METHOD FOR OPERATING AN INVERTER, AND INVERTER

• US 20110080147A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
• Inventors: SCHOENLINNER, Markus, HUBER, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/487 Neutral point clamped inverters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

In an inverter and a method for operating an inverter, the inverter includes a step-up converter circuit, a dynamic intermediate circuit, and a step-down converter circuit for converting a direct voltage of a direct voltage generator or string into an alternating voltage for supplying a network. The step-up converter circuit increases the direct voltage if the latter is lower than a peak-to-peak maximum of the network voltage, and the step-down converter circuit lowers a dynamic intermediate circuit voltage, as needed, to a lower voltage currently required in the network. The step-up converter circuit dynamically increases the direct voltage to the value currently required in the network and in the process temporarily supplies an approximately sinusoidal voltage curve for the intermediate circuit voltage.

Claims

1. A method for operating an inverter for converting a direct current voltage of a solar generator into an alternating current voltage for supplying power to a network, the inverter including a step-up converter circuit, a dynamic intermediate circuit, and a step-down converter circuit, comprising:

increasing, by the step-up converter circuit, the direct current voltage if the direct current voltage is lower than a peak-to-peak maximum of the network voltage;

lowering, by the step-down converter circuit, an intermediate circuit voltage, as needed, to a lower voltage currently required in the network; and

dynamically increasing, by the step-up converter circuit, the direct voltage to a value currently required in the network and temporarily supplying an approximately sinusoidal voltage curve for the intermediate circuit voltage.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising raising, by the step-up converter circuit, one of (a) a positive and (b) a negative voltage level of the solar generator with respect to a mid-voltage level in terms of absolute value to the value currently required in the network and increasing a dynamic intermediate circuit voltage to the raised value if one of (a) the positive and (b) the negative voltage level is lower in terms of absolute value than the voltage currently required in the network with respect to the mid-voltage level.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying a plurality of network phases with power from the dynamic intermediate circuit, wherein a separate step-down converter circuit is supplied with power from the dynamic intermediate circuit for each phase.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of network phases consists of three phases.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising dynamically regulating, by the step-up converter, to a highest power supply voltage currently required in the network phases if the direct current voltage is below the highest power supply voltage.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying power, by multiple solar generators, to the dynamic intermediate circuit via a respectively associated step-up converter circuit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the solar generator that supplies a currently highest direct voltage constitutes a master string, the method further comprising supplying, by step-up converter circuits associated with remaining solar generators, a voltage that corresponds to the voltage supplied by at least one of (a) the master string and (b) the step-up converter associated with the master string to the dynamic intermediate circuit.

8. An inverter for converting a direct current voltage of a solar generator into an alternating current voltage for supplying power to a network, comprising:

a step-up converter circuit;

a dynamic intermediate circuit; and

a step-down converter circuit;

wherein the step-up converter circuit is adapted to increase the direct current voltage if the direct current voltage is lower than a peak-to-peak maximum of the network voltage;

wherein the step-down converter circuit is adapted to lower an intermediate circuit voltage, as needed, to a lower voltage currently required in the network; and

wherein the step-up converter circuit is adapted to dynamically increase the direct current voltage to the value currently required in the network and to temporarily supply an approximately sinusoidal voltage curve for the intermediate circuit voltage.

9. The inverter according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of solar generators, each having an associated step-up converter circuit, are arranged to supply power to the dynamic intermediate circuit.

10. The inverter according to claim 8, wherein the dynamic intermediate circuit is adapted to supply a plurality of network phases with power via step-down converter circuits respectively associated with the network phases.