Photovoltaic DC/DC micro-converter
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic power generating system comprising:
- a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, the power-generating photovoltaic modules being coupled in series in each of the parallel strings, the strings forming an array, each of the strings and each of the modules having an output;
a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each of said plurality of micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a discrete, corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a string of photovoltaic modules;
an inverter that is coupled to the regulated DC voltage buss and to a load; and
a control system that is structured and arranged to control each string of photovoltaic modules, to ensure that power delivered by the photovoltaic power-generating system is not affected by photovoltaic modules or serial strings of photovoltaic modules that are not operating at maximum power efficiency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A photo-voltaic (PV) power generating system and a control system for PV array string-level control and PV modules serially-connected into strings of PV modules. The system includes plural parallel strings of serially-connected power-generating photovoltaic modules that form a PV array, DC/DC micro-converters that are coupled to a DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a string of photovoltaic modules; a gating or central inverter; and a control system. The control system is structured and arranged to control and manage each string of photovoltaic modules, to ensure that power delivered by the photovoltaic power generating system is not affected by photovoltaic modules or strings of photovoltaic modules that are not operating at maximum power transfer efficiency.
93 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic power generating system comprising:
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a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, the power-generating photovoltaic modules being coupled in series in each of the parallel strings, the strings forming an array, each of the strings and each of the modules having an output; a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each of said plurality of micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a discrete, corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a string of photovoltaic modules; an inverter that is coupled to the regulated DC voltage buss and to a load; and a control system that is structured and arranged to control each string of photovoltaic modules, to ensure that power delivered by the photovoltaic power-generating system is not affected by photovoltaic modules or serial strings of photovoltaic modules that are not operating at maximum power efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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- 11. A control system for a photovoltaic power generating system that includes a power-generating portion including plural serial strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules that form an array, each of the serial strings and each of the modules having an output, a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each of said plurality of micro-converters being coupled to a voltage buss and to the output of a discrete, corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a serial string of photovoltaic modules, an inverter that is coupled to the voltage buss and that is structured and arranged to provide power to a grid or to a DC load, the control system being structured and arranged to control each serial string of photovoltaic modules, to ensure that power delivered by the photovoltaic power generating system is not affected by photovoltaic modules or serial strings of photovoltaic modules that are not operating at maximum power efficiency.
Specification