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Regulation of inverter DC input voltage in photovoltaic arrays

  • US 9,106,105 B2
  • Filed: 01/31/2012
  • Issued: 08/11/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A control module for controlling a power converter configured to couple to a solar panel to provide an output voltage and an output current to a bus, the control module comprising:

  • a plurality of input ports, each given input port of the plurality of input ports configured to receive a different one of a plurality of parameters comprising;

    a first parameter indicative of an input current of the power converter provided by the solar panel;

    a second parameter indicative of an input voltage of the power converter provided by the solar panel;

    a third parameter indicative of an output voltage of the power converter; and

    a fourth parameter indicative of an output current of the power converter; and

    a controller configured to regulate the input voltage, input current, output voltage, and output current of the power converter according to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm and an output power control algorithm, using the first, second, third, and fourth parameters as input values;

    wherein according to the output power control algorithm, the controller is configured to;

    allow changes in the output voltage of the power converter to move the input voltage of the power converter away from a maximum power point (MPP) voltage value corresponding to an MPP of the solar panel, and create localized power gradients of a characteristic of output power of the power converter versus an overall voltage on the bus;

    track, over a time period of specific duration, minimum voltage output values and maximum voltage output values for the output voltage of the power converter; and

    upon expiration of the time period;

    identify a peak minimum voltage output value of the tracked minimum voltage output values and a peak maximum voltage output value of the tracked maximum voltage output values; and

    control a timing and slope of the localized power gradients according to the peak minimum voltage output value and the peak maximum voltage output value.

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