• Minumum non recurrent activities and cost, • Very low cost for recurrent phase prototype version, no LAT activities, no HI REL components, • Improved performances, • Direct application of R&D contract, possibility to use GSTP or PDSE funding. The only “disadvantages” as such of this approach sited by ETCA is that the components will contain functions not required by the ASAP demonstrator. However, the mass margin available can adequately tolerate this situation. More importantly, it would be more expensive to remove these functions than to just leave them in. The power conditioning subsystem would use four battery discharge regulators each capable of supplying up to 500 W of power to a single TWT (i.e. one regulator per TWT). This power level would accommodate the larger 200-250 W (output) TWTs, for example, or it could be modified for the lower 130 W TWTs currently baselined for the ASAP reference concept Total mass, around 7 kg, of ECTA’s proposed power conditioning subsystem would be contained in a single unit approximately 260 x 240 x 110 mm in size. The battery discharge regulators within this unit would have an efficiency of around 92-94%, depending on the precise concept used. Interestingly, the proposed 500 W regulators would probably be adequate for the Microwave Solution described in PART I. In theory, at least the ASAP demonstrator would provide experience in aspects of power subsystem design that are directly applicable to future operational Powersats.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==