UNGROUNDED INVERTER ENCLOSURE AND CABLING

• US 20170142857A1
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Linderman, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/420,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/642 by position or shape of contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/116 Lands, clearance holes or other lay-out details concerning the surrounding of a via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10272 Busbars, i.e. thick metal bars mounted on the PCB as high-current conductors metal strips H05K2201/1028
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10356 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1059 Connections made by press-fit insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0065 wherein modules are associated together, e.g. electromechanical assemblies, modular structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters

Abstract

A system and apparatus for power conversion without a connection to ground. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an inverter having an enclosure formed from an insulating material, wherein the inverter receives a DC input and generates, from the DC input and without any ground connection, a first AC line voltage carrying output and a second AC line voltage carrying output.

Claims

1. An apparatus for power conversion without a connection to ground, comprising:

an inverter having an enclosure formed from an insulating material, wherein the inverter receives a DC input and generates, from the DC input and without any ground connection, a first AC line voltage carrying output and a second AC line voltage carrying output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inverter comprises a DC port that receives the DC input and an AC port that couples the first and the second AC line voltage carrying outputs to an AC line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inverter comprises (i) a pair of DC bus bars that electrically couple the DC port to at least one printed circuit board (PCB) of the inverter, and (ii) a pair of AC bus bars that electrically couple the AC port to the at least one PCB.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pair of DC bus bars have press-pin tips that press-fit to the at least one PCB to electrically couple the DC port to the at least one PCB, and wherein the pair of AC bus bars have press-pin tips that press-fit to the at least one PCB to electrically couple the AC port to the at least one PCB.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars terminate in through-hole solder pins that are through-hole soldered to the one or more PCBs to electrically couple the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars to the one or more PCBs.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars are insert-molded to a bulkhead connector interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein both the DC and the AC ports are two-terminal ports, and wherein the DC and the AC ports comprise at least one keying feature to prevent a DC plug, adapted for being plugged into the DC port, from being plugged into the AC port and to prevent an AC plug, adapted for being plugged into the AC port, from being plugged into the DC port.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one keying feature further prevents the DC plug from being plugged into the DC port with the wrong polarity.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one keying feature additionally mechanically locks the DC plug to the DC port and the AC plug to the AC port.

10. A system for power conversion without a connection to ground, comprising:

a plurality of inverters, wherein each inverters of the plurality of inverters (i) has an enclosure formed from an insulating material, and (ii) receives a DC input and generates, from the DC input and without any ground connection, a first AC line voltage carrying output and a second AC line voltage carrying output; and

an AC trunk cable assembly comprising an AC trunk cable and a plurality of AC trunk splice connectors spaced along the AC trunk cable, wherein (a) the AC trunk cable comprises first and second conductors extending through the AC trunk cable, and (b) each AC trunk splice connector of the plurality of AC trunk splice connectors is coupled the first and second conductors and to a different inverter of the plurality of inverters such that the first AC line voltage carrying output is electrically coupled to the first conductor and the second AC line voltage carrying output is electrically coupled to the second conductor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and the second conductors are each continuous within the AC trunk cable.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each AC trunk splice connector of the plurality of AC trunk splice connectors comprises first and second AC pins electrically coupled to the first and the second AC line voltage carrying outputs of the corresponding inverter via an AC port of the corresponding inverter, and wherein the first AC pin is electrically coupled to the first conductor by a Y-splice, and wherein the second AC pin is electrically coupled to the second conductor by a Y-splice.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each AC trunk splice connector of the plurality of AC trunk splice connectors is overmolded to the AC trunk cable.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each inverter of the plurality of inverters comprises a DC port that receives the DC input and an AC port that couples the first and the second AC line voltage carrying outputs to an AC line.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each inverter of the plurality of inverters comprises (i) a pair of DC bus bars that electrically couple the DC port to at least one printed circuit board (PCB) of the inverter, and (ii) a pair of AC bus bars that electrically couple the AC port to the at least one PCB.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pair of DC bus bars have press-pin tips that press-fit to the at least one PCB to electrically couple the DC port to the at least one PCB, and wherein the pair of AC bus bars have press-pin tips that press-fit to the at least one PCB to electrically couple the AC port to the at least one PCB.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars terminate in through-hole solder pins that are through-hole soldered to the one or more PCBs to electrically couple the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars to the one or more PCBs.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the pair of DC bus bars and the pair of AC bus bars are insert-molded to a bulkhead connector interface.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein both the DC and the AC ports are two-terminal ports, and wherein the DC and the AC ports comprise at least one keying feature to prevent a DC plug, adapted for being plugged into the DC port, from being plugged into the AC port and to prevent an AC plug, adapted for being plugged into the AC port, from being plugged into the DC port.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one keying feature further prevents the DC plug from being plugged into the DC port with the wrong polarity.