Investigating the impact of lunar dust simulants deposition on the short-circuit current of a triple-junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cell-based dust detector: a combined experimental and mathematical study

In this work, a lunar dust detector using a space triple-junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cell equipped with a radiation-resistance silica coverslip and a bead-like thermometer is developed, and its response to the deposited lunar dust simulants under different light incidence angles is investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the short-circuit current reduction is not only deposition mass-dependent, but is also related to the light incidence angle, and a 50% reduction in short-circuit current was achieved by depositing approximately 3.0 mg/cm2 lunar dust simulants as the sunlight is incident normally. Finally, a physical model, according to the experimental results, was proposed to forecast the impact of dust deposition on the short-circuit current of the triple-junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cell in the lunar surface environment. This model is in good agreement with the experiment results obtained at small incidence angles (0° ∼ 50°), with a relative error of less than 1% in this range. This work will help in designing future photovoltaic energy system for lunar surface application and developing strategies for dust mitigation on the lunar surface.