Communication structure for solar inverters

• US 7,899,035 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG Osterreich (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Eklund, Mats, Strobl, Walter, Hackl, Franz, Reithmayer, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US12/223,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

There is described a communication structure for at least two solar inverters, having a transmission medium by means of which each of the at least two solar inverters is connected to a communication network with a first group of the solar inverters each being connected via an LAN interface to the communication network, and with a further group of the solar inverters being connected to the first group via serial interfaces. Two different network types are therefore provided with the first being suitable for standard LAN technologies with rapid data transmission over short distances, and with the second being suitable for interference-insensitive data transmission over long distances.

Claims

1. A solar system having a communication structure for at least two solar inverters, comprising:

communication connections to connect the solar inverters to a communication network, wherein a first part of the solar inverters is connected via a LAN interface to the communication network and wherein a further part of the solar inverters is connected to the first part via serial interfaces wherein the LAN interface is an Ethernet interface, and wherein the serial interface is an EIA-485 interface.

2. The solar system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar inverters connected to the communication network are communication masters, and wherein further solar inverters are communication slaves.

3. The solar system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the LAN interface is an Ethernet interface, and wherein the serial interface is an EIA-485 interface.

4. The solar system as claimed in claim 3, wherein for each communication master at least one standby communication master is provided, which operates in normal operation as communication slave and in the event of an error assumes the function of the communication master.

5. The solar system as claimed in claim 2, wherein for each communication master at least one standby communication master is provided, which operates in normal operation as communication slave and in the event of an error assumes the function of the communication master.

6. The solar system as claimed in claim 2, wherein for each communication master at least one standby communication master is provided, which operates in normal operation as communication slave and in the event of an error assumes the function of the communication master.

7. The solar system as claimed in claim 2, wherein for each communication master at least one standby communication master is provided, which operates in normal operation as communication slave and in the event of an error assumes the function of the communication master.

8. The solar system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a router is switched between a the communication network and the communication master.

9. The solar system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the solar inverters of the first part and the solar inverters of the further part are identical in construction.

10. The solar system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar inverters of the first part and the solar inverters of the further part are identical in construction.

11. A method of operating a solar system having a communication structure, comprising:

providing a communication structure for at least two solar inverters, having communication connections to connect the solar inverters to a communication network, wherein a first part of the solar inverters is connected via a LAN interface to the communication network and wherein a further part of the solar inverters is connected to the first part via serial interfaces;

collecting all data transferred from the communication network via the LAN interfaces to the solar inverters, embodied as communication masters, by these units;

sending the data in accordance with an address assignment to the solar inverters embodied as communication slaves;

retrieving the data of the solar inverters embodied as communication slaves by the solar inverters embodied as communication masters; and

sending the data via the LAN interface to a node in the communication network.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein in normal operation all data of the communication slaves assigned to a communication master is handled via these communication masters, wherein on failure of this communication master all data is handled via a standby communication master.

13. A method for operating a solar system having a communication structure, comprising:

providing a communication structure for at least two solar inverters, having communication connections to connect the solar inverters to a communication network, wherein a first part of the solar inverters is connected via a LAN interface to the communication network and wherein a further part of the solar inverters is connected to the first part via serial interfaces;

forwarding all data in accordance with an address assignment from the communication network via the solar inverters embodied as communication masters to the solar inverters embodied as communication slaves; and

forwarding the data sent from the solar inverters embodied as communication slaves via the assigned solar inverters embodied as communication masters to a node in the communication network.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein in normal operation all data of the communication slaves assigned to a communication master is handled via these communication masters, wherein on failure of this communication master all data is handled via a standby communication master.