ARCHITECTURE FOR POWER PLANT COMPRISING CLUSTERS OF POWER-GENERATION DEVICES

• US 20140319917A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxout Renewables, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxout Renewables, Inc.
• Inventors: Cummings, Eric Bryant
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/63
• 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: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/106 for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0043 Converters switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved non-isolated DC/DC converters H02M3/1586
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/493 the static converters being arranged for operation in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Various techniques are employed alone or in combination, to reduce the levelized cost of energy imposed by a power plant system. Solar energy concentrators in the form of inflated reflectors, focus light onto photovoltaic receivers. Multiple concentrators are grouped into a series-connected cluster that shares control circuitry and support structure. Individual concentrators are maintained at their maximum power point via balance controllers that control the flow of current that shunts this series connection. DC current from clusters is transmitted moderate distances to a centralized inverter. The inductance of transmission lines is maximized using an air-spaced twisted pair, enhancing the performance of boost-type three phase inverters. Cluster outputs are separate from individual inverters in massively interleaved arrays co-located at a central location. Step-up transformers convert inverter voltages to grid voltages, and small transformers provide isolation and voltage step-up only on receiver-to-receiver imbalance currents, typically <20% of the total current.

Claims

1. A central inverter comprising:

a plurality of individual inverters, each of the plurality of individual inverters coupled to at least one of a plurality of power-generating elements; and

a central inverter output coupled an output of each of the plurality of individual inverters and configured to combine the outputs of each of the plurality of individual inverters.

2. The central inverter of claim 1, wherein a switch timing of each of the plurality of individual inverters is configured to reduce an output ripple current and output filter requirements of the central inverter.

3. The central inverter of claim 2, wherein the switch timing is determined using a clock signal from a microcontroller.

4. The central inverter of claim 2, wherein the switch timing is determined using a handshaking bus.

5. The central inverter of claim 2, wherein the switch timing is determined using a daisy-chained handshaking line.

6. The central inverter of claim 1, further including a hot-swap inverter for one or more of the plurality of individual inverters.

7. The central inverter of claim 1, further including at least one of an end-user replaceable storage module or an end-user replaceable switch module.

8. The central inverter of claim 1, further including a water cooling apparatus configured to cool one or more of the plurality of individual inverters by producing a jet of water that impinges on a cooling plate that is in thermal communication with the one or more of the plurality of individual inverters.

9. The central inverter of claim 8, wherein the jet is hydrostatically pressurized.

10. The central inverter of claim 8, wherein the cooling plate is coupled to materials in thermal communication with a heat generator.

11. The central inverter of claim 8, further comprising a housing that houses at least one of a radiator or a fan.

12. The central inverter of claim 1, further comprising a housing that houses the plurality of individual inverters, the housing including a plurality of vents at first side of the housing and a pipe extending from a second side of the housing.

13. The central inverter of claim 1, wherein an individual inverter of the plurality of individual inverters is configured to provide power to at least one of the plurality of power-generating elements.

14. The central inverter of claim 13, wherein the individual inverter of the plurality of individual inverters is coupled to at least one of a battery, a generator, or an electrical grid.

15. The central inverter of claim 1, further including a robotic mechanism.

16. The central inverter of claim 15, wherein the robotic mechanism is configured to perform at least one of the following functions:

actuating a switch or moving an inverter phase.