Direct current combiner box with power monitoring, ground fault detection and communications interface

• US 20060237058A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Energy Recommerce, Inc. (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Energy Recommerce, Inc. (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pettersson, Leif Ronnie, McClintock, Ronald Bradley
• Application Number:
  US11/379,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20060237058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge

Abstract

A combiner box is used to collect direct current from solar panels or other energy sources. The combiner box integrates all means necessary for ground fault detection, current monitoring, voltage monitoring, and power monitoring. The combiner box may include a communication interface suitable for Web enabled monitoring, electronic notifications of system status, and/or remote control of system functions. In one embodiment, the combiner box uses integrated circuits and printed circuit board technology to achieve new efficiencies in manufacturing, installation and system analysis at the string level. A separate hand piece may be used by installers to test the performance of the combiner box, installation of the solar panels, performance of the solar panels and connections between the solar panels and the combiner box.

Claims

1. An apparatus for combining and monitoring each string of entering direct current comprising:

means for detecting current in one or more strings of entering direct current; and

means of combining direct current entering the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 with means of monitoring power in one or more strings of direct current.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 with means of communicating system status.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 with means to perform remote diagnostics upon the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 with means to detect ground faults by comparisons of the positive and negative components of each entering string of direct current.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 with means of using computer software to analyze the positive and negative components of each entering string of direct current.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 using one or more integrated circuits to analyze each string of direct current entering the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 with means to discontinue input from any string that has reached a ground fault state.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a direct current measurement is converted into a proportional voltage value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the proportional voltage value is converted into a proportional digital value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the analog to digital conversion occurs for each entering string of direct current.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 using integrated printed circuit board components.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the digital signals may be remotely monitored.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein system functions may be remotely controlled.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 with means to accept a separate communication apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the attached communication apparatus has means of communicating system status.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 with means to accept a separate data processing unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 with means to accept a separate testing apparatus.

19. A method of combining and monitoring strings of direct current entering a single apparatus comprising the steps of:

attaching to the apparatus a positive and a negative component from each string of direct current;

using integrated circuits to measure the current from each string; and

using a positive bus and a negative bus to collect power from each string of direct current.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the direct current measurement is converted into a proportional voltage measurement which is in turn converted into a proportional digital value.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a hand piece is attached to the apparatus to test the installation and performance of the apparatus.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein a data processing unit is attached to the apparatus.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a communication component is used to transmit information regarding each string of direct current.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the communication component may be used to remotely control the system.