Power processing unit
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Power processing unit (PPU)
In the context of spacecraft, the power processing unit (PPU) is a module containing the electrical subsystem responsible for providing electrical power to other parts of the spacecraft. The PPU needs to be able to cope with varying demands for power output and provide that power in the most efficient manner possible.
There are two main constrains placed on PPU:
- power generation -- for instance a solar array or RTG where power generation can vary based on external conditions
- power utilization -- varying depending of the current internal activities performed by the spacecraft (like burst radio transmission) or external demand factors like outside temperature and the need to provide electric heat to maintain constant internal temperature.
Major considerations in building PPUs are weight, size and efficiency.[1] [2]
Most PPUs process and supply DC (direct current) as such is generated by solar array.
The PPU is also responsible for voltage conversion and supplying the required voltage to other subsystems of the spacecraft.