Systems for optimized solar power inversion

• US 8,482,153 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• 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): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US13/275,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 307/64, 307/63, 700/286
• US Class Current: 307/63
• 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

The DC-AC inversion of solar power in systems having high voltage, highly varying photovoltaic power sources may be provided to optimize input into a high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter. The inverter may coordinate the conversion of solar power in photovoltaic DC-DC power converters to achieve a desired inverter operating condition. Desired inverter operating conditions may include singular voltage inputs, optimal voltage inputs, inverter sweet spot voltage inputs, and the like. The converters may be coordinated to convert output to optimal input characteristics of the inverter, to control a posterior photovoltaic operating condition, to control the converter for inverter operating conditions, and the like. Output from the inverter may be transferred to a power grid at high power levels with coordinated control possible for various elements.

Claims

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

establishing a plurality of solar panels;

creating a highly varying DC photovoltaic output from each of said plurality of solar panels;

individually establishing each said highly varying DC photovoltaic output as an individual DC photovoltaic input to an individual inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

thereby establishing a plurality of DC-DC converters;

individually, by said DC-DC converters, inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of each said individual DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output for a high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter;

serially connecting a plurality of said converted DC photovoltaic outputs to create a combined higher voltage converted DC photovoltaic output;

establishing said combined higher voltage converted DC photovoltaic output as a converted DC photovoltaic input to said high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter; and

inputting said converted DC photovoltaic input at a coordinated inverter operating condition of said high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

2. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of maximum photovoltaic power point controlling each said individual inverter operating condition coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

3. A method of solar energy power inversion comprising the steps of:

establishing at least one solar energy source;

creating a highly varying DC photovoltaic output from said at least one solar energy source;

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

inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output for a high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter, by said DC-DC converter;

establishing said converted DC photovoltaic output as a converted DC photovoltaic input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter; and

inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into a high power inverted AC photovoltaic output.

4. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 3, wherein said step of inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output for a high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of controlling said photovoltaic DC-DC converter with said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

5. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 3, wherein said step of inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output for a high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition.

6. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition selected from the group consisting of:

achieving slaved photovoltaic inverter operating condition converter functionality;

achieving maximum photovoltaic inverter current converter functionality;

achieving photovoltaic inverter operating condition controlling said photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

achieving photovoltaic inverter maximum current determinative switching;

achieving photovoltaic inverter maximum current determinative duty cycle switching photovoltaic power conversion;

achieving inverter maximum current determinative duty cycle switching;

achieving maximum photovoltaic inverter current controlling said photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

achieving maximum photovoltaic inverter voltage converter functionality;

achieving photovoltaic inverter maximum voltage determinative switching;

achieving photovoltaic inverter maximum voltage determinative duty cycle switching;

achieving controlling a posterior photovoltaic operating condition through control of said photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

achieving protecting a posterior photovoltaic element through control of said photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

achieving photovoltaic inverter protection modality of photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion;

achieving photovoltaic posterior photovoltaic element coordinated converter functionality;

achieving posterior photovoltaic element protection converter functionality;

achieving controlling said photovoltaic DC-DC converter to coordinate with characteristics of a photovoltaic inverter; and

achieving photovoltaic inverter slavedly controlling a photovoltaic conversion modality through said photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

7. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving singular input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

8. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 7 wherein said step of achieving singular input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of achieving sweet spot input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

9. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition with converter functionality control circuitry.

10. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition remote from said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

11. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition at said photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

12. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of utilizing an inverter control input.

13. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 12 wherein said step of utilizing an inverter control input comprises the step of coordinating input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter with a functionality of said photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

14. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 12 wherein said step of utilizing an inverter control input comprises the step of accomplishing singular input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

15. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 12 wherein said step of utilizing an inverter control input comprises the step of accomplishing sweet spot input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

16. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 5 wherein said step of achieving a desired inverter operating condition comprises the step of achieving inverter-specific operation of said photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

17. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 3 further comprising the step of maximum photovoltaic power point controlling said photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

18. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 3 wherein:

said step of establishing at least one solar energy source comprises the step of establishing a plurality of solar energy sources;

said step of creating a highly varying DC photovoltaic output from said at least one solar energy source comprises the step of creating a highly varying DC photovoltaic output from each of said plurality of solar energy sources;

said step of establishing said highly varying DC photovoltaic output as a DC photovoltaic input to a photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises the step of individually establishing each said highly varying DC photovoltaic output as an individual DC photovoltaic input to an individual photovoltaic DC-DC converter;

said step of inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of said DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output for a high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of individually inverter operating condition coordinating conversion of each said individual DC photovoltaic input into a converted DC photovoltaic output;

said step of establishing said converted DC photovoltaic output as a converted DC photovoltaic input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of establishing a plurality of said converted DC photovoltaic outputs as a converted DC photovoltaic input to a high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter; and

said step of inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into a high power inverted AC photovoltaic output comprises the step of inverting said converted DC photovoltaic input into a high voltage, high power inverted AC photovoltaic output.

19. A method of solar energy power inversion as described in claim 18 further comprising the step of serially connecting said plurality of converted DC photovoltaic outputs to create a combined higher voltage converted DC photovoltaic output, and wherein said step of establishing a plurality of said converted DC photovoltaic outputs as a converted DC photovoltaic input to said high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises the step of establishing said combined higher voltage converted DC photovoltaic output as a converted DC photovoltaic input to said high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.