"Space photovoltaic cell string testing: The spectral matching degree of traditional equipment AM0 is less than 85%, and the deviation of in-orbit power supply assessment exceeds 18%." "Manual testing and sorting efficiency is low, taking 15 minutes for a single string. An annual production of 5,000 strings requires 30 workers, with labor costs exceeding 2 million." "Poor consistency of cell strings In the production of space photovoltaic modules in fields such as aerospace, space exploration, and satellite research and development, the pain points of "difficulty in replicating space spectra, low detection efficiency, and poor consistency in sorting" have become the core bottlenecks restricting product reliability and production capacity. The on-orbit power supply of satellites fluctuates by more than 10%, and the mission risks increase dramatically.
Saifan Optoelectronics has been deeply engaged in optoelectronic testing and space technology for 20 years. By integrating aerospace-grade optical resources and tens of millions of measured data, it has launched the AM0 battery string automatic testing and sorting machine. With three core advantages: "ASTM E490-00 AM0 spectral precise replication + full-process automated testing + AI intelligent sorting", It perfectly meets the strict testing requirements of space photovoltaic cell strings. Today, this "space photovoltaic quality control tool" has served over 180 aerospace enterprises and research institutions worldwide, achieving a test error of ≤±1%, a sorting consistency deviation of ≤0.5%, and a 90% reduction in labor costs. It has become the "trusted choice" for the mass production of space photovoltaic modules.
1. AM0 spectral precise replication: Space light restoration, test data consistency with in-orbit exceeds 96%
Liu, the chief designer of space power supply at a certain aerospace technology group, was once extremely troubled by the distortion of battery string test data: "The photovoltaic battery strings carried by spacecraft receive AM0 space spectra in orbit, while traditional equipment mostly uses ground AM1.5 spectra. The spectral matching degree is less than 85%, resulting in a deviation of over 18% in core parameter tests such as open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current." A certain meteorological satellite was forced to reduce its observation tasks due to insufficient power supply after one year of operation in orbit because of inaccurate assessment of power supply capacity, resulting in a loss of over 50 million. What is more challenging is that traditional equipment can only test individual battery cells and is unable to simulate the overall performance after battery series assembly, with a prominent risk of hidden failure.
The "Space Spectrum replication technology" of the Saifan AM0 battery string automatic test and sorting machine has completely solved this problem. The equipment is equipped with an imported high-consistency xenon lamp array + the 8th generation spectral fitting algorithm, covering the full band from 300nm to 1100nm, and the spectral matching degree with the ASTM E490-00AM0 standard is ≥98.5%. Especially in the ultraviolet (300-400nm) and near-infrared (760-1100nm) bands, the energy restoration accuracy exceeds 97%, perfectly replicating the lighting environment in space without the obstruction of the atmosphere. Equipped with a 2.4m×3.6m ultra-large format uniform light system, the irradiation uniformity is ≤±2%, ensuring that each cell in the battery string receives consistent light. The test error is ≤±1%, and the consistency with the in-orbit measured data exceeds 96%.
"At present, the assessment error of the battery string power supply capacity is controlled within 3%, and the power supply stability of the subsequent three satellites to be launched is 100% up to standard." " Engineer Liu's tone was full of approval: "What impressed us the most was its spectral stability. After continuous operation for 5,000 hours, the spectral matching degree still remained above 97%. The testing experts from the 8th Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation all praised, 'This is the only testing equipment in China that can stably reproduce the AM0 spectrum.'" " The equipment supports 1-10 series synchronous testing, is compatible with 2-20 series parallel/series battery strings of different specifications, does not require fixture replacement, and the model change time is ≤15 minutes. Each string generates a unique "aerospace-grade traceability code". The test data is bound and archived with spectral parameters and environmental conditions, and has passed the strict review and certification of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Previously, importing AM0 testing equipment cost 18 million yuan, with a delivery period of 12 months. The customized model from Saifan saved 9 million yuan, with delivery within 60 days. It also provided full technical support throughout the process, helping us complete the power system type approval 8 months ahead of schedule."
2. Automatic testing + intelligent sorting: Efficiency is increased by 10 times, and 27 workers are saved on a single production line
Mr. Chen, the production director of a certain space photovoltaic module manufacturer, once encountered the "efficiency predicament" of manual testing and sorting: "Traditional battery string testing requires manual wiring of each string and data recording, and it takes 15 minutes to test a single string." Sorting requires manual grading based on power parameters. Each person can only sort 4 strings per hour. To produce 5,000 strings annually, 30 workers are needed, with an annual labor cost exceeding 2 million yuan. What is even more troublesome is that manual operation has problems such as wiring errors and incorrect data recording. The consistency deviation of classification exceeds 3%, resulting in a power supply fluctuation of over 10% for battery series in orbit, a return rate of 12%, and a loss of over 8 million yuan per batch."
The "automation + intelligence" function of the Saifan AM0 battery string automatic testing and sorting machine precisely solves the problems of human resources and efficiency. The equipment is equipped with a mechanical arm automatic connection and wiring system, achieving full-process automation of battery string positioning, wiring, testing, and material cutting without manual intervention. The detection time for a single string is only 90 seconds, which is 10 times more efficient than traditional manual methods. The daily detection capacity of a single production line has increased from 32 strings to 320 strings, with an annual output of up to 100,000 strings. Meanwhile, it is equipped with an AI intelligent sorting algorithm, which is trained based on over 100,000 test data of aerospace-grade battery strings. It can customize sorting standards from 1 to 8 levels according to the requirements of aerospace missions, with a classification accuracy rate of ≥99.5% and a consistency deviation of ≤0.5%.
"Now, only three operation and maintenance personnel are needed for a single production line. The annual labor cost has dropped from 2 million to 200,000, saving 1.8 million yuan a year. The equipment investment can be recovered within two years." " Engineer Chen did a detailed calculation: "The error rate of traditional manual testing is 5%, and the annual repair loss exceeds 8 million yuan." The error rate of automatic testing is ≤1%, the return rate drops to 0.8%, and the annual loss is reduced by 7.36 million. Moreover, the equipment supports continuous operation for 24 hours, generating 30% more output than manual operation, with an annual additional output value exceeding 12 million yuan." Engineer Chen particularly emphasized: "Our partner, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, has extremely high requirements for sorting consistency. The test data of the Saifan equipment has completely reassured them. They have now listed this equipment as the designated testing equipment and recommended it to multiple supporting units." "
Iii. Aerospace-grade stable adaptation: Compatible with extreme environments, with an MTBF of over 15,000 hours
Mr. Zhao, the quality manager of a certain satellite manufacturing enterprise, was once worried about the stability and adaptability of the equipment: "The testing of space photovoltaic cell strings has strict environmental requirements. The testing accuracy of traditional equipment drifts by more than 3% when the temperature changes by ±5℃, which cannot meet the environmental requirements of the aerospace workshop." After long-term operation, problems such as light source attenuation and loose wiring are prone to occur. The line needs to be shut down for 3 days each month for calibration, resulting in a production capacity loss of over 1 million. More importantly, traditional equipment does not support vacuum environment testing and cannot simulate the vacuum conditions of spacecraft in orbit, so the reference value of test data is limited.
The aerospace-grade design of the Saifan AM0 battery string automatic test and sorting machine perfectly meets the demanding requirements. The equipment adopts a 6061-T6 military-grade aluminum alloy body and a constant temperature compensation system. The test accuracy drift is ≤±0.5% in an environment ranging from -10 ℃ to 40℃. The light source module adopts long-life xenon lamps (with a lifespan of ≥1800 hours) + an automatic calibration system. It automatically performs spectral and light intensity calibration for every 100 strings tested. It operates continuously for 720 hours with stable accuracy. The annual off-line calibration time is ≤12 hours, reducing production capacity loss by 95%. Core performance is more hardcore: Supports vacuum environment adaptation (vacuum degree ≤10⁻³Pa), and can simulate the vacuum conditions of spacecraft in orbit; Equipped with redundant design test units and sorting mechanisms, the average mean time between failures (MTBF) is ≥ 15,000 hours, meeting the high reliability requirements of aerospace products.
"Previously, the test data of imported equipment fluctuated greatly in a vacuum environment, but this problem will never occur with Saifan equipment." " Engineer Zhao said with deep feeling, "We have conducted comparative tests. We continuously tested 100 battery strings in a vacuum environment of 10⁻³Pa, and the data fluctuation was ≤±0.3%. Experts from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation all praised, 'The stability of this equipment has reached the international advanced level.'" The equipment also supports seamless linkage with high and low temperature environmental chambers and vacuum tanks, achieving multi-environment collaborative testing of "light - temperature - vacuum", and comprehensively simulating the complex working conditions in orbit. "Saifan's customization capabilities also exceeded expectations. We needed to test 30 large-sized battery strings, and they completed the solution upgrade in 45 days, while imported equipment would take six months and an additional 2 million yuan in modification fees would be charged." "
Iv. Core Technology Unveiling: Three Major Breakthroughs Define New Standards for Space Photovoltaic Testing
The core competitiveness of the Saifan AM0 battery string automatic testing and sorting machine stems from three breakthrough technologies in the industry:
AM0 Precision Spectral Technology: The 8th generation spectral fitting algorithm + highly consistent xenon lamp array, spectral matching degree ≥98.5%, restoration accuracy in ultraviolet and near-infrared bands exceeds 97%, meeting aerospace-grade standards such as ASTM E490-00 and ISO 9040;
Full-process automation technology: Mechanical arm automatic wiring + synchronous test unit, achieving unmanned operation throughout the entire process from positioning, wiring, testing, sorting to material cutting. The detection time for a single string is only 90 seconds, with efficiency increased by 10 times.
Aerospace-grade stable design: Military-grade body + constant temperature compensation system + vacuum environment adaptation, accuracy drift ≤±0.5% in -10℃ to 40℃ environment, MTBF≥ 15,000 hours, meeting aerospace-grade reliability requirements.
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