Solar Panel Disconnect and Reactivation System

• US 20170288408A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Il Han, Lu, Xiaolin
• Granted Patent: US 10,566,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• 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 3/466 Scheduling the operation of the generators, e.g. connecting or disconnecting generators to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A photovoltaic system with an inverter, at least one solar panel for providing electrical power, and electrical wiring for coupling electrical power from the at least one solar panel to the inverter. Also included is a transmitter for transmitting a messaging protocol along the electrical wiring, where the protocol includes a multibit wireline signal. Also included is circuitry for selectively connecting the electrical power from the at least one solar panel along the electrical wiring to the inverter in response to the messaging protocol.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic system, comprising:

an inverter;

at least one solar panel for providing electrical power;

electrical wiring for coupling electrical power from the at least one solar panel to the inverter;

a transmitter for transmitting a messaging protocol, comprising a multibit wireline signal, along the electrical wiring; and

circuitry for selectively connecting the electrical power from the at least one solar panel along the electrical wiring to the inverter in response to the messaging protocol.

2. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting comprises a receiver associated with the at least one solar panel.

3. The photovoltaic system of claim 2 wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting further comprises a maximum power point tracker associated with the at least one solar panel, wherein the receiver is operable to communicate a control signal to the maximum power point tracker for disconnecting the electrical power from the at least one solar panel to the inverter.

4. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for disconnecting the electrical power in response to an absence of detecting an alike multibit signal during a period of time.

5. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated over a predetermined period of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for disconnecting the electrical power in response to an absence of detecting an alike multibit signal during the predetermined period of time.

6. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated in a respective predetermined period of time so that multiple signals are communicated over a plurality of predetermined periods of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for disconnecting the electrical power in response to an absence of detecting an alike multibit signal during a single one of the predetermined periods of time.

7. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated in a respective predetermined period of time so that multiple signals are communicated over a plurality of predetermined periods of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for disconnecting the electrical power in response to an absence of detecting an alike multibit signal in a majority of predetermined periods of time in the plurality of predetermined periods of time.

8. The photovoltaic system of claim 7 wherein each of the alike multibit signals is selected from a set of pseudo-orthogonal signals.

9. The photovoltaic system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of predetermined periods of time comprise at least seven predetermined periods of time.

10. The photovoltaic system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of predetermined periods of time comprise at least nine predetermined periods of time.

11. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated over a predetermined period of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for connecting the electrical power in response to detecting an alike multibit signal during the predetermined period of time.

12. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated in a respective predetermined period of time so that multiple signals are communicated over a plurality of predetermined periods of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for connecting the electrical power in response to detecting an alike multibit signal during a single one of the predetermined periods of time.

13. The photovoltaic system of claim 1:

wherein the messaging protocol comprises a plurality of alike multibit signals;

wherein each of the alike multibit signals is communicated in a respective predetermined period of time so that multiple signals are communicated over a plurality of predetermined periods of time; and

wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting is for connecting the electrical power in response to detecting an alike multibit signal in a majority of predetermined periods of time in the plurality of predetermined periods of time.

14. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 wherein the inverter further comprises a portion of the circuitry for selectively connecting, the portion comprising an actuator.

15. The photovoltaic system of claim 14 wherein the actuator is user-operated.

16. The photovoltaic system of claim 14 wherein the actuator is operable in response to detecting an electrical spike.

17. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 and further comprising:

a plurality of solar panels, the plurality of solar panels comprising the at least one solar panel for providing electrical power;

electrical wiring for coupling electrical power from the plurality of solar panels to the inverter; and

circuitry for selectively connecting electrical power from any solar panel in the plurality of solar panels along the electrical wiring in response to the messaging protocol.

18. The photovoltaic system of claim 17 wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting electrical power is operable to connect electrical power from a first subset of the plurality of solar panels along the electrical wiring to the inverter in response to the messaging protocol while at a same time to disconnect a second subset of the plurality of solar panels from the electrical wiring in response to the messaging protocol.

19. The photovoltaic system of claim 17 wherein the circuitry for selectively connecting electrical power is operable to connect electrical power from a first subset of the plurality of solar panels along the electrical wiring to the inverter in response to a first pseudo-orthogonal bit sequence in the messaging protocol while at a same time to disconnect a second subset of the plurality of solar panels from the electrical wiring in response to a second pseudo-orthogonal bit sequence in the messaging protocol.

20. A method of operating a photovoltaic system, the system comprising an inverter, at least one solar panel for providing electrical power, and electrical wiring for coupling electrical power from the at least one solar panel to the inverter, the method comprising:

transmitting a messaging protocol, comprising a multibit wireline signal, along the electrical wiring; and

selectively connecting the electrical power from the at least one solar panel along the electrical wiring to the inverter in response to the messaging protocol.