also proposed and validated, and automatic control of the tripping time depending on the overload severity and soft starts for capacitive inrush currents. Robustness and fast reaction, less than 500 ns under short-circuit conditions, have been demonstrated, as well as tight current regulation during overload faults.

Many applications (electric vehicles, renewable energies, low-voltage DC grids) require simple, high-power density and low-current ripple-boost converters. Traditional step-up converters are limited when large transformation ratios are involved. In this work is proposed a step-up converter that brings together the characteristics of high gain, low ripple, and high-power density. From the converter proposal, a mathematical analysis of its operation is first performed, including its static transfer function, stress of components, and voltage and current ripples. Furthermore, it provides a design example for an application of V_in = 48 V to V_o = 270 V and 500 W. For its implementation, two different wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor models have been used, hybrid GaN cascodes and SiC MOSFETs. Finally, the experimental results of the produced prototypes are shown, and the results are discussed.

This work presents a single point failure free solar array regulator design for scientific deep space exploration micro-satellites, where reliability and fault tolerance are critical design aspects. The proposed regulator is composed by six independent dc/dc Buck converters controlled by a double control loop, which can control both the battery end-of-charge voltage if the battery is fully charged, or the power generated by the solar arrays otherwise. Besides, to optimize the extracted power, each phase has an analog maximum power point tracker circuit. In addition, the regulator has a redundant over voltage protection circuit that switches off the converters in case of battery overvoltage. Furthermore, this regulator is tolerant to the failure of any component. This paper describes the electronic design of the regulator, including a detailed system stability study, as well as the implementation of a 60W prototype and the tests that have been carried out to validate the design. The main contributions of this paper are: A practical solution for a solar array regulator for space applications is proposed; a detailed stability study is developed; a overvoltage protection circuit is presented; a prototype has been implemented using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components with space qualified equivalent versions; and extensive functional tests have been carried out under different space representative conditions to validate fault tolerance and robustness.