Method and device for controlling a configurable power supply to provide AC and/or DC power output

• US 8,461,813 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solarbridge Technologies Incorporated (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Chapman, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grubb, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/407,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 363/1, 363/65, 323/906, 323/322, 323/323, 323/344, 323/259, 323/351, 307/131
• US Class Current: 323/259
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/537 using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The system may also include one or more DC power electronic accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters. The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of the configurable power supply.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a configurable power supply having an input to receive a direct current (DC) power input, the method comprising:

determining whether (i) a DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to a DC output of the configurable power supply and (ii) whether an alternating current (AC) electric accessory has been inductively coupled to an AC output the configurable power supply different from the DC output and the input;

in response to determining that the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the configurable power supply, modifying a circuit topology of the configurable power supply to a first circuit topology to generate a DC power output at the DC output to supply DC power to the DC electric accessory, and

in response to determining that the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the configurable power supply, modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to a second circuit topology to generate an AC power output at the AC output to supply AC power to the AC electric accessory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the configurable power supply comprises sensing a DC output current at a DC output of the configurable power supply.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the configurable power supply comprises receiving a control signal indicating that the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the configurable power supply.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the configurable power supply comprises determining a state of a physical switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the configurable power supply comprises sensing an AC output current at an AC output of the configurable power supply.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the configurable power supply comprises determining whether a primary coil of the configurable power supply is inductively coupled to a secondary coil of an internal electronic circuit of the AC electric accessory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply comprises controlling a state of an electronic switch of the configurable power supply.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply comprises controlling a state of a plurality of electronic switches of an H-bridge of the configurable power supply.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to the first circuit topology comprises modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to form a buck-boost converter, and

modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to the second circuit topology comprises modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to form a DC-AC inverter circuit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising modifying the circuit topology to a third circuit topology to form a pass-through circuit to pass a DC power input received by the configurable power supply to a DC output of the configurable power supply with substantially no processing.

11. A configurable power supply comprising:

an input converter having an input to receive a direct current (DC) power input, a DC output, and an alternating current (AC) output different from the DC output and the input, the input converter being selectively configurable between a first circuit topology to generate a DC power output at the DC output and a second circuit topology to generate an AC power output at the AC output based on a control signal; and

an input controller electrically connected to the input converter, the input controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the input controller to;

determine (i) whether a direct current (DC) electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the input converter and (ii) whether an AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the input converter,

in response to determining that the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the input converter, modify the circuit topology of the input converter to the first circuit topology, and

in response to determining that the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the input converter, modify the circuit topology of the input converter to the second circuit topology.

12. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein to determine whether the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the input converter comprises to determine whether a sensed DC output current of the input converter is above a predetermined threshold value.

13. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein to determine whether the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to the DC output of the input converter comprises to determine a state of a physical switch.

14. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein to determine whether the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the input converter comprises to determine whether a sensed AC output current of the input converter is above a predetermined threshold value.

15. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein to determine whether the AC electric accessory has been inductively coupled to the AC output of the input converter comprises to determine whether a primary coil of the input converter is inductively coupled to a secondary coil of an internal electronic circuit of the AC electric accessory.

16. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein to modify the circuit topology of the input converter comprises to control a state of an electronic switch of the input converter.

17. The configurable power supply of claim 11, wherein:

to modify the circuit topology of the input converter to the first circuit topology comprises to modify the circuit topology of the input converter to form a buck-boost converter, and

to modify the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to the second circuit topology comprises to modify the circuit topology of the input converter to form a DC-AC inverter circuit.

18. The configurable power supply of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the input controller to modify the circuit topology of the input converter to a third circuit topology to form a pass-through circuit to pass the DC power input to a DC output of the configurable power supply with substantially no processing.

19. A method for controlling a configurable power supply having an input to receive a direct current (DC) power input, the method comprising:

modifying, in response to determining that a DC electric accessory has been electrically connected to a DC output of the configurable power supply, a circuit topology of the configurable power supply to form a buck-boost DC converter to deliver an amount of DC power to the DC electric accessory, and

modifying, in response to determining that an alternating current (AC) electric accessory has been inductively coupled to an AC output of the configurable power supply different from the DC output and the input, the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to form a DC-AC inverter circuit to deliver an amount of AC power to the AC electric accessory.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

in response to determining that the DC electric accessory has been electrically connected, modifying the circuit topology of the configurable power supply to form a DC pass-through circuit based on a state of an electronic switch.