Hardware Mass A sensitivity analysis similar to that performed for hardware cost was also performed for hardware mass. Starting with the estimated values of specific mass for the same five components, the sensitivity of total unit mass to variations in those values was again computed for the three different SSP concepts. The results are plotted in Figure 6-15 and again show that the SolarDisc concept is most sensitive to values used for the FET devices, while the Sun Tower concepts are most sensitive to values associated with concentrator/PV array. Hover, with regard to mass sensitivity, the relative importance of the other components is now more uniquely related to the individual system concepts. For example, the large solar collecting area and transmitting array of SolarDisc concept increase the importance of the specific mass values used for the thin-film PV and array structure, and while the large number of collectors stresses the importance of the concentrator/PV mass for the MEO Sim Tower, the long tether length required to support those collectors increases the relative importance of the HTSC/Hoytether structure. Since there are fewer collectors and shorter tether lengths in the LEO Sun Tower, the mass sensitivity to the planar array structure is shown to have greater importance than the tether structure for the that concept. In conclusion, the true inpact of all of the space segment sensitivities discussed above, must really be drawn from their effect on the overall economic performance of the different concept architectures. That information becomes available by introducing the results of the space segment sensitivity analyses into the IAAM model as discussed below.
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