Parallel connected inverters
First Claim
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1. A distributed power system comprising:
- a direct current (DC) power source;
a plurality of autonomous inverters with respective inverter inputs adapted for connection in parallel to the DC power source and with respective inverter outputs adapted for connection in parallel to produce an alternating current (AC) power to a power grid; and
a plurality of control modules coupled respectively to the inverter inputs, wherein the control modules respectively control current drawn by the plurality of autonomous inverters from the DC power source responsive to the voltage of the DC power source;
wherein the plurality of autonomous inverters share unequally in inverting power from the DC power source to produce AC power to the power grid.
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Abstract
A distributed power system wherein a plurality of power converters are connected in parallel and share the power conversion load according to a prescribed function, but each power converter autonomously determines its share of power conversion. Each power converter operates according to its own power conversion formula/function, such that overall the parallel-connected converters share the power conversion load in a predetermined manner.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A distributed power system comprising:
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a direct current (DC) power source; a plurality of autonomous inverters with respective inverter inputs adapted for connection in parallel to the DC power source and with respective inverter outputs adapted for connection in parallel to produce an alternating current (AC) power to a power grid; and a plurality of control modules coupled respectively to the inverter inputs, wherein the control modules respectively control current drawn by the plurality of autonomous inverters from the DC power source responsive to the voltage of the DC power source; wherein the plurality of autonomous inverters share unequally in inverting power from the DC power source to produce AC power to the power grid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a plurality of inverters coupled in parallel to a direct current (DC) power source, DC power from the DC power source, wherein the plurality of inverters comprises DC inputs and AC outputs and wherein the plurality of inverters produce an alternating current (AC) output power to an power grid; autonomously controlling current drawn by each of the plurality of inverters from the DC power source responsive to a voltage of the DC input; and upon reaching a voltage equilibrium at the DC input, each of the plurality of inverters inverting an unequal portion of power from the DC power source to the power grid. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A distributed power system comprising:
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a direct current (DC) power source; a plurality of power converters with respective power converter inputs adapted for connection in parallel to the DC power source and with respective power converter outputs adapted for connection in parallel; and a plurality of control modules connected respectively to the power converter inputs, the control modules autonomously controlling current drawn by each respective power converter of the plurality of power converters from the DC power source responsive to the voltage of the DC input until a voltage equilibrium is reached at the power converter inputs wherein the plurality of power converters share unequally in inverting power from the DC power source to a combined output power.
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11. A system comprising:
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a plurality of autonomous inverters coupled in parallel to an power grid, wherein each of the plurality of autonomous inverters is configured to draw current from a corresponding direct current (DC) input; and a controller configured to individually control, based on a DC input voltage for each of the plurality of autonomous inverters, current drawn by each one of the plurality of autonomous inverters from its corresponding DC input; wherein each of the plurality of autonomous inverters is configured to draw an unequal portion of inverting power from the DC input to output power to an power grid.
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12. A power system comprising:
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a direct current (DC) power source; a plurality of power converters comprising input terminals and output terminals, wherein the input terminals are coupled to the DC source in parallel, and wherein the output terminals are coupled to an electric network in parallel; and a plurality of control modules, each coupled to a respective one of the power converters, and each configured to monitor the DC power source and autonomously vary the operation of the respective power converter according to the performance of the DC power source such that each respective power converter draws an unequal portion of power from the DC power source. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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drawing, using a plurality of parallel-coupled autonomous inverters, current from a direct current (DC) input; detecting, for each of the plurality of parallel-coupled autonomous inverters, a DC input voltage; and controlling, for each of the plurality of parallel-coupled autonomous inverters and based on the detected DC input voltage, current drawn from the DC input to reach an autonomous equilibrium in DC power conversion between the plurality of parallel-coupled autonomous inverters, wherein the plurality of parallel-coupled autonomous inverters draw unequal power from the DC input.
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Specification