Efficient solar energy power creation systems

• US 8,304,932 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ampt, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ampt, LLC
• Inventors: Ledenev, Anatoli, Porter, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/192,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 307/82, 307/80
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/388 Islanding, i.e. disconnection of local power supply from the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• 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: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/293 Circuits

Abstract

Different systems to achieve solar power conversion are provided in at least three different general aspects, with circuitry that can be used to harvest maximum power from a solar source (1) or strings of panels (11) for DC or AC use, perhaps for transfer to a power grid (10) three aspects can exist perhaps independently and relate to: 1) electrical power conversion in a multimodal manner, 2) alternating between differing processes such as by an alternative mode photovoltaic power converter functionality control (27), and 3) systems that can achieve efficiencies in conversion that are extraordinarily high compared to traditional through substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion capability that can achieve 99.2% efficiency or even only wire transmission losses. Switchmode impedance conversion circuits may have pairs of photovoltaic power series switch elements (24) and pairs of photovoltaic power shunt switch elements (25).

Claims

1. A method of solar energy power creation comprising the steps of:

creating a DC photovoltaic output from a string of at least two solar panels;

establishing said DC photovoltaic output as a DC photovoltaic input to a photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

switching between the steps of traditionally power converting said DC photovoltaic input and improved power converting said DC photovoltaic input;

maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output;

establishing said converted DC photovoltaic output as at least part of a converted DC photovoltaic input to at least one DC-AC inverter; and

inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into an inverted AC photovoltaic output,

wherein said step of improved power converting said DC photovoltaic input comprises a step selected from a group consisting of;

alternatingly switching between a first modality of photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion and a second modality of photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion,

substantially power isomorphically converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output, and

multimodally converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output.

2. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of creating said DC photovoltaic output from said string of at least two solar panels comprises solar panels selected from a group consisting of ten solar panels, eight solar panels, four solar panels, three solar panels and two solar panels.

3. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the steps of:

serially interrupting a transmission of said DC photovoltaic output; and

shunting a transmission of said DC photovoltaic output.

4. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 3 wherein both said steps of serially interrupting a transmission of said converted DC photovoltaic output and shunting a transmission of said converted DC photovoltaic output can each occur at at least two separate semiconductor switch locations.

5. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the steps of:

capacitively storing parallel energy at at least some time during said step of converting; and

inductively storing series energy at at least some time during said step of converting.

6. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the step of converting said DC photovoltaic input with a converter which is physically integral to at least one of said at least two panels.

7. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 and further comprising the step of serially connecting a plurality of photovoltaic DC-DC converters to serially connect outputs from said at least two solar panels.

8. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into an inverted AC photovoltaic output comprises the step of high voltage inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into a high voltage inverted AC photovoltaic output.

9. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into an inverted AC photovoltaic output comprises the step of high voltage inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into a three phase high voltage inverted AC photovoltaic output.

10. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of creating a DC photovoltaic output from a string of at least two solar panels comprises the step of creating a DC photovoltaic output from a string of at least two cadmium-telluride solar panels.

11. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the step of full photovoltaic temperature voltage operating range converting said DC photovoltaic input.

12. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 and further comprising the step of comparing solar power conversion selected from a group consisting of:

comparing solar power output differences;

comparing solar power efficiency differences;

comparing solar power cost differences; and

comparing solar power insolation utilizations.

13. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of improved power converting said DC photovoltaic input comprises the steps of:

serially interrupting a transmission of said DC photovoltaic output through circuitry such that it can each occur at at least two separate semiconductor switch locations; and

shunting a transmission of said DC photovoltaic output through circuitry such that it can each occur at at least two separate semiconductor switch locations.

14. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the step of calculating a photovoltaic power parameter;

and

responding to said photovoltaic power parameter in accomplishing said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting a DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output.

15. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 14 wherein said step of calculating a photovoltaic power parameter comprises the step of calculating a photovoltaic multiplicative power parameter.

16. A method of solar energy power creation as described in claim 1 wherein said step of maximum photovoltaic power point converting said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output comprises the step of insolation variably adaptively converting said DC photovoltaic input into said converted DC photovoltaic output.