Serially connected inverters

• US 10,666,125 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2017
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Yoscovich, Ilan, Gazit, Meir, Glovinsky, Tzachi, Galin, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Joel
• Application Number:
  US15/823,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20180083523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/42 with automatic parallel connection when synchronisation is achieved
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/325 with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/49 Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A photovoltaic power generation system, having a photovoltaic panel, which has a direct current (DC) output and a micro-inverter with input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are adapted for connection to the DC output. The micro-inverter is configured for converting an input DC power received at the input terminals to an output alternating current (AC) power at the output terminals. A bypass current path between the output terminals may be adapted for passing current produced externally to the micro-inverter. The micro-inverter is configured to output an alternating current voltage significantly less than a grid voltage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

converting, using each of a plurality of inverters comprising output terminals connected serially to form a serial output, input power to output alternating-current (AC) power at the output terminals of each of the plurality of inverters while maintaining a serial voltage of the serial output substantially equal to and in synchronization with a grid voltage of a grid connected across the serial output; and

based on a failure in operating at least one of the plurality of inverters;

bypassing the at least one of the plurality of inverters using an AC current bypass configured to pass an alternating current; and

operating others of the plurality of inverters to adjust the serial voltage to be substantially equal to the grid voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the plurality of inverters from the grid or disabling the plurality of inverters based on the serial voltage being less than the grid voltage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the disconnecting the plurality of inverters from the grid comprises opening a switch connected between the plurality of inverters and the grid.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the plurality of inverters from the grid or disabling the plurality of inverters based on a lack of synchronization between the serial voltage and the grid voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inverters comprises a control loop configured to maintain the input power received at a respective one of the plurality of inverters at a maximum input power.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the output AC power at the output terminals of each of the plurality of inverters is at a voltage less than the grid voltage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the bypassing further comprises:

based on determining the failure, bypassing the output terminals of the at least one of the plurality of inverters by activating a bypass current path, of the AC current bypass, across the output terminals of the at least one of the plurality of inverters by using at least one active switching element of the AC current bypass.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of inverters, each inverter of the plurality of inverters comprising;

input terminals;

output terminals; and

an alternating-current (AC) current bypass configured to pass an alternating current,

wherein the output terminals of the plurality of inverters are connected serially and configured to form a serial voltage output when the input terminals are connected to power from a power source,

wherein each inverter of the plurality of inverters is configured to convert input power received at the input terminals of the inverter to output AC power at the output terminals of the inverter while maintaining a serial voltage of the serial voltage output substantially equal to and synchronized with a grid voltage of a grid when the grid is connected across the serial voltage output, and

wherein, based on a failure in operating at least one of the plurality of inverters, each inverter of the plurality of inverters is configured to bypass the at least one of the plurality of inverters using the AC current bypass and adjust the serial voltage output to be substantially equal to the grid voltage.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a control unit configured to disconnect the plurality of inverters from the grid or disable the plurality of inverters based on at least one of the following conditions:

the serial voltage being less than the grid voltage; and

a lack of synchronization between the serial voltage and the grid voltage.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a switch connected between the plurality of inverters and the grid; and

a control unit configured to open the switch based on at least one of the following conditions;

the serial voltage being less than the grid voltage; and

a lack of synchronization between the serial voltage and the grid voltage.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a switch connected between the plurality of inverters and the grid; and

a control unit configured to send a “

keep alive”

signal to the plurality of inverters,

wherein the plurality of inverters are configured to convert the input power to the AC power based on receiving the “

keep alive”

signal; and

wherein the control unit is configured to open the switch based on detecting at least one of the following conditions;

the serial voltage being less than the grid voltage; and

a lack of synchronization between the serial voltage and the grid voltage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of inverters comprises a control loop configured to maintain the input power received at the input terminals at a maximum input power.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of inverters is configured to provide the output AC power at the output terminals at a voltage less than the grid voltage.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the AC current bypass of each inverter of the plurality of inverters further comprises:

a bypass current path between the output terminals of the inverter; and

at least one active switching element; and

wherein, based on the failure in operating the at least one of the plurality of inverters, each inverter of the plurality of inverters is configured to bypass the output terminals by activating the bypass current path using the at least one active switching element.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first inverter, the first inverter comprising;

input terminals;

output terminals; and

an alternating-current (AC) current bypass configured to pass an alternating current;

wherein the apparatus is configured to generate, at the output terminals, part of a serial voltage output that is formed when the input terminals are connected to input power from a power source;

wherein the first inverter is configured to convert the input power to output AC power at the output terminals of the first inverter while maintaining, together with at least one other inverter, the serial voltage output to be substantially equal to and synchronized with a grid voltage of a grid when the grid is connected across the serial voltage output;

wherein, based on a failure in operating the at least one other inverter, the first inverter is configured to adjust the serial voltage output to the grid voltage; and

wherein, based on a failure in operating the first inverter, the first inverter is configured to bypass the output terminals of the first inverter using the AC current bypass.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first inverter comprises a control loop configured to maintain the input power received at the input terminals at a maximum input power.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first inverter is configured to convert the input power to the output AC power based on receiving a “

keep alive”

signal, and to stop converting the input power to the output AC power based on the “

keep alive”

signal not being received for a predetermined period of time.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first inverter is configured to stop converting the input power to the output AC power based on an absence of the grid.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a switch connected between the first inverter and the grid; and

a control unit configured to disconnect the first inverter from the grid by opening the switch based on an islanding condition.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a switch connected between the first inverter and the grid; and

a control unit configured to send a “

keep alive”

signal to the first inverter to enable converting the input power to the output AC power, and to stop sending the “

keep alive”

signal to shut down the first inverter.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the AC current bypass further comprises:

a bypass current path between the output terminals; and

at least one active switching element,

wherein, based on the failure in operating the first inverter, the first inverter is configured to bypass the output terminals by activating the current bypass path using the at least one active switching element.