SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE OR LOCAL SHUT-OFF OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

• US 20150028692A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: MAKHOTA, Maxym, Eizips, Daniel, Kikinis, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 9,377,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/115
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• 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 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/30 Electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

Systems and methods for shut-down of a photovoltaic system. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a computer system includes: communicating, via a central controller, with a plurality of local management units (LMUs), each of the LMUs coupled to control a respective solar module; receiving, via the central controller, a shut-down signal from a user device (e.g., a hand-held device, a computer, or a wireless switch unit); and in response to receiving the shut-down signal, shutting down operation of the respective solar module for each of the LMUs.

Claims

1. A local management unit of a solar module, comprising:

a communication module;

a controller;

a circuit path coupled between outputs of the solar module, the circuit path comprising a first switch connected in series with a diode, wherein

the first switch is controlled by the controller,

when the switch is a closed state, the diode is forward biased to provide a voltage to the controller using electric power generated by the solar module, and

when the switch is an open state, the circuit path is open and the diode does not provide the voltage to power the controller; and

at least one second switch connected to an output of the local management unit;

wherein in response to a shut-down signal received via the communication module, the controller is configured to

activate the at least one second switch to prevent power generated by the solar module from being outputted from the local management unit, and

activate the first switch to receive from the diode the voltage for continue operations.

2. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one second switch comprises

a switch which when closed, short circuits outputs of the local management unit.

3. The local management unit of claim 2, wherein the at least one second switch comprises

a switch which when open, disconnects an input from the solar module from an output of the local management unit.

4. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one second switch comprises

a switch which when open, disconnects a circuit path from an input from the solar module to an output of the local management unit.

5. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the shut-down signal via a wireless connection.

6. The local management unit of claim 5, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the shut-down signal from a central controller.

7. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the central controller comprises a controlling block via which the shut-down signal is sent to a plurality of local management units.

8. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the shut-down signal is sent via a web server.

9. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive pulse or heartbeat signals;

and the controller is configured to allow the electric power generated by the solar module to be outputted from the local management unit in response to the pulse or heartbeat signals.

10. The local management unit of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to prevent the electric power generated by the solar module from being outputted from the local management unit in absence of the pulse or heartbeat signals.

11. The local management unit of claim 10, wherein the shut-down signal comprises a termination of the pulse or heartbeat signals.

12. The local management unit of claim 10, wherein the local management unit is configured to identify the shut-down signal from at least one occurrence of time-out of the pulse or heartbeat signals.

13. The local management unit of claim 1, wherein the shut-down signal comprises sending a shut-down command.

14. A method implemented in a local management unit of a solar module, the method comprising:

providing, in the local management unit, a circuit path coupled between outputs of the solar module, the circuit path comprising a first switch connected in series with a diode, wherein

the first switch is controlled by a controller of the local management unit,

when the switch is a closed state, the diode is forward biased to provide a voltage to the controller using electric power generated by the solar module, and

when the switch is an open state, the circuit path is open and the diode does not provide the voltage to power the controller;

providing, in the local management unit, at least one second switch connected to an output of the local management unit;

receiving, in the controller, a shut-down signal in the controller;

activating, by the controller, the at least one second switch to prevent power generated by the solar module from being outputted from the local management unit; and

activating, by the controller, the first switch to receive from the diode the voltage for continue operations of the controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one second switch comprises a switch which when closed, short circuits outputs of the local management unit.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one second switch comprises a switch which when open, disconnects a circuit path from an input from the solar module to an output of the local management unit.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving in the controller pulse or heartbeat signals;

operating, by the controller, the at least second switch to allow the electric power generated by the solar module to be outputted from the local management unit in response to the pulse or heartbeat signals.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

operating, by the controller, the at least second switch to prevent the electric power generated by the solar module from being outputted from the local management unit in absence of the pulse or heartbeat signals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identify the shut-down signal from at least one occurrence of time-out of the pulse or heartbeat signals.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon computer readable instructions configured to instruct a local management unit of a solar module to perform a method, the method comprising:

providing, in the local management unit, a circuit path coupled between outputs of the solar module, the circuit path comprising a first switch connected in series with a diode, wherein

the first switch is controlled by a controller of the local management unit,

when the switch is a closed state, the diode is forward biased to provide a voltage to the controller using electric power generated by the solar module, and

when the switch is an open state, the circuit path is open and the diode does not provide the voltage to power the controller;

providing, in the local management unit, at least one second switch connected to an output of the local management unit;

receiving, in the controller, a shut-down signal in the controller;

activating, by the controller, the at least one second switch to prevent power generated by the solar module from being outputted from the local management unit; and

activating, by the controller, the first switch to receive from the diode the voltage for continue operations of the controller.