INVERTER WITH AT LEAST TWO DIRECT CONVERTERS

• US 20200136383A1
• Filed: 10/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Inventors: Buchhold, Stefan, Friebe, Jens, Kotthaus, Michael, Soederberg, Torsten, Wappler, Thomas, Moeser, Ephraim
• Granted Patent: US 11,025,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: H01L 31/05 Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells electrodes H01L31/0224; electrical interconnection of thin film solar cells formed on a common substrate H01L31/046; particular structures for electrical interconnecting of adjacent thin film solar cells in the module H01L31/0465; electrical interconnection means specially adapted for electrically connecting two or more PV modules H02S40/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• 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: H02M 1/0074 Plural converter units whose inputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an inverter with at least one inverter bridge and at least two DC converters, the outputs of the DC converters being connected to inputs of the inverter. The inverter includes an exchangeable adapter having input terminals for connection to power sources or loads and output terminals connected via input terminals to inputs of the DC-DC converters. Within the adapter each of the output terminals is connected to one of the input terminals and/or another of the output terminals.

Claims

1. An inverter, comprising:

at least one inverter bridge; and

at least two DC-DC converters, wherein outputs of the DC-DC converters are connected to inputs of the inverter bridge,

wherein an exchangeable adapter, with input terminals for connection to power sources or loads and output terminals connected via input terminals to inputs of the DC-DC converters, and

wherein within the adapter each of the output terminals is connected to one of the input terminals and/or another of the output terminals.

2. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein in the exchangeable adapter, each input terminal is in each case connected to exactly one output terminal in order to operate the inverter as a module inverter.

3. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein at least two output terminals of the exchangeable adapter are connected to one another in order to connect at least two of the DC-DC converters in series on the input side.

4. The inverter according to claim 3, wherein in the exchangeable adapter all the output terminals, with the exception of the two output terminals connected to input terminals, are connected to one another in pairs in order to connect all the DC-DC converters present on the input side in series and to operate the inverter as a string inverter.

5. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the input terminals of the adapter are formed by touch-safe connectors.

6. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the output terminals of the adapter contact the input terminals of the inputs of the DC-DC converters when attaching the adapter to a housing of the inverter.

7. The inverter according to claim 6, wherein a receiving structure for the adapter is formed in a housing of the inverter.

8. The inverter according to claim 6, wherein a housing of the adapter covers the input terminals of the inputs of the DC-DC converters.

9. The inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a detection means for determining a type of configuration of the adapter that is inserted into the inverter.

10. The inverter according to claim 1, wherein the DC-DC converters are galvanically isolating converters.