Thermal Design and Performance of a Luminescent Solar Concentrator for Space Power Generation

The medium Earth orbital altitudes are greatly underused due to the harsh radiation environment. In thinking of alternative ways to work in this environment, the shielding inherently designed in a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) could provide electrical power. Based on previous work showing the radiation tolerance of some luminescent materials, a study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using an LSC in light of radiation and temperature effects. The performance of such a system is compared with that of existing solar-cell-based electrical power generation. The end results show that an LSC system would be competitive in the space environment when 21.5% efficient system is achieved.