Inverter for grounded direct current source, more specifically for a photovoltaic generator

• US 8,023,288 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Inventors: Mallwitz, Regine, Engel, Bernd, Zacharias, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jeffrey L
• Application Number:
  US12/218,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 363/15, 363/16, 363/17, 363/34, 363/37
• US Class Current: 363/17
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/05 Capacitor coupled rectifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

An inverter (1) for a grounded direct voltage source, in particular for a photovoltaic generator (2), a battery or a fuel cell, for converting the direct voltage into an alternative voltage with a DC-DC converter (3) and a pulse inverter that is supplied by said DC-DC converter (3), said DC-DC converter (3) being configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter and comprising a series resonant oscillating circuit, said DC-DC converter (3), which is configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter, being configured to be a series-compensated oscillating circuit inverter with a choke (L1) and a series-mounted capacitor array consisting of two or several oscillating circuit capacitors, a rectifier bridge branch including 2 diodes (D3, D4; D5, D6, . . . ), being connected to each of the partial oscillating circuit capacitors, said rectifier bridge branch being connected with its positive or its negative pole to output side intermediate circuit capacitors which are preferably connected in series so that said DC-DC converter (3) delivers at least two bipolar output voltages and is combined with the pulse inverter (4) with a divided voltage intermediate circuit that is supplied from the oscillating circuit inverter.

Claims

1. An inverter for a grounded direct voltage source, for converting the direct voltage into an alternating voltage with a DC-DC converter and a pulse inverter that is supplied by said DC-DC converter, said DC-DC converter being configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter and comprising a series resonant oscillating circuit, wherein said DC-DC converter is configured to be a series-compensated oscillating circuit inverter with a choke and a series-connected capacitor array comprising two or more oscillating circuit capacitors, a rectifier bridge branch including two diodes, is connected to each of the oscillating circuit capacitors, said rectifier bridge branch being connected with its positive or its negative pole to output side intermediate circuit capacitors which are connected in series so that said DC-DC converter delivers at least two bipolar output voltages such that the DC-DC converter is connected to a pulse inverter by a divided voltage intermediate circuit that is supplied from the oscillating circuit inverter.

2. The inverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the oscillating circuit capacitors have the same capacitance.

3. The inverter as set forth in claim 2, wherein a plurality of voltage levels with the same polarity are provided by at least four oscillating circuit capacitors.

4. The inverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein two series-connected capacitors are connected in parallel to the direct voltage source as a DC intermediate circuit, a grounding point either is located between the two series-connected capacitors or is located at a positive pole of the source, while the capacitor connected to the positive pole being shorted or is located at a negative pole of the source, while the capacitor connected to the negative pole shorted.

5. The inverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises two series-connected semi-conducting switching elements that are connected parallel to the direct voltage source, the oscillating circuit that comprises the choke and the capacitor array is connected with one end of the choke to the connection point in between the series-connected semi-conductor switching elements such that by alternate switching of the semi-conductor switching elements a positive and negative output current flows, respectively.

6. The inverter as set forth in claim 5, wherein the semi-conductor switching elements that are connected to the oscillating circuit are switched alternately at a high frequency.

7. The inverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein several voltage levels having the same polarity may be provided by at least four oscillating circuit capacitors.

8. A DC-DC converter having input terminals, output terminals, and an output ground terminal, comprising:

a pair of series-connected switches connected between the input terminals of the DC-DC converter, wherein a first switch and a second switch of the pair are configured to open and close in an alternating fashion opposite one another;

a series resonant oscillating circuit having an input connected to a midpoint connection of the pair of series-connected switches, and having two outputs;

a first rectifier circuit coupled to a first of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, and a second rectifier circuit coupled to a second of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, wherein the first and second rectifier circuits couple together at a midpoint that is coupled to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter;

an intermediate circuit comprising two series-connected capacitors connected between the output terminals of the DC-DC converter and in parallel with a combination of the first and second rectifier circuits, wherein the two series-connected capacitors of the intermediate circuit connect at a midpoint that is connected to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter.

9. An inverter configured to be coupled to a grounded direct voltage source, comprising:

a DC-DC converter comprising input terminals configured to couple to respective poles of the grounded direct voltage source, and comprising output terminals having symmetrical outputs with respect to an output ground terminal;

a DC-AC converter comprising input terminals coupled to the output terminals of the DC-DC converter, and comprising output terminals configured to be coupled to a grid, wherein one of the output terminals of the DC-AC converter is coupled to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter,

wherein the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter is coupled to one of the input terminals of the DC-DC converter or to an internal node of the DC-DC converter associated with a buffer capacitance therein, wherein the output terminals are symmetrical about the internal node.

10. The inverter of claim 9, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises:

a pair of series-connected switches connected between the input terminals of the DC-DC converter, wherein a first switch and a second switch of the pair are configured to open and close in an alternating fashion opposite one another;

a series resonant oscillating circuit having an input connected to a midpoint connection of the pair of series-connected switches, and having two outputs;

a first rectifier circuit coupled to a first of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, and a second rectifier circuit coupled to a second of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, wherein the first and second rectifier circuits couple together at a midpoint that is coupled to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter;

an intermediate circuit comprising two series-connected capacitors connected between the output terminals of the DC-DC converter and in parallel with a combination of the first and second rectifier circuits, wherein the two series-connected capacitors of the intermediate circuit connect at a midpoint that is connected to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter.

11. The inverter of claim 10, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a pair of series-connected diodes connected in parallel to the pair of series-connected switches, and wherein a midpoint of the series-connected diodes is connected to the midpoint of the series-connected switches.

12. The inverter of claim 10, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a buffer capacitor connected in parallel with the pair of series-connected switches.

13. The inverter of claim 12, wherein the buffer capacitor comprises:

a pair of series-connected capacitors having a midpoint connected to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter; and

a shorting component selectively coupled across a first of the pair of series-connected capacitors of the buffer capacitor in a first configuration, thereby establishing a positive pole grounding of the direct voltage source when coupled thereto, or selectively coupled across a second of the pair of series-connected capacitors of the buffer capacitor in a second state, thereby establishing a negative pole grounding of the direct voltage source when coupled thereto.

14. The inverter of claim 12, wherein the buffer capacitor comprises:

a pair of series-connected capacitors having a midpoint connected to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter.

15. The inverter of claim 10, wherein the series resonant oscillating circuit comprises:

a choke having a first terminal connected to the midpoint connection of the pair of series-connected switches, and a second terminal;

a first capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a first of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit; and

a second capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a second of the two outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit.

16. The inverter of claim 9, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises:

a pair of series-connected switches connected between the input terminals of the DC-DC converter, wherein a first switch and a second switch of the pair are configured to open and close in an alternating fashion opposite one another;

a series resonant oscillating circuit having an input connected to a midpoint connection of the pair of series-connected switches, and having four outputs;

a first rectifier circuit coupled to a first of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, a second rectifier circuit coupled to a second of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, a third rectifier circuit coupled to a third of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, and a fourth rectifier circuit coupled to a fourth of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit, wherein the first, second, third and fourth rectifier circuits couple together in series, and wherein the second and third rectifier circuits connect at a midpoint that is coupled to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter;

an intermediate circuit comprising four series-connected capacitors connected between the output terminals of the DC-DC converter and in parallel with a combination of the first, second, third and fourth rectifier circuits, respectively, wherein a midpoint of the four series-connected capacitors of the intermediate circuit is connected to the output ground terminal of the DC-DC converter.

17. The inverter of claim 16, wherein the series resonant oscillating circuit comprises:

a choke having a first terminal connected to the midpoint connection of the pair of series-connected switches, and a second terminal;

a first capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a first of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit;

a second capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a second of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit;

a third capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a third of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit; and

a fourth capacitor having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the choke, and a second terminal forming a fourth of the four outputs of the series resonant oscillating circuit.