Distributed energy conversion systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A solar photovoltaic system 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;
an integrated direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverter comprising an AC output and a DC input electrically coupled to the plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells; and
an isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter and the photovoltaic cells, separating the photovoltaic cells from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A solar photovoltaic system 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; an integrated direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverter comprising an AC output and a DC input electrically coupled to the plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells; and an isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter and the photovoltaic cells, separating the photovoltaic cells from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An energy converter system comprising:
-
a string of photovoltaic cells comprising multiple individual photovoltaic cells electrically coupled together to generate a DC power in response to exposure to an amount of sunlight; an integrated direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverter comprising an AC output, a DC input electrically coupled to the string of photovoltaic cells, and an integrated energy storage device; and an isolation layer, different from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter and the photovoltaic cells, separating the photovoltaic cells from the integrated DC-to-AC inverter. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A solar photovoltaic system 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 direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) inverters, wherein each DC-to-AC inverter comprises (i) a DC input electrically coupled to a single, different string of photovoltaic cells and defined on a first side of the DC-to-AC inverter that faces toward the corresponding single, different string of photovoltaic cells and (ii) an AC output electrically coupled to a corresponding AC output of each other DC-to-AC inverter and defined on a second side of the DC-to-AC inverter opposite the first side; an isolation layer, different from the DC-to-AC inverter and the photovoltaic cells, separating each photovoltaic cell from each DC-to-AC inverter; and an energy storage device remote from the plurality of DC-to-AC inverters and adapted to store energy generated by the plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification