Systems for optimized solar power inversion

• US 9,438,037 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• 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:
  US13/934,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 307/63, 307/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• 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

Different systems to achieve solar power conversion are provided in at least three different general aspects, with circuitry that can be used to harvest maximum power from a solar source or strings of panels for DC or AC use, perhaps for transfer to a power grid three aspects can exist perhaps independently and relate to: 1) electrical power conversion in a multimodal manner, 2) alternating between differing processes such as by an alternative mode photovoltaic power converter functionality control, and 3) systems that can achieve efficiencies in conversion that are extraordinarily high compared to traditional through substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion capability that can achieve 99.2% efficiency or even only wire transmission losses. Switchmode impedance conversion circuits may have pairs of photovoltaic power series switch elements and pairs of photovoltaic power shunt switch elements.

Claims

1. A solar energy power inversion system comprising:

a plurality of solar panels, each having a high variable DC photovoltaic output;

a plurality of photovoltaic DC inputs that each individually accept power from at least one of said plurality of high variable DC photovoltaic outputs;

a plurality of inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC power converters, each individually responsive to at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic DC inputs;

inverter operating condition responsive coordination converter functionality control circuitry for each said inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC power converter to which each said inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive;

a plurality of photovoltaic DC power outputs, each individually connected to at least one of said plurality of inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC power converters;

a plurality of converter output series connections to which said plurality of photovoltaic DC power outputs are serially connected;

a high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter responsive to said plurality of converter output series connections; and

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

2. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 1 further comprising maximum photovoltaic power point converter functionality control circuitry to which each said inverter operating condition modality coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive.

3. A solar energy power inversion system comprising:

at least one solar energy source having a high variable DC photovoltaic output;

a photovoltaic DC input that accepts power from said high variable DC photovoltaic output;

a photovoltaic DC-DC power converter responsive to said photovoltaic DC input;

inverter operating condition responsive coordination converter functionality control circuitry for said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter to which said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive;

a photovoltaic DC power output connected to said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter; and

a high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter responsive to said photovoltaic DC power output.

4. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 3 wherein said inverter operating condition responsive coordination converter functionality control circuitry comprises inverter controlled converter functionality control circuitry.

5. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 3 wherein said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter comprises a converter coordination element.

6. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 5 wherein said converter coordination element comprises an element selected from the group consisting of:

slaved photovoltaic inverter operating condition converter functionality control circuitry;

maximum photovoltaic inverter current converter functionality control circuitry;

photovoltaic inverter operating condition converter functionality control circuitry;

a photovoltaic inverter maximum current determinative switch,

a photovoltaic inverter maximum current determinative duty cycle switch,

maximum photovoltaic inverter voltage converter functionality control circuitry;

a photovoltaic inverter maximum voltage determinative switch;

a photovoltaic inverter maximum voltage determinative duty cycle switch;

a maximum photovoltaic voltage determinative duty cycle switch;

posterior photovoltaic operating condition converter functionality control circuitry;

posterior photovoltaic element converter functionality control circuitry;

photovoltaic inverter protection converter functionality control circuitry;

photovoltaic inverter coordinated converter functionality control circuitry;

photovoltaic posterior photovoltaic element coordinated converter functionality control circuitry;

posterior photovoltaic element protection converter functionality control circuitry, and;

photovoltaic inverter characteristic coordinated photovoltaic DC-DC converter functionality control circuitry.

7. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 5 wherein said converter coordination element comprises a singular input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

8. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 7 wherein said singular input comprises a sweet spot input to said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

9. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 5 wherein said converter coordination element comprises converter functionality control circuitry.

10. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 3 further comprising a converter coordination element not at said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.

11. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 10 wherein said converter coordination element comprises a converter coordination element at said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter.

12. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 5 wherein said converter coordination element comprises an inverter control input.

13. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 12 wherein said inverter control input comprises a singular input.

14. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 12 wherein said inverter control input comprises a sweet spot input.

15. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 10 wherein said converter coordination element comprises an inverter-specific operation photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

16. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 3 further comprising maximum photovoltaic power point converter functionality control circuitry to which said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive.

17. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 3 wherein:

said at least one solar energy source having a high variable DC photovoltaic output comprises a plurality of solar energy sources, each having a high variable DC photovoltaic output;

said photovoltaic DC input that accepts power from said high variable DC photovoltaic output comprises a plurality of photovoltaic DC inputs that each accept power from at least one of said plurality of high variable DC photovoltaic outputs;

said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter responsive to said photovoltaic DC input comprises a plurality of photovoltaic DC-DC power converters, each responsive to at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic DC inputs;

said inverter operating condition responsive coordination converter functionality control circuitry for said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter to which said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive comprises inverter operating condition responsive coordination converter functionality control circuitry for each said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter to which each said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter is responsive;

said photovoltaic DC power output connected to said photovoltaic DC-DC power converter comprises a plurality of photovoltaic DC power outputs, each connected to at least one of said plurality of photovoltaic DC-DC power converters; and

said high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter responsive to said photovoltaic DC power output comprises a high voltage, high power photovoltaic DC-AC inverter responsive to each of said plurality of photovoltaic DC power outputs.

18. A solar energy power inversion system as described in claim 17 further comprising a plurality of converter output series connections to which said plurality of photovoltaic DC power outputs are serially connected.