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, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output;
a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of the plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules,wherein each micro-converter of said plurality of micro-converters includes;
at least one semiconductor device having a breakdown voltage,at least one semiconductor switching device, and an active clamp device;
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.
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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 micro-converters are structured and arranged to include at least one of: an active clamp device, a ground fault detection device, and a fractional power converter that injects power in series or in parallel with voltage or current from the power-generating portion onto the DC buss.
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Citations
20 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, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output; a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of the plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter of said plurality of micro-converters includes; at least one semiconductor device having a breakdown voltage, at least one semiconductor switching device, and an active clamp device; 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A control system for a photovoltaic power-generating system that includes a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output, a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter of said plurality of micro-converters includes:
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at least one semiconductor device that has a breakdown voltage, at least one semiconductor switching device, and an active clamp device; 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 string of photovoltaic modules and to create a zero voltage condition in at least one semiconductor switching device of a corresponding DC/DC micro-converter. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method of detecting a ground fault condition at a photovoltaic power generating system having a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, the power-generating photovoltaic modules being coupled in series in each string of the plural parallel strings, each of the strings and each of the modules having an output and the power-generating portion is structured and arranged to deliver some energy directly to a load;
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules;
an inverter that is coupled to the regulated DC voltage buss and to the load; and
a control system that is structured and arranged to control each string of photovoltaic modules, the method comprising;measuring a voltage level at each string (Vstring); measuring a voltage level on the regulated DC voltage buss (VDC); measuring a current level on a negative or a positive output lead of the regulated DC voltage buss coupled to a corresponding micro-converter (Iout); measuring a current level on a negative or a positive input lead of the regulated DC voltage bus coupled to the corresponding micro-converter (Iin); calculating a power into the corresponding micro-converter and a power out of said corresponding micro-converter; comparing the power into the corresponding micro-converter to the power out of said corresponding micro-converter; and providing a signal to the control system when the power into the corresponding micro-converter does not equal or substantially equal the power out of said corresponding micro-converter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules;
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11. 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 string of the parallel strings, each of the strings and each of the modules having an output, wherein the power-generating portion is structured and arranged to deliver some energy directly to a load; a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter includes; at least one voltage sensing device adapted to measure a voltage level at each corresponding string (Vstring), at least one voltage sensing device adapted to measure a voltage level on the regulated DC voltage buss (VDC), at least one current sensing device adapted to measure a current level on a positive or a negative output lead of the regulated DC voltage buss coupled to the corresponding micro-converter (Iout), at least one current sensing device adapted to measure a current level on a positive or a negative input lead of the regulated DC voltage bus coupled to the corresponding micro-converter (Iin), and a control device that is adapted to calculate a power into the corresponding micro-converter and a power out of said corresponding micro-converter and to compare the power into the corresponding micro-converter to the power out of said corresponding micro-converter; an inverter that is coupled to the regulated DC voltage buss and to the load; and a control system that is structured and arranged to control each string of photovoltaic modules. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A control system for a photovoltaic power-generating system that includes a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output;
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter of said plurality of micro-converters includes;
at least one voltage sensing device adapted to measure a voltage level at each corresponding string (Vstring), at least one voltage sensing device adapted to measure a voltage level on the regulated DC voltage buss (VDC), at least one current sensing device adapted to measure a current level on a positive or a negative output lead of the regulated DC voltage buss coupled to the corresponding micro-converter (Iout), at least one current sensing device adapted to measure a current level on a negative or a positive input lead of the regulated DC voltage bus coupled to said corresponding micro-converter (Iin), and a control device that is adapted to calculate a power into the corresponding micro-converter and a power out of said corresponding micro-converter and to compare the power into the corresponding micro-converter to the power out of said corresponding micro-converter;
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 string of photovoltaic modules. - View Dependent Claims (14)
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of said plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter of said plurality of micro-converters includes;
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15. A method of harvesting energy using a photovoltaic power generating system that includes a power-generating portion including plural parallel strings of power-generating photovoltaic modules, the power-generation portion generating a total power and the power-generating photovoltaic modules being coupled in series in each string of the plural strings, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output;
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of the plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter includes a fractional power converter;
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, the method comprising;connecting each fractional power converter with the power-generating portion; and injecting one of current and voltage through the fractional power converter onto the voltage buss. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
- a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of the plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter includes a fractional power converter;
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19. 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 portion generating a total power and the power-generating photovoltaic modules being coupled in series in each string of the plural strings, each string of the plural strings and each of the modules having an output; a plurality of DC/DC micro-converters, each micro-converter of the plurality of DC/DC micro-converters being coupled to a regulated DC voltage buss and to the output of a corresponding photovoltaic module or to the output of a corresponding string of photovoltaic modules, wherein each micro-converter includes; a fractional power converter that is structured and arranged to inject one of current and voltage, respectively, in parallel with current from the power-generating portion and in series with voltage from the power-generating portion, and an input port by which the fractional power converter draws a fraction of the total power from the power-generating portion; 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. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification