Energy panel arrangement shutdown

• US 10,348,094 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marici Holdings The Netherlands B.V.
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: White, Paul Michael, Khare, Sagar Arun, Ozga, Sarah Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US15/547,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1227
• 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 31/052 Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells cooling means in combination with the PV module H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/10 Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for facilitating a shutdown of output power from an energy panel arrangement to an inverter. A shutdown implementation module is coupled between an energy panel arrangement and an inverter that converts DC power from the energy panel arrangement to AC power for an AC power grid. A communication connection is established, over a power-line communication line, between the shutdown implementation module and a shutdown controller associated with the inverter. Responsive to identifying a loss of the communication connection or receiving a shutdown instruction over the power-line communication line, the shutdown implementation module shuts down output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter. The shutdown implementation module may be located within a threshold distance from the energy panel arrangement (e.g., within about 10 feet) so that the output power may be shutoff within a threshold timespan (e.g., within about 10 seconds).

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a shutdown of output power from an energy panel arrangement to an inverter, comprising:

a shutdown implementation module coupled between an energy panel arrangement and an inverter that is configured to convert DC power from the energy panel arrangement to AC power for an AC power grid, the shutdown implementation module configured to;

establish a communication connection, over a power-line communication line between the energy panel arrangement and the inverter, with a shutdown controller associated with the inverter; and

responsive to identifying a loss of the communication connection, initiate a shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

2. The system of claim 1, the power-line communication line comprising a DC power line over which DC power is supplied from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

3. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

responsive to receiving a shutdown instruction over the power-line communication line from the shutdown controller, initiate the shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

4. The system of claim 1, the loss of the communication connection corresponding to an opening of a DC disconnect of the inverter.

5. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

responsive to identifying a power loss of the AC power grid, initiate the shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

6. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module comprising:

a power module configured to provide power to the shutdown implementation module based upon power provided by the energy panel arrangement.

7. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured:

identify the loss of the communication connection based upon a loss of a heartbeat signal, received over the power-line communication line, from the shutdown controller.

8. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

receive a software update, to apply to the shutdown implementation module, over the power-line communication line; and

implement the software update.

9. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

receive an arc-fault notification instruction over the power-line communication line from the shutdown controller; and

initiate the shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter based upon the arc-fault notification instruction.

10. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

responsive to detecting an inverter failure of the inverter, implement a short-circuit condition removal procedure.

11. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

perform a self-evaluation utilizing at least one of a temperature sensor or an electrical parameter measurement sensor; and

responsive to the self-evaluation resulting in an operational alert for the shutdown implementation module, initiate the shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

12. The system of claim 11, the shutdown implementation module configured to:

responsive to identifying a resolution of an operational issue specified by the operational alert, initiate startup of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

13. The system of claim 1, the shutdown implementation module comprising:

a shutdown discharge circuit comprising at least one of a mechanical switch or a semiconductor arrangement, the shutdown discharge circuit configured to discharge output power from the energy panel arrangement.

14. The system of claim 13, the shutdown discharge circuit comprising a resistor used to discharge output power.

15. A system for facilitating a shutdown of output power from an energy panel arrangement to an inverter, comprising:

a shutdown controller associated with an inverter that is configured to convert DC power from an energy panel arrangement to AC power for an AC power grid, the shutdown controller configured to;

establish a communication connection, over a power-line communication line between the energy panel arrangement and the inverter, with a shutdown implementation module coupled between the energy panel arrangement and the inverter; and

responsive to identifying a power shutdown condition, send a shutdown instruction over the power-line communication line to the shutdown implementation module, the shutdown instruction specifying that output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter is to be shutdown.

16. The system of claim 15, the shutdown controller configured to:

identify the power shutdown condition based upon an arc- fault.

17. The system of claim 15, the shutdown controller configured to:

identify the power shutdown condition based upon a shutoff status input signal provided to the shutdown controller.

18. The system of claim 15, the shutdown controller configured to:

send a software update over the power-line communication line to the shutdown implementation module, the software update comprising an instruction to update the shutdown implementation module based upon the software update.

19. The system of claim 15, the shutdown controller configured to:

send a heartbeat signal over the power-line communication line to the shutdown implementation module, the heartbeat signal indicating that the shutdown implementation module is to continue the supply of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.

20. A method for facilitating a shutdown of output power from an energy panel arrangement to an inverter, comprising:

establishing a communication connection, over a power-line communication line between an energy panel arrangement and an inverter, between a shutdown implementation module and a shutdown controller associated with the inverter, the shutdown implementation module coupled between the energy panel arrangement and the inverter; and

responsive to at least one of identifying a loss of the communication connection or receiving a shutdown instruction over the power-line communication line from the shutdown controller, initiating a shutdown of output power from the energy panel arrangement to the inverter.