Distributed energy conversion systems

• US 9,263,895 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Naiknaware, Ravindranath, Le, Triet Tu, Fiez, Terri Shreeve, Mayaram, Kartikeya
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/340,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,614 Days
• Field of Search: 307/77, 307/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• 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 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/40 Synchronising a generator for connection to a network or to another generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/42 Conversion of dc power input into ac power output without possibility of reversal
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4807 having a high frequency intermediate AC stage
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

Abstract

A distributed energy conversion system may include one or more DC power sources and two or more inverters to convert DC power from the power sources to AC power. The AC power from the two or more inverters may be combined to provide a single AC output. A module may include one or more photovoltaic cells and two or more inverters. An integrated circuit may include power electronics to convert DC input power to AC output power and processing circuitry to control the power electronics. The AC output power may be synchronized with an AC power distribution system.

Claims

1. A solar photovoltaic module comprising:

a plurality of photovoltaic cells to generate DC power in response to exposure to an amount of sunlight;

a plurality of integrated direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverters, wherein each integrated DC-to-AC inverter comprises (i) a DC input electrically coupled to a single, different photovoltaic cell of the plurality of photovoltaic cells and (ii) an AC output electrically coupled to a corresponding AC output of each other integrated DC-to-AC inverter; and

a first isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverters and the photovoltaic cells, separating each photovoltaic cell from each integrated DC-to-AC inverter.

2. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the DC input of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter is electrically connected to the corresponding single photovoltaic cell via corresponding electrical interconnections that pass through the first isolation layer.

3. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 2, further comprising a second isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverters and the photovoltaic cells, located between the first isolation layer and each integrated DC-to-AC inverter.

4. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 3, further comprising an AC bus connected to the AC output of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter, wherein the AC bus is located between the first isolation layer and the second isolation layer.

5. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein the DC input and the AC output of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter is defined on a first side of the corresponding integrated DC-to-AC inverter that faces toward the corresponding single photovoltaic cell.

6. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters comprises an integrated power converter, wherein each integrated power converter comprises a plurality of electrical components established on a single integrated circuit.

7. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 1, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters comprises an integrated power converter, wherein each integrated power converter comprises a plurality of active electrical components established on a single integrated circuit and a plurality of passive components located apart from the single integrated circuit.

8. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 7, wherein the plurality of active electrical components comprise at least one power transistor and the plurality of passive components comprise at least one capacitor.

9. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulation layer having a plurality of pockets defined in an inner side, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters is positioned in a corresponding pocket of the encapsulation layer.

10. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 9, further comprising:

a second isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverters and the photovoltaic cells, located between the first isolation layer and the encapsulation layer; and

an AC bus (i) connected to the AC output of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter and (ii) located between the first isolation layer and the second isolation layer.

11. A solar photovoltaic module comprising:

a plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells, wherein each string of photovoltaic cells comprises multiple individual photovoltaic cells electrically coupled together to generate a DC power in response to exposure to an amount of sunlight;

a plurality of integrated direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverters, wherein each integrated DC-to-AC inverter comprises (i) a DC input electrically coupled to a single, different string of photovoltaic cells and (ii) an AC output electrically coupled to a corresponding AC output of each other integrated DC-to-AC inverter; and

an isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverters and the photovoltaic cells, separating each photovoltaic cell from each integrated DC-to-AC inverter.

12. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the DC input of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter is electrically connected to the corresponding single string of photovoltaic cells via corresponding electrical interconnections that pass through the isolation layer.

13. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein the DC input of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter is defined on a first side of the corresponding integrated DC-to-AC inverter that faces toward the corresponding single string of photovoltaic cells and the AC output of each integrated DC-to-AC inverter is defined on a second side of the corresponding integrated DC-to-AC inverter opposite the first side.

14. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters comprises an integrated power converter, wherein each integrated power converter comprises a plurality of electrical components established on a single integrated circuit.

15. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 11, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters comprises an integrated power converter, wherein each integrated power converter comprises a plurality of active electrical components established on a single integrated circuit and a plurality of passive components located apart from the single integrated circuit.

16. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 15, wherein the plurality of active electrical components comprise at least one power transistor and the plurality of passive components comprise at least one capacitor.

17. The solar photovoltaic module of claim 11, further comprising an encapsulation layer having a plurality of pockets defined in an inner side, wherein each of the integrated DC-to-AC inverters is positioned in a corresponding pocket of the encapsulation layer.