DC power conversion circuit

• US 10,032,939 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• 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:
  US15/164,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20160268809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 307 43, 307 82
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• 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: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/08 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

The inventive technology, in certain embodiments, may be generally described as a solar power generation system with a converter, which may potentially include two or more sub-converters, established intermediately of one or more strings of solar panels. Particular embodiments may involve sweet spot operation in order to achieve improvements in efficiency, and bucking of open circuit voltages by the converter in order that more panels may be placed on an individual string or substring, reducing the number of strings required for a given design, and achieving overall system and array manufacture savings.

Claims

1. A circuit configuration, comprising:

a first DC power generator and a second DC power generator, said first DC power generator and said second DC power generator each providing a DC voltage and each having a positive output and a negative output; and

a converter having a positive output and a negative output, said converter converting both the DC voltage provided by said first DC power generator and the DC voltage provided by said second DC power generator,

wherein said positive output of said second DC power generator is connected to said positive output of said converter through at least one inductor and at least one diode that are connected at a first connection,

wherein said negative output of said first DC power generator is connected to said negative output of said converter through at least one different inductor and at least one different diode that are connected at a second connection,

wherein said negative output of said second DC power generator is directly connected to said negative output of said converter, and said positive output of said first DC power generator is directly connected to said positive output of said converter, and

wherein said converter comprises at least one switch that is connected between said first connection and said second connection.

2. The circuit configuration as described in claim 1 wherein said at least one switch is connected between a node between said at least one inductor and said at least one diode and a node between said at least one different inductor and said at least one different diode.

3. The circuit configuration as described in claim 1 wherein said first DC power generator is a first photovoltaic power generator and said second DC power generator is a second photovoltaic power generator.

4. The circuit configuration as described in claim 1 wherein said first DC power generator is a first solar panel substring and said second power generator is a second solar panel substring.