Solar power generation device

• US 9,184,312 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Takano, Tomihiro, Fujitsuka, Masashi, Nishio, Naoki, Shimada, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ BORROTO, ALFONSO
• Application Number:
  US13/002,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 307/77, 136/243, 136/244, 320/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A transmitting circuit is connected to a power line at current flow-in sides to solar battery strings, and a receiving circuit is connected to the power line at current flow-out sides to the solar battery strings. An attenuating circuit connected in series to a bypass diode is provided in a bypass circuit. The transmitting circuit transmits a periodic signal of a predetermined frequency to the power line. The receiving circuit receives via the solar battery strings a transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting circuit to the power line. A determining circuit determines that, when it is detected that an amplitude of a transmission signal received by the receiving circuit is attenuated by a predetermined value or more, direct-current power is conducted to the bypass circuit.

Claims

1. A solar power generation device comprising:

one or more solar cells electrically connected in series or in parallel to form a connection unit; and

a bypass circuit that is connected in parallel to the connection unit and performs a conduction operation by bypassing the connection unit when electromotive force of the connection unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, wherein

a solar battery string is formed by electrically connecting in series one or more solar battery modules, each of which is equipped with one or more sets of combination of the connection unit and the bypass circuit, and the solar battery string is connected by a power line, and

the solar power generation device further comprises;

a transmitting circuit connected in series with and upstream of the solar battery string, the transmitting circuit transmitting transmission signal of a predetermined amplitude through the solar battery string;

a receiving circuit connected in series with and downstream of the solar battery string, the receiving unit receiving the transmitted transmission signal after the transmission signal passes through the solar battery string;

an attenuating circuit that is provided in the bypass circuit and attenuates an amplitude of the transmission signal, wherein

the transmission signal includes plural frequency components, each frequency component being attenuated by a bypass circuit in a different one of the solar battery modules in the solar battery string when direct-current power is conducted by the respective bypass circuit.

2. The solar power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a determining circuit that determines that, when it is detected that an amplitude of a transmission signal received by the receiving circuit is attenuated by a predetermined value or more, direct-current power is conducted to the bypass circuit.

3. The solar power generation device according to claim 2, wherein the determining circuit determines that, when the receiving circuit detects continuously for a certain time or more that an amplitude of a received transmission signal is attenuated by a predetermined value or more, direct-current power is conducted to the bypass circuit.

4. The solar power generation device according to claim 2, wherein

the attenuating circuit includes:

a first attenuating circuit that is provided in a first bypass circuit connected in parallel to a first connection unit and attenuates a first frequency; and

a second attenuating circuit that is provided in a second bypass circuit connected in parallel to a second connection unit and attenuates a second frequency different from the first frequency,

the transmission signal includes a first periodic signal having the first frequency and a second periodic signal having the second frequency, and

the determining circuit determines that, when it is detected that an amplitude of a first periodic signal received by the receiving circuit is attenuated by a predetermined value or more, direct-current power is conducted to the first bypass circuit, and determines that, when it is detected that an amplitude of a second periodic signal received by the receiving circuit is attenuated by a predetermined value or more, direct-current power is conducted to the second bypass circuit.

5. The solar power generation device according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting circuit transmits the first periodic signal and the second periodic signal to the power line in a time-sharing manner.

6. The solar power generation device according to claim 4, wherein

the first attenuating circuit is provided in a bypass circuit of a solar battery module that forms a first solar battery string, and the second attenuating circuit is provided in a bypass circuit of a solar battery module that forms a second solar battery string, and

the solar power generation device further comprises:

a third attenuating circuit that is provided on a first power line connected to the first solar battery string, passes the first periodic signal, and attenuates the second periodic signal; and

a fourth attenuating circuit that is provided on a second power line connected to the second solar battery string, passes the second periodic signal, and attenuates the first periodic signal.

7. The solar power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch that turns ON/OFF conduction of a first power line connected to a first solar battery string;

a second switch that turns ON/OFF conduction of a second power line connected to a second solar battery string; and

a control circuit that controls a switch operation of the first and second switches such that conduction of the second power line is disconnected only for a certain time when the first power line is conductive, and conduction of the first power line is disconnected only for a certain time when the second power line is conductive.

8. The solar power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting circuit regularly or temporarily transmits the transmission signal to the power line only for a certain time.

9. The solar power generation device according to claim 1, wherein

the solar power generation device includes plural solar battery strings, each formed by one or more solar battery modules connected in series, and

the solar battery strings are connected in parallel with each other with corresponding power lines.

10. The solar power generation device according to claim 9, wherein

each of the plural battery strings receives the transmission signal, and

the transmission signal includes plural frequency components, each frequency component being isolated by an attenuating circuit of a different one of the battery strings.

11. The solar power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission signal transmitted by the transmitting circuit passes through the entirety of the solar battery string prior to being received in the receiving circuit.