Spacecraft Power Systems

This second edition of Spacecraft Power Systems is a comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals, design trades, components, controls, and operations of spacecraft power systems based on the real-world design and operations of spacecraft that have successfully flown for decades. It also includes emerging high-voltage, high-power systems for in-space propulsion for interplanetary travel.

With new and updated chapters, sections, and discussions, the second edition covers up-to-date high-voltage, MW-scale electric propulsion, updated PV and battery systems, spacecraft power components, power electronics, and their architectures and operations. This book also presents the latest in spacecraft design processes and trades, controls, operations, and protection.

This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical, aerospace, and electrical engineering taking courses in Space Systems, Space Engineering, and Spacecraft Power Systems, as well as for practicing aerospace and power engineers and managers who are designing, developing, and operating spacecraft power systems.

PART A Power System Fundamentals Chapter 1 Satellite Overview Chapter 2 Near-Earth Space Environment Chapter 3 Power System Options Chapter 4 Photovoltaic–Battery System Chapter 5 Design Process and Trades PART B PV–Battery Power System Chapter 6 Solar Array Chapter 7 Battery Chapter 8 Power Electronics Chapter 9 Distribution Harness and Protection Chapter 10 Ancillary Components PART C Power System Performance Chapter 11 Energy Balance and Power Management Chapter 12 Dynamic Performance and Stability Chapter 13 Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility, and Electrostatic Discharge PART D Special Power Systems Chapter 14 Interplanetary and Deep Space Missions Chapter 15 Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Chapter 16 High-Power, High-Voltage Systems Chapter 17 In-Space Electric Propulsion Chapter 18 Fuel Cell Power

Mukund R. Patel, PhD, PE, is Professor Emeritus at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. He has served as Principal Engineer at General Electric Space Division in Valley Forge, PA; Fellow Engineer at Westinghouse Research Center in Pittsburgh, PA; Senior Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin in Princeton, NJ; Development Manager at Bharat Bijlee (Siemens) in Mumbai, India; and 3M McKnight Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He has over 50 years of internationally recognized experience in research, development, design, and education of the state-of-the-art electrical power equipment and systems. Dr. Patel obtained his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Power from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Pittsburgh; M.E. in Electrical Machine Design with Distinction from Gujarat University; and B.E. with Distinction from Sardar University, India.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK), Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Senior Life Member of IEEE, Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, Chartered Mechanical Engineer in the UK, and a member of Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi and Omega Rho. Dr. Patel is an Associate Editor of Solar Energy, the journal of the International Solar Energy Society. He has presented and published over 50 research papers at national and international conferences and journals, holds several patents, has earned NASA recognition for his exceptional contribution to the power system design for the UAR Satellite, and was nominated by NASA for an IR-100 award. He has authored five textbooks published by CRC Press and major chapters on electrical power in handbooks such as the International Handbook on Space Technologies published by Praxis and Springer, Energy Storage in Technology, Humans, and Society Towards a Sustainable World, and Solar Power in Marine Engineering Handbook published by SNAME in 2022.

Omid Beik, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 2016. He was a Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Manchester, UK (2011–2012), a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (2016–2017), a Senior Engineer with Magna Powertrain Inc., Concord, Ontario, Canada (2017–2018), a Lead R&D Engineer with Mirus International Inc., Brampton, Ontario, Canada (2018–2019), a Senior Manager with Forte Mobility Co. Ltd., Aurora, Ontario, Canada (2020–2021), and an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Dakota State University (2021–2023), Fargo, ND, USA. He is currently an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA. He founded Enercs Inc., an early-stage technology startup in Toronto, Canada that specialized in the research and development of state-of-the-art technologies in power electronics, electric machines, and drives for applications in renewable energy systems and electrification. Enercs Inc. held exclusive rights to a portfolio of patents and related inventions. Dr. Beik has authored the book DC Wind Generation Systems, Design, Analysis, and Multiphase Turbine Technology, Springer, 2020, and co-authored the books Wind and Solar Power Systems: Design, Analysis, and Operation, CRC Press, 2021, Multiphase Hybrid Electric Machines: Applications for Electrified Powertrains, Springer, 2021, and Spacecraft Power Systems, CRC Press, 2024. He has authored/co-authored a portfolio of peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and patents. Dr. Beik is a Senior Member of IEEE and has served as an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion and IEEE Power Engineering Letters, and as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification and the IEEE Electrification eNewsletter. Dr. Beik has served in various roles in the organizing committee of IEEE/International conferences.

“The book is a comprehensive overview of all aspects of a spacecraft electrical power subsystem, including real-life examples and design guidelines. There are very few other books that cover the same territory, and none are as up-to-date as the current edition, which has been refocused on the most commonly encountered types of power systems (i.e. solar photovoltaic, battery, and RTG).” - Steve Lapen, Lecturer, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California