Dc/dc converter and decentralized power generation system comprising a dc/dc converter

• US 20070165347A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wendt, Matthias, Lurkens, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/92
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection

Abstract

The invention relates to a DC/DC converter for use in a decentralized power generation system. If a DC/DC converter is physically separated from a power receiving component and connected to such a power receiving component via a DC bus, a short-circuit on the DC bus may endanger the system and service personnel. In order to minimize such a risk, it is proposed that the DC/DC converter comprises a converting component for DC/DC converting a direct current supplied by a power generating unit and for supplying a resulting converted direct current to a DC bus, and that the DC/DC converter comprises in addition a control component arranged to monitor a voltage at the outputs of the DC/DC converter and to cause the converting component to enter a short-circuit protection mode if the monitored voltage lies below a predetermined voltage threshold. The invention relates equally to a corresponding system and to a corresponding method.

Claims

1. DC/DC converter for use in a decentralized power generation system comprising:

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a converting component for DC/DC converting a direct current supplied by a power generating unit and for supplying a resulting converted direct current to a DC bus; and

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a control component arranged to monitor a voltage at the outputs of said DC/DC converter and to cause said converting component to enter a short-circuit protection mode if said monitored voltage lies below a predetermined voltage threshold.

2. DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein said control component is further arranged to cause said converting component to exit an entered short-circuit protection mode again, if said monitored voltage raises above said predetermined voltage threshold.

3. DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein said converting component is adapted to output a converted direct current repeatedly only for a short duration at a time in said short-circuit protection mode.

4. DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein said converting component is adapted to output a current limited to a predetermined maximum value in said short-circuit protection mode.

5. DC/DC converter according to claim 1, further comprising a short-circuiting component for temporarily short-circuiting the outputs of said DC/DC converter whenever said outputs are to be free of voltage.

6. Decentralized power generation system comprising:

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at least one power generating unit for generating a direct current;

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a DC bus for making a supplied current available to a power receiving component; and

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at least one DC/DC converter connected between said at least one power generating unit and said DC bus, said DC/DC converter including a converting component for DC/DC converting a direct current supplied by said at least one power generating unit and for supplying a resulting converted direct current to said DC bus, and said DC/DC converter further including a control component arranged to monitor a voltage at the outputs of said DC/DC converter and to cause said converting component to enter a short-circuit protection mode if said monitored voltage lies below a predetermined voltage threshold.

7. Decentralized power generation system according to claim 6, further comprising at least one plug connection for connecting said at least one DC/DC converter to said DC bus, which plug connection comprises a short-circuiting component short-circuiting the outputs of said DC/DC converter automatically when said plug connection is opened and/or removing a short-circuit between the outputs of said DC/DC converter automatically when said plug connection is closed.

8. Decentralized power generation system according to claim 6, further comprising a central short-circuiting component for generating a short-circuit on said DC bus.

9. Decentralized power generation system according to claim 8, further comprising a power receiving component connected to said DC bus and adapted to cause said central short-circuiting component automatically to generate a short-circuit on said DC bus in case of a detected failure situation in said decentralized power generation system.

10. Method of operating a DC/DC converter in a decentralized power generation system, wherein said DC/DC converter is arranged between a power generating unit and a DC bus, said method comprising:

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monitoring a voltage at the outputs of said DC/DC converter;

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if said monitored voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold, DC/DC converting a direct current received from said power generating unit and feeding a resulting converted current to said DC bus; and

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if said monitored voltage lies below said predetermined voltage threshold, entering a short-circuit protection mode.