Systems and Methods of Power Line Transmission of Solar Panel Data

• US 20120263252A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Narayanan, Sriram
• Application Number:
  US13/084,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• 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: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0084 Formats for payload data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Statistical analysis may be requested for a solar panel system. Each section of the panel may be assigned to a particular slice of an OFDM transmission scheme. The photovoltaic (PV) modules are divided into strings of modules and a spectrum of frequencies is divided into sub-channels. Then each string is assigned into a timeslot data related PV modules is transmitted on a particular sub-channel during the assigned timeslot.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules configured into at least one string of modules, each string of modules assigned to a timeslot in a transmission scheme, each module of each string of modules assigned to a subchannel in a spectrum of frequencies; and

at least one modem configured to communicate data related to at least on of the modules of the plurality of PV modules on a power line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the subchannels are selected to be orthogonal to each other.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of voltage, current, module tilt, air temperature, module temperature, and insolation.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one DC/DC converter configured to level shift the DC voltage of the data.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a modem configured to receive the data in each channel for a time slot and to prepare the data for transmission.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a DC/AC inverter configured to convert the data for transmission into an AC signal for transmission on the power line.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a base station configured to receive the AC signal for data collection.

8. A method comprising:

dividing a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules into at least one string of modules;

dividing a spectrum of frequencies into subchannels; and

assigning each string into a timeslot; and

sending data related to at least one of the plurality of PV modules on a subchannel during the assigned timeslot.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting the subchannels to be orthogonal to each other.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the data comprises at least one of voltage, current, module tilt, air temperature, module temperature, and insolation.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising at least one DC/DC converter configured to level shift the DC voltage of the data.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the data in a modem configured to receive the data in each channel for a time slot and to prepare the data for transmission.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising converting the data for transmission into an AC signal with a DC/AC inverter for transmission on the power line.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the dividing the spectrum of frequencies into subchannels comprises at least one of a statically allocating the subchannels and dynamically allocating the subchannels.

15. A system, comprising:

means for dividing a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules into at least one string of modules;

means for dividing a spectrum of frequencies into subchannels; and

means for assigning each string into a timeslot; and

sending data related to at least one of the plurality of PV modules on a subchannel during the assigned timeslot.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for selecting the subchannels to be orthogonal to each other.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises at least one of voltage, current, module tilt, air temperature, module temperature, and insolation.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for level shifting the DC voltage of the data.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for receiving the data in a modem, to receive the data in each channel for a time slot, and to prepare the data for transmission.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for converting the data for transmission into an AC signal with a DC/AC inverter for transmission on the power line.