Protected conversion solar power system

• US 9,673,630 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• 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:
  US15/219,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20160365734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 307 64, 307 72, 307 77, 307 80, 307 82, 307 84
• 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 power system, comprising:

DC power from a solar energy source;

at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter to which said DC power is input;

converter functionality control circuitry that controls said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter to achieve, at least some times, conversion of said DC power at from 97% efficiency up to wire transmission loss, transistor on-state loss, and synchronous duty cycle switch loss maximum photovoltaic power point conversion efficiency;

a converted DC output from said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter; and

a load to which said converted DC output is input,

wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises photovoltaic boundary condition converter control circuitry capable of achieving, at least some times during operation of said solar power system, a power producing boundary condition for converter operation including a converter DC output overcurrent limit, a converter DC output overvoltage limit, or both.

2. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry is established within said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

3. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said load comprises a power inverter.

4. A solar power system as described in claim 3 wherein said power inverter comprises a grid tied power inverter.

5. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises at least one DC-DC converter having boost converter circuitry and buck converter circuitry.

6. A solar power system as described in claim 5 wherein said boost converter circuitry and said buck converter circuitry share a common capacitor.

7. A solar power system as described in claim 5 wherein said boost converter circuitry and said buck converter circuitry share a common inductor.

8. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said DC power from a solar energy source comprises DC power from at least one string.

9. A solar power system as described in claim 8 wherein said DC power from at least one string comprises DC power from at least one string of solar panels.

10. A solar power system as described in claim 9 wherein said DC power from at least one string of solar panels comprises a plurality of DC powers, each from a string of solar panels, and wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises a plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters, each of said plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters responsive to one of said plurality of DC powers from a string of solar panels.

11. A solar power system as described in claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters comprises a string of solar panels dedicated dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

12. A solar power system as described in claim 9 wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises boost converter circuitry and buck converter circuitry that share a common capacitor.

13. A solar power system as described in claim 9 wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises boost converter circuitry and buck converter circuitry that share a common inductor.

14. A solar power system as described in claim 8 wherein said at least one string comprises at least one string of solar cells.

15. A solar power system as described in claim 14 wherein said at least one string of solar cells comprises at least one string of solar cells within a solar panel.

16. A solar power system as described in claim 14 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry achieves maximum power point at least some time for said at least one string of solar cells.

17. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said DC power from a solar energy source comprises DC power from a plurality of solar panels, and wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises a plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters, each of said plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters responsive to one of said plurality of solar panels.

18. A solar power system as described in claim 17 wherein said plurality of dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converters, comprises a series string of power conditioners.

19. A solar power system as described in claim 18 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises panel dedicated converter control circuitry.

20. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter comprises at least one multiple panel dedicated dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter.

21. A solar power system as described in claim 20 wherein said DC power from a solar energy source comprises DC power from at least one string of solar panels.

22. A solar power system as described in claim 21 wherein said at least one string of solar panels comprises a string of solar panels selected from the group consisting of:

10 panels, 8 panels, 4 panels, 3 panels and 2 panels.

23. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises dual mode converter functionality control circuitry.

24. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said photovoltaic boundary condition converter control circuitry controls said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter so as to achieve at least some times a photovoltaic output voltage of said converted DC output proportional to a photovoltaic output current of said converted DC output at least some time during said converter DC output over-current limit, converter DC output over-voltage limit, or both.

25. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry controls said at least one dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter to achieve, at least some times, conversion efficiency selected from the group consisting of:

from 98% efficiency up to wire transmission loss, transistor on-state loss, and synchronous duty cycle switch loss maximum photovoltaic power point conversion efficiency;

from 98.5% efficiency up to wire transmission loss, transistor on-state loss, and synchronous duty cycle switch loss maximum photovoltaic power point conversion efficiency;

from 98% efficiency up to 99.2% maximum photovoltaic power point conversion efficiency; and

from 98.5% efficiency up to 99.2% maximum photovoltaic power point conversion efficiency.

26. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises circuitry selected from the group consisting of:

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times alternative mode photovoltaic power converter control;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times photovoltaic impedance transformation power conversion control;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times maximum photovoltaic power point converter control;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times photovoltaic load impedance increase converter control and at least some other times photovoltaic load impedance decrease converter control;

alternative mode photovoltaic power converter control circuitry configured to alternatively switch at least some times between first modality photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion circuitry and second modality photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion circuitry;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times photovoltaic duty cycle switch control;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times switch frequency alteration switching photovoltaic power conversion control;

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times transient opposition mode photovoltaic duty cycle switch control; and

converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times transient opposition mode control.

27. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing maximum photovoltaic inverter input current converter control.

28. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing photovoltaic inverter operating condition converter control.

29. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises slaved maximum photovoltaic power point converter control circuitry that achieves various slaved modalities of operation to produce power at least some times.

30. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises slaved photovoltaic inverter operating condition converter control circuitry that achieves various slaved modalities of operation to produce power at least some times.

31. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing posterior photovoltaic element protection converter control.

32. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing photovoltaic inverter protection converter control.

33. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing photovoltaic inverter coordinated converter control.

34. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises slaved photovoltaic voltage increase and photovoltaic voltage decrease maximum photovoltaic power point converter functionality control circuitry that achieves various slaved modalities of operation to produce power at least some times.

35. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing maximum photovoltaic inverter input voltage control.

36. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times power producing posterior photovoltaic operating condition control.

37. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises photovoltaic slaved mode converter control circuitry that achieves various slaved modalities of operation to produce power at least some times.

38. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises power producing photovoltaic inverter slaved converter control circuitry that achieves various slaved modalities of operation to produce power at least some times.

39. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times threshold determinative switching photovoltaic power conversion control.

40. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times burst mode switching photovoltaic power conversion control.

41. A solar power system as described in claim 1 wherein said converter functionality control circuitry comprises converter functionality control circuitry capable of achieving at least some times burst mode control operated for occasional bursts of a particular duty cycle level for mode transition of said dual mode photovoltaic DC-DC converter between a first modality of photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion and a second modality of photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion.