Photovoltaic panel circuitry
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- first and second nodes, a storage circuit, and a bypass circuit, wherein the apparatus is configured to;
during a first phase of an operating period, store in the storage circuit operating power received across the first and the second nodes and isolate by the bypass circuit the first node from the second node; and
during a second phase of the operating period, operate the bypass circuit using the power from the storage circuit, wherein the bypass circuit shorts the first node and the second node until the power stored in the storage circuit is expended.
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Abstract
Circuits integrated or integrable with a photovoltaic panel to provide built-in functionality to the photovoltaic panel including safety features such as arc detection and elimination, ground fault detection and elimination, reverse current protection, monitoring of the performance of the photovoltaic panel, transmission of the monitored parameters and theft prevention of the photovoltaic panel. The circuits may avoid power conversion, for instance DC/DC power conversion, may avoid performing maximum power tracking to include a minimum number of components and thereby increase overall reliability.
1058 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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first and second nodes, a storage circuit, and a bypass circuit, wherein the apparatus is configured to; during a first phase of an operating period, store in the storage circuit operating power received across the first and the second nodes and isolate by the bypass circuit the first node from the second node; and during a second phase of the operating period, operate the bypass circuit using the power from the storage circuit, wherein the bypass circuit shorts the first node and the second node until the power stored in the storage circuit is expended. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A circuit comprising:
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first and second nodes; a controller circuit; a first switch comprising a first gate, a first drain, and a first source; a second switch comprising a second gate, a second drain, and a second source; a first diode comprising a first anode and a first cathode; a second diode comprising a second anode and a second cathode; a third diode comprising a third anode and a third cathode; a capacitor comprising a first terminal and a second terminal; and a voltage regulator comprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal, wherein the first terminal and the third cathode are connected, wherein the first node, the first drain, the first cathode, the third anode, and the positive terminal are connected, wherein the second node, the second drain, and the second cathode are connected, wherein the first source, the second source, the first anode, the second anode, the second terminal, and the negative terminal are connected, and wherein the controller circuit is powered from charge stored in the capacitor and configured to control the first gate and the second gate to open and close the first switch and second switch. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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charging a storage circuit with power received across first and second nodes over a first duration when the first node is isolated from the second node by a bypass circuit; providing the power from the storage circuit to the bypass circuit over a second duration; and shorting the first node to the second node through the bypass circuit over the second duration in response to the bypass circuit receiving the power provided from the storage circuit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification