Systems and Methods for Mapping the Connectivity Topology of Local Management Units in Photovoltaic Arrays

• US 20110245989A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tigo Energy, Inc
• Inventors: Arditi, Shmuel, Hadar, Ron, Makhota, Maxym
• Granted Patent: US 9,312,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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: H01L 31/05 Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells electrodes H01L31/0224; electrical interconnection of thin film solar cells formed on a common substrate H01L31/046; particular structures for electrical interconnecting of adjacent thin film solar cells in the module H01L31/0465; electrical interconnection means specially adapted for electrically connecting two or more PV modules H02S40/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for determining a connectivity topology of local management units (LMUs) in a solar photovoltaic power generation (SPVPG) system. Each of the LMUs is connected within the SPVPG between a solar panel and a set of power lines of the SPVPG. The set of power lines connects the LMUs to form a network. The connectivity topology of LMUs in the network is determined using, for example, indirect indications of connections of an LMU and the SPVPG and indications of the physical location of the LMU with respect to other elements of the SPVPG.

Claims

1. A solar photovoltaic power generation system, comprising:

a set of power lines;

a plurality of photovoltaic panels;

a plurality of local management units, each of the plurality of local management units coupled between the set of power lines and a corresponding photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels; and

a master management unit having;

a communications device adapted to transmit instructions to the plurality of local management units to stop the local management units outputting to the set of power lines one at a time and to receive power production information from the local management units outputting power to the set of power lines of the solar photovoltaic power generation system, and

a processor adapted to determine a connectivity topology of the plurality of local management units on the set of power lines based at least in part on the power production information.

2. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of local management units is adapted to stop outputting power to the power lines via one of:

a short circuit condition and an open circuit condition.

3. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a string local management unit adapted to transmit power production information to the master management unit.

4. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, wherein the master management unit further comprises:

a memory associated with the processor and storing location information about the plurality of local management units;

wherein the processor is further adapted to determine the connectivity topology based on the location information.

5. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of local management units comprises:

a direct current (DC) to DC converter to receive a DC input from the corresponding photovoltaic panel and to output a DC output to the set of power lines;

a measurement circuit to determine power production level; and

a communications device to receive instructions to control the DC to DC converter from the master management unit and to transmit data representing the power production level to the master management unit.

6. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, further comprising a ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic signals on the power lines and to listen to ultrasonic pulses on the power lines;

wherein the processor is adapted to determine the connectivity topology further based on the ultrasonic transducer listening to the ultrasonic pulses on the power lines.

7. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, further comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation field strength measuring device to measure wireless network communications signals from the plurality of local management units;

wherein the processor is adapted to determine the connectivity topology further based on the wireless network communications signals measured by the electromagnetic radiation field strength measuring device.

8. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 1, further comprising:

an infrared (IR) transceiver to detect location information of the plurality of local management units;

wherein the processor is adapted to determine the connectivity topology further based on the location information.

9. A solar photovoltaic power generation system, comprising:

a set of power lines;

a plurality of photovoltaic panels;

a plurality of local management units, each of the plurality of local management units coupled between the set of power lines and a corresponding photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels;

a transmitter adapted to transmit a signal to the local management units;

a receiver adapted to receive at least one response to the signal; and

a master management unit comprising;

a communications device adapted to communicate information with the local management units connected to the set of power lines of the solar photovoltaic power generation system, and

a processor adapted to determine a connectivity topology of the plurality of local management units on the set of power lines based at least in part on the at least one response.

10. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter is adapted to transmit the signal from a combiner box.

11. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 9, wherein the signal is modulated on the set of power lines on a first string bus of the solar photovoltaic power generation system before the signal is modulated on a second string bus of the solar photovoltaic power generation system.

12. The solar photovoltaic power generation system of claim 9, wherein the receiver includes one of:

an electromagnetic radiation field strength measuring device;

an infrared receiver; and

an ultrasonic transducer connected to the set of power lines.

13. A method comprising:

receiving identification information of a plurality of local management units in a solar photovoltaic power generation system having a plurality of photovoltaic panels, each of the plurality of local management units coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of photovoltaic panels and a set of power lines of the solar photovoltaic power generation system;

transmitting a command addressed to a first local management unit of the plurality of local management units based on the identification information, the command to instruct the first local management to change power output from a first photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels, the first photovoltaic panel controlled by the first local management unit;

after transmitting the command to the first local management unit, receiving first power production information from at least one of the plurality of local management units other than the first local management unit; and

determining a connectivity topology of the first local management unit within the solar photovoltaic power generation system based on the first power production information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the connectivity topology includes a connection of a first subset of the plurality of local management units including the first local management to the set of power lines, which is a first set of power lines, and a connection of a second subset of the plurality of local management units to a second set of power lines, different from the first set of power lines.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the connectivity topology includes a first identification a first subset of the plurality of local management units that includes the first local management as being connected to a first combiner box of the solar photovoltaic power generation system and a second identification of a second subset of the plurality of local management units as being connected to a second combiner box of the solar photovoltaic power generation system.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving location information of the first local management unit;

wherein the determining of the connectivity topology of the first local management unit is based further on the location information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving the location information includes:

receiving a wireless transmission from the first local management unit; and

determining the location information from a signal strength of the wireless transmission.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the connectivity topology includes an order of connection with the set of power lines as between the first local management unit and a second local management unit also connected to the set of power lines.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the command is to instruct the first local management to stop power output from the first photovoltaic panel to the set of power lines, which is a first set of power lines, the method further comprising:

transmitting a command to the first local management unit to restore power output from the first photovoltaic panel;

transmitting a command addressed to a second local management unit of the plurality of local management units to stop power output from a second photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels, the second photovoltaic panel controlled by the second local management unit;

after the transmitting of the command to the second local management unit, receiving second power production information from at least one of the plurality of local management units other than the second local management unit; and

determining a connectivity topology of the second local management unit within the solar photovoltaic power generation system based on the second power production information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying a subset of the local management units that are on a second set of power lines different from a first set of power lines on which the first local management unit is located based on the first power production information; and

selecting the second local management unit from the subset for the transmitting of the command to the second local management unit.