Systems and methods for controlling maximum power point tracking controllers
First Claim
1. A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port, the MPPT controller including at least an MPPT operating mode and a fixed duty cycle operating mode, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining that a magnitude of a voltage across the output port, at start-up of the MPPT controller, is greater than a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the magnitude of the voltage across the output port, at start-up of the MPPT controller, is greater than the threshold value, operating the MPPT controller in its fixed duty cycle operating mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port includes the steps of: (a) in a first operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a first switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle; and (b) in a second operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a control switching device of the switching circuit to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to maximize an amount of power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port.
28 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port, the MPPT controller including at least an MPPT operating mode and a fixed duty cycle operating mode, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that a magnitude of a voltage across the output port, at start-up of the MPPT controller, is greater than a threshold value; and in response to determining that the magnitude of the voltage across the output port, at start-up of the MPPT controller, is greater than the threshold value, operating the MPPT controller in its fixed duty cycle operating mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, comprising:
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an input and an output port; a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between the input and output ports; and a control subsystem adapted to; determine that a magnitude of a voltage across the output port, at start-up of the MPPT controller, is greater than a threshold value, operate the MPPT controller in a fixed duty cycle operating mode in response to determining that the magnitude of the voltage across the output port is greater than the threshold value, cause a first switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle, in the fixed duty cycle operating mode of the MPPT controller, and cause a control switching device of the switching circuit to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to maximize an amount of electric power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port, in an MPPT operating mode of the MPPT controller. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port, the MPPT controller including at least an MPPT operating mode and a fixed duty cycle operating mode, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that current is flowing out of the output port in a negative direction; and in response to determining that current is flowing out of the output port in a negative direction, operating the MPPT controller in the fixed duty cycle operating mode. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, comprising:
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an input and an output port; a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between the input and output ports; and a control subsystem adapted to; determine that current is flowing out of the output port in a negative direction, operate the MPPT controller in a fixed duty cycle operating mode in response to determining that current is flowing out of the output port in a negative direction, cause a first switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle, in the fixed duty cycle operating mode of the MPPT controller, and cause a control switching device of the switching circuit to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to maximize an amount of electric power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port, in an MPPT operating mode of the MPPT controller. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification