A Comprehensive Evaluation of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Power Electronic Devices, Components and Converters at Cryogenic Temperatures For Deep Space Applications

摘要

The operation of power electronic systems at cryogenic temperatures is anticipated in many future space missions such as planetary exploration and deep space probes. In addition to surviving the space hostile environments, electronics capable of low temperature operation would contribute to improving circuit performance, increasing system efficiency, and reducing development and launch costs. DC/DC converters are widely used in space power systems in the areas of power management, conditioning, and control. As part of the on-going Low Temperature Electronics Program at NASA Glenn Research Center, several commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) DC/DC devices, components and converters have been characterized in terms of their performance as a function of temperature in the range of 20 deg C to - 190 deg C. The experimental set-up and procedures along with the results obtained on the devices, components and converters during steady state and dynamic states will presented and discussed.