Patent ID: 11967661
Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS SPACE & MISSION SYSTEMS INC.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 9:
10. A solar panel, comprising:
a structural panel, wherein a thickness of the structural panel is greater than or equal to 20 mm; and
a plurality of solar cell arrays, each solar cell array including:
a circuit board substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the circuit board substrate is located on a first side of the structural panel, and wherein the circuit board substrate has a thickness that is less than or equal to 5 mm;
a plurality of solar cells disposed on a first surface side of the circuit board substrate;
a first conductor structure disposed on or in the circuit board substrate, wherein the first conductor structure electrically connects the solar cells to one another in series to form a solar cell array, and wherein the first conductor structure includes conductive elements disposed on the first surface of the circuit board substrate; and
a second conductor structure disposed on or in the circuit board substrate and closer to a second surface side of the circuit board substrate than the first conductor structure, wherein the second conductor structure includes conductive elements formed in or from a second conductive layer fixed to the second surface side of the circuit board substrate,
wherein the first conductor structure and the plurality of solar cells define a first current path,
wherein the second conductor structure defines a second current path,
wherein at least a portion of the first current path is separated from the second current path by at least a thickness of at least a portion of the circuit board substrate,
wherein a first segment of the first current path includes at least some of the solar cells in a first one of the solar cell arrays and at least portions of the first conductor structure,
wherein at least a first segment of the second current path mirrors the first segment of the first current path,
wherein a current in the first segment of the second current path is equal to a current in the first segment of the first current path,
wherein a direction of current flow in the first segment of the first current path is opposite a direction of current flow in the first segment of the second current path,
wherein the first conductor structure includes at least a first conductive trace on the first surface of the circuit board substrate, and
wherein the second conductor structure includes a second conductive trace on an intermediate layer of the circuit board substrate.