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This situation sounds similar to what happened with AO-7: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT-OSCAR_7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT-OSCAR_7 Satellite is
by ttyl0125 10y ago
This situation sounds similar to what happened with AO-7: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT-OSCAR_7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT-OSCAR_7
Satellite is launched, goes silent after a few years due to electrical problems. Decades later, the onboard batteries have deteriorated such that they're just a short (no storage capacity), and the satellite works intermittently when the solar panels are exposed to enough sunlight.
- madengr 10y agoActually an open circuit.
- rhaps0dy 10y agoNo, a short. Or closed circuit.
- klodolph 10y agoThe short in the battery was the original problem. The short eventually became open 21 years later, which made things work.
- LeifCarrotson 10y agoThe solar panel, battery, and load are all in parallel. Like this: https://www.circuitlab.com/editor/#?id=swpddv https://www.circuitlab.com/editor/#?id=swpddv There's probably some charge control electronics, but that's the gist of things. When the battery is discharged or shorted, the solar panel would need to raise the voltage to power the load. When the battery fails as an open circuit, the solar panel can power the load directly.