Systems and methods for controlling maximum power point tracking controllers

• US 9,966,899 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor LLC (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor LLC (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stratakos, Anthony J., McJimsey, Michael D., Jergovic, Ilija, Yao, Kaiwei, Zhang, Xin, Ng, Vincent W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole, Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mata, Monica
• Application Number:
  US15/418,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0003 Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/10 Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A method for testing a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to an input port of a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, where the MPPT controller includes a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between the input port and an output port of the MPPT controller, includes the steps of: (a) driving a test current into the output port of the MPPT controller; (b) detecting presence of the test current; and (c) in response to detecting presence of the test current, causing the switching circuit to provide a path for the test current from the output port to the photovoltaic device.

Claims

1. A method for testing a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to an input port of a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, wherein the MPPT controller includes a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between the input port and an output port of the MPPT controller, the method comprising the steps of:

driving a test current into the output port of the MPPT controller;

detecting presence of the test current; and

in response to detecting presence of the test current, causing the switching circuit to provide a path for the test current from the output port to the photovoltaic device.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of causing the switching circuit to provide a path for the test current from the output port to the photovoltaic device comprising causing a switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, the fixed duty cycle being at least ninety percent duty cycle.

4. The method of claim 3, the fixed duty cycle being one hundred percent duty cycle.

5. The method of claim 1, the step of causing the switching circuit to provide a path for the test current from the output port to the photovoltaic device comprising causing the MPPT controller to act as a fixed direct current transformer electrically coupling the test current to the photovoltaic device.

6. The method of claim 1, the step of detecting presence of the test current comprising detecting presence of current flowing into the output port from an external source.

7. The method of claim 1, the step of detecting presence of the test current comprising detecting voltage across the output port of the switching circuit.

8. The method of claim 7, the step of detecting voltage across the output port of the switching circuit comprising comparing a signal representing the voltage across the output port to a threshold value.