Circuit arrangement for a photovoltaic system

• US 20050172995A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Josef Steger, Rudiger Rohrig
• Original Assignee: Josef Steger, Rudiger Rohrig
• Inventors: Rohrig, Rudiger, Steger, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 7,709,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/243
• 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: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/293 Circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for controlling/regulating photovoltaic systems (10b) which comprise a plurality of solar generators (14b) connected in series or/and connected in parallel. In order to prevent power loss of solar generators, which is based on the fact that not all solar generators are operated in the MPP thereof, each solar generator is associated with a variable energy bypass (68b) that is controlled/regulated in such a manner that each solar generator (14b) is operated continuously in its respective current specific MPP.

Claims

1. Circuit arrangement for controlling/regulating photovoltaic systems (10b), comprising a multitude of solar generators (14b) connected in series and/or in parallel,

characterized in that

each solar generator (14b) has an associated variable energy bypass (68b), which is controlled/regulated such that each solar generator (14b) is operated continuously in its respective current, specific MPP.

2. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the energy bypass (68b) is controlled/regulated by current and/or voltage.

3. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the energy bypass (68b) comprises a galvanically separating controllable/regulatable energy converter (70b).

4. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the solar generator (14b) having the respective lowest current MPP current in the series sets the controlling/regulating variable for the energy bypass (68b) of the other solar generators (14b) in the series for a multiple of solar generators connected in series (14b).

5. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the solar generator (14g) having the respective lowest current MPP voltage in the system sets the control/regulation variable for the energy bypass (68b) of the other solar generators (14g) in the system for a multiple of solar generators connected in parallel (14g).

6. Circuit arrangement in according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one main energy path (18b) is provided through which the individual solar generators (14b) are interconnected in series and/or in parallel.

7. Circuit arrangement in according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one energy bypass path (74b;

74d) is provided through which the energy bypasses (68b;

68d) are interconnected in series and/or in parallel.

8. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that the energy bypass path (74b;

74d) is connected to the main energy path (18b;

18d).

9. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that the main energy path (18c) and/or the energy bypass path (74c) is connected to an energy network (22c) or a battery system.

10. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that the main energy path (18c) and/or the bypass energy path (74) have an associated energy converter (20c;

80c).

16. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that a variable energy bypass (68b) having the characteristics of one of the claims 1 to 10 is associated with each solar generator (14b).

17. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that the system decoupling means (32b) also separates the solar generator (14b) from a bypass energy path (74b) for the duration of the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings.

18. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that the solar generator simulator (34b) also supplies the energy bypass path (74) with energy for the duration of the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings.

19. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a control/regulating means (16;

16b) is associated with each solar generator (14;

14b) and/or a part of the solar generators (14;

14b) to control/regulate the energy bypass (68b) and/or the diagnostic means (16).

20. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a data processing- and memory unit (36;

36b) is associated with each solar generator (14;

14b) and/or a part of the solar generators (14;

14b).

21. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a communications means (38;

38b) is associated with the circuit arrangement to allow a communication of the solar generator operating parameters and ratings to other solar generators (14;

14b) and/or communications- and/or control/regulating means and/or data processing- and memory units (42h, 94h).

22. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 21, characterized in that the communication is effected through a data line (40) and/or the main energy path (18) and/or the bypass energy path.

11. Circuit arrangement for controlling/regulating photovoltaic systems (10) comprising a multiple of solar generators connected in series and/or in parallel,

characterized in that

a diagnostic means (16) is associated with each solar generator (14) or a part of the solar generators (14) and records repeatedly the operating parameters and/or ratings during the operation of the solar generator (14), and that the diagnostic means (16) has an associated system decoupling unit (32) which can separate the solar generator (14) from a main energy path (18) for the duration of the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings.

12. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that a solar generator simulator (34) is associated with the diagnostic means (16), which replaces the solar generator (14) for the duration of the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings with respect to its energy output.

13. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the solar generator simulator (34) is connected such that it supplies the main energy path (18) with energy for the duration of the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings.

14. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the diagnostic means (16) comprises a temperature-(20) and/or current-(26) and/or voltage measuring unit (24) for recording the current operating parameters of the solar generator (14).

15. Circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that an operating point control element (30) is associated with the circuit arrangement and sets the operating point during the recording of the operating parameters and/or ratings.

23. Method for the control/regulation of photovoltaic systems (10) comprising a multiple of solar generators (14) connected in series and/or in parallel,

characterized in that

in order to determine the system MPP, the MPP of only a part of the solar generators (14) connected in series is determined and the system MPP is derived from said value and/or values.