Photovoltaic power generation device

• US 6,291,764 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kishi, Hitoshi, Ishida, Takeo, Hagihara, Ryuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/533,709
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 136/258.AM, 136/258.PC, 136/293, 136/291, 323/906, 363/15, 363/27
• US Class Current: 322/2.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

The present invention prevents an increase in an overvoltage and increases an optimum operating voltage of a power inverter. A photovoltaic power generation device is provided with a solar cell device 1, a power inverter 2 for inverting output from the solar cell device 1 into AC power, a current path circuit 3 connected in parallel between the solar cell device 1 and the power inverter 2, and a current detection circuit 4 for detecting a current feeding back to the solar cell device 1. When a current detected by the current detection circuit 4 reaches beyond a predetermined current value, the current path circuit 3 is cut off.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic power generation device comprising;

a solar cell device,

a power inverter for inverting output from said solar cell device into AC power,

a current path circuit connected in parallel between said solar cell device and said power inverter, and

a current detection circuit for detecting a current which feeds back to said solar cell device,

wherein said current path circuit is cut off when the current detected by said current detection circuit reaches beyond a current value.

2. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 1, wherein

said current detection circuit detects a current on a basis of output from a blocking diode.

3. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 1, wherein

said solar cell device comprises an amorphous silicon solar cell element.

4. A photovoltaic power generation device comprising;

a solar cell device,

a power inverter for inverting output from said solar cell device into AC power,

a current path circuit connected in parallel between said solar cell device and said power inverter,

a power supply circuit provided between said current path circuit and said power inverter and controlled by output from said current path circuit, and

a current detection circuit for detecting a current which feeds back to said solar cell device,

wherein said current path circuit is cut off when the current detected by said current detection circuit reaches beyond a current value.

5. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 4, wherein

said power inverter includes a main circuit and a control circuit, and driving power for the control circuit is applied from the solar cell device.

6. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 4, wherein

said current detection circuit detects a current on a basis of output from a blocking diode.

7. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 4, wherein

said power supply circuit switches a current which divides the current path circuit and a current from the solar cell device from one another, and supplies either of them.

8. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 4, wherein

said power supply circuit is provided with means for turning on and off a current flowing between the solar cell device and the power inverter, and means for applying a current supplied from the current path circuit to the power inverter.

9. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 8, wherein

said means for turning on and off a current is a thyristor.

10. The photovoltaic power generation device according to claim 8, wherein

said means for turning on and off a current is a self-hold relay.