Integrated photovoltaic panel circuitry

• US 10,115,841 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Adest, Meir
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US13/487,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130320771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,339 Days
• Field of Search: 307 77, 307 82
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/04 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices testing thereof during manufacture H01L22/00; testing thereof after manufacture H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A photovoltaic module is presented, which may include a photovoltaic panel and a converter circuit having a primary input connected to the photovoltaic panel and a secondary output galvanically isolated from the primary input. The primary input may be connectible to multiple input terminals within a junction box and at least one of the input terminals may be electrically connected to a ground. The photovoltaic module may include multiple interconnected photovoltaic cells connected electrically to multiple connectors (for example bus-bars). The photovoltaic module may include input terminals operable for connecting to the connectors and an isolated converter circuit. The isolated converter circuit may include a primary input connected to the input terminals and a secondary output galvanically isolated from the primary input.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a photovoltaic panel comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells;

a casing that holds the photovoltaic cells; and

a converter circuit comprising first and second input terminals, the first input terminal directly connected to the casing by the first input terminal being bonded to the casing, and the second input terminal directly connected to the photovoltaic panel, and the converter circuit comprising first and second output terminals galvanically isolated from the first and second input terminals and electrically disconnected from the first and second input terminals, wherein the converter circuit converts first direct current (DC) power on the second input terminal to second DC power on the first output terminal, wherein the first output terminal of the converter circuit outputs power received by the converter circuit,

wherein the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit are integrated with the casing and the photovoltaic panel, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a junction box comprising a plurality of terminals, wherein the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit are connected to the plurality of terminals of the junction box, wherein the converter circuit is housed within the junction box, and wherein the junction box is directly attached to the photovoltaic panel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a metal component, and wherein the casing and the first input terminal of the converter circuit are connected to ground.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first input terminal of the converter circuit is further connected to the photovoltaic panel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises:

a back; and

four sides,

wherein an upper surface the photovoltaic cells are directly exposed to a region outside the casing when held by the casing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an insulating sheet in direct contact with the photovoltaic panel,

wherein the insulating sheet is disposed between the casing and the photovoltaic panel, and

wherein the insulating sheet provides an insulation resistance for the photovoltaic panel such that the photovoltaic panel is insulated to an insulation level that provides protection to withstand a voltage corresponding to a maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the converter circuit is connected to at least one other converter circuit disposed upstream with respect to the converter circuit in a series string of N converter circuits, N being a positive integer greater than one, the at least one other converter circuit having an input terminal directly connected to an output terminal of a second photovoltaic panel that is connected serially with the photovoltaic panel, the input terminal of the at least one other converter circuit being galvanically isolated from an output terminal of the at least one other converter circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel is a voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel, between first and second output terminals of the photovoltaic panel, when the photovoltaic panel is a most upstream photovoltaic panel in a series string of N photovoltaic panels respectively connected on a one-to-one basis to a series string of N converter circuits.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a transformer that galvanically isolates the first and second output terminals from the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit, the transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, the primary side including a first end and a second end,

wherein a switch is connected in series to the first end of the primary side of the transformer or the second end of the primary side of the transformer, and

wherein no other switches are connected to the primary side of the transformer.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a photovoltaic panel configured to generate a first voltage at output terminals, the photovoltaic panel comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells;

a casing that holds the photovoltaic cells; and

a converter circuit comprising a first input terminal directly connected to the casing by the first input terminal being bonded to the casing, and a second input terminal directly connected to the photovoltaic panel and configured to receive the first voltage, the converter circuit including first and second output terminals galvanically isolated from the first and second input terminals and electrically disconnected from the first and second input terminals, wherein the casing is connected to ground,

wherein the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit are integrated with the casing and the photovoltaic panel, respectively.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a transformer that galvanically isolates the first and second output terminals from the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit, the transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, the primary side including a first end and a second end; and

a switch,

wherein the switch is connected in series to the first end of the primary side of the transformer or the second end of the primary side of the transformer, and

wherein no other switches are connected to the primary side of the transformer.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first input terminal of the converter circuit is further connected to the photovoltaic panel.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a junction box comprising a plurality of input terminals, wherein the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit are connected to the plurality of input terminals of the junction box, wherein at least one of the plurality of input terminals of the junction box is electrically connected to a ground, wherein the converter circuit is housed within the junction box, and wherein the junction box is directly attached to a surface of the photovoltaic panel.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the converter circuit includes a switch having a first terminal directly connected to either the first input terminal or the second input terminal of the converter circuit, and the switch having a second terminal directly connected to circuitry configured to galvanically isolate the first and second output terminals from the first and second input terminals of the converter circuit, and wherein a duty cycle of the switch of the converter circuit is adjustable to give an adjustable open circuit voltage across the first and second output terminals of the converter circuit by opening and closing the switch in accordance with the duty cycle of the switch.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the casing comprises:

a back; and

four sides,

wherein an upper surface the photovoltaic cells are directly exposed to a region outside the casing when held by the casing.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

an insulating sheet in direct contact with the photovoltaic panel,

wherein the insulating sheet is disposed between the casing and the photovoltaic panel, and

wherein the insulating sheet provides an insulation resistance for the photovoltaic panel such that the photovoltaic panel is insulated to an insulation level that provides protection to withstand a voltage corresponding to a maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the converter circuit is connected to at least one other converter circuit disposed upstream with respect to the converter circuit in a series string of N converter circuits, N being a positive integer greater than one, the at least one other converter circuit having an input terminal directly connected to an output terminal of a second photovoltaic panel that is connected serially with the photovoltaic panel, the input terminal of the at least one other converter circuit being galvanically isolated from an output terminal of the at least one other converter circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel is a voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel, between first and second output terminals of the photovoltaic panel, when the photovoltaic panel is a most upstream photovoltaic panel in a series string of N photovoltaic panels respectively connected on a one-to-one basis to a series string of N converter circuits.

19. A method comprising:

attaching a photovoltaic panel comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells to a casing, to thereby hold the photovoltaic panel by way of the casing;

housing a DC/DC converter circuit within a junction box, wherein the DC/DC converter circuit includes first and second input terminals, first and second output terminals, and a transformer that galvanically isolates the first and second input terminals from the first and second output terminals, wherein the first and second input terminals are electrically disconnected from the first and second output terminals;

directly connecting the first input terminal of the DC/DC converter circuit to the casing by bonding the first input terminal of the DC/DC converter circuit to the casing, and directly connecting the second input terminal of the DC/DC converter circuit to the photovoltaic panel; and

integrating the DC/DC converter circuit with the photovoltaic panel by directly attaching the junction box to an outer surface of the photovoltaic panel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

placing an insulating sheet between the casing and photovoltaic panel in which the insulating sheet is in direct contact with the photovoltaic panel,

wherein the insulating sheet provides an insulation resistance for the photovoltaic panel such that the photovoltaic panel is insulated to an insulation level that provides protection to withstand a voltage corresponding to a maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the maximum voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel is a voltage capable of being output by the photovoltaic panel, between first and second output terminals of the photovoltaic panel, when the photovoltaic panel is a most upstream photovoltaic panel in a series string of N photovoltaic panels respectively connected on a one-to-one basis to a series string of N converter circuits.