Power converting apparatus

• US 4,750,102 A
• Filed: 03/13/1987
• Issued: 06/07/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamano, Masaru, Tsukamoto, Kazuyoshi, Ushijima, Kazufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JUDSON
• Application Number:
  US07/025,341
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 363/142, 323/906
• US Class Current: 363/142
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

A power converting apparatus comprising intermediate DC power which rectifies AC from a commercial power to output DC, a solar array connected in parallel to the intermediate DC power, an inverter which converts DC inputted respectively from the intermediate DC power and the solar array into AC having the variable frequency and the variable voltage, then supply its AC output to a load, and circuit networks for power regeneration which regenerates a surplus power of the solar array into the commercial power, when the generated voltage of the solar array exceeds the prescribed voltage.

Claims

1. A power converting apparatus comprising

a solar array provided with maximum power operating point tracking control;

DC-AC inverting means for converting a DC output voltage from the solar array into AC having a controlled voltage and frequency, and supplies an output thereof to a load;

a commercial power source which compensates an insufficient power when a generated power of the solar array is less than the consumed power of the load;

rectifying means which converts an AC voltage supplied by the commercial power source into a DC output and supplies that output to said DC-AC inverting means; and

regenerating means which regenerates a surplus power into the commercial power source when the generated power of the solar array exceeds the consumed power of the load.

2. A power converting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rectifying means comprises a plurality of rectifying elements and the regenerating means comprises a plurality of semiconductor switching elements respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of rectifying elements, and a control circuit which controls the semiconductor switching elements so as to retain the output voltage of the rectifying means at a constant value.

3. A power converting apparatus in accordance with claim 2,

wherein the control circuit comprises a DC voltage detector which detects fluctuations of the generated voltage of the solar array;

an error amplifier which compares the detected signal outputted from the DC voltage detector and a DC reference voltage set in advance to produce output signals in three different states corresponding to the operated results;

a multiplier which multiplies the output signal of the error amplifier and the AC voltage of the commercial power reduced to a suitable signal level;

a hysteresis comparator which compares the output signal of the multiplier with the current flowing in and out of the rectifying means and transformed into a suitable signal level;

a pulse forming circuit which delays the output signal of the hysteresis comparator by a prescribed time and isolation amplifier means which amplifies the signal outputted successively at a prescribed interval by the pulse forming circuit to successively turn ON and OFF respective semiconductor switching elements.

4. A power converting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of semiconductor switching elements are semi-conductor switching elements having self-quenching ability.

5. A power converting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the regenerating means comprises a first transformer which transforms the output voltage of the DC-AC inverting means into a suitable signal level;

a second transformer which transform the output voltage of the commercial power into a suitable signal level;

a synchronous detecting circuit which compares respective output voltage and frequencies of the DC-AC inverting means and the commercial power by respective output voltage of the first and second transformers; and

a switch means operated by the output signals of the synchronous detecting circuit, outputted when respective output voltages and frequencies of the DC-AC inverting means and the commercial power are synchronized, to connect the output end of the DC-AC inverting means to the commercial power.