BYPASS MECHANISM

• US 20140265629A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Gazit, Meir, Kirmayer, Ehud, Gershman, Israel, Kupershmidt, Leon, Adest, Meir
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/112
• 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: H02J 1/00 Circuit arrangements for dc mains or dc distribution networks
• 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

A bypass mechanism for a photovoltaic module which switches out the electronics and switches in a bypass mechanism.

Claims

1. A method comprising bypassing electronics of a photovoltaic module by switching out the electronics and switching in a bypass circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a first plurality of terminals, the bypass circuit comprises a bypass module that comprises a second plurality of terminals, and wherein the bypassing comprises electrically coupling at least some of the first plurality of terminals with the second plurality of terminals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bypass module further comprises a third plurality of terminals, and wherein the bypassing comprises removing the third plurality of terminals from being electrically coupled with the first plurality of terminals prior to the electrically coupling of the at least some of the first plurality of terminals with the second plurality of terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a first plurality of terminals, the bypass circuit comprises a structure that, when physically coupled with the first plurality of terminals, causes at least some of the first plurality of terminals to be electrically shorted to one another in order to perform the bypassing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the bypassing, the electronics are electrically coupled to a circuit node configured to be coupled to a string of photovoltaic cells, and wherein the bypassing comprises electrically disconnecting the electronics from the circuit node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the bypassing the electronics are coupled in series between a first circuit node and a second circuit node, the first circuit node configured to be coupled to a string of photovoltaic cells, and wherein the bypassing comprises disconnecting the electronics from the first circuit node and the second circuit node and electrically coupling the bypass circuit so as to electrically couple the first circuit node with the second circuit node.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a first circuit node configured to be electrically coupled to a string of photovoltaic cells;

a second circuit node;

a third circuit node;

a fourth circuit node;

electronics electrically coupled in series between the third terminal and the fourth circuit nodes; and

a bypass circuit configured to electrically short together at least some of the first, second, third, and fourth circuit nodes as follows;

in a first state, electrically short together the first circuit node and the second circuit node; and

in a second state, electrically short together the first circuit node and the third circuit node and electrically short together the second circuit node and the fourth circuit node.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a housing enclosing the first, second, third, and fourth circuit nodes and also enclosing the electronics, wherein the first circuit node is electrically coupled to a first terminal, the second circuit node is electrically coupled to a second terminal, the third circuit node is electrically coupled to a third terminal, the fourth circuit node is electrically coupled to a fourth terminal, and the first, second, third, and fourth terminals are electrically accessible from outside the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bypass circuit comprises a bypass module configured to physically engage with at least some of the first, second, third, and fourth terminals from outside the housing so as to perform the electrically shorting together.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bypass circuit comprises a first plurality of terminals configured to physically engage with at least some of the first, second, third, and fourth terminals so as to perform the electrically shorting together in the first state and a second plurality of terminals configured to physically engage with at least some of the first, second, third, and fourth terminals so as to perform the electrically shorting together in the second state.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bypass circuit is further configured such that, in the first state, the third circuit node is electrically disconnected from the first circuit node and the fourth circuit node is electrically disconnected from the second circuit node.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bypass circuit is further configured such that, in the second state, the first circuit node is electrically disconnected from the second circuit node.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bypass circuit comprises:

a first switch configured to selectively electrically couple together the first and second circuit nodes in the first state;

a second switch configured to selectively electrically couple together the first and third circuit nodes in the second state; and

a third switch configured to selectively electrically couple together the second and fourth circuit nodes in the second state.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the string of photovoltaic cells electrically coupled with the first circuit node.

15. A method, comprising:

bypassing electronics of a photovoltaic module using a bypass circuit;

flash testing photovoltaic cells of the photovoltaic module while the electronics are bypassed; and

reconnecting the electronics by switching in the electronics and switching out the bypass circuit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a first plurality of terminals, the bypass circuit comprises a bypass module that comprises a second plurality of terminals, and wherein during the bypassing, at least some of the first plurality of terminals are electrically coupled with the second plurality of terminals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bypass module further comprises a third plurality of terminals, and wherein the reconnecting comprises disconnecting the second plurality of terminals from the at least some of the first plurality of terminals and electrically coupling the third plurality of terminals with the first plurality of terminals.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the photovoltaic cells are electrically coupled to the photovoltaic module.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the reconnecting comprises electronically coupling the electronics with the photovoltaic cells.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the bypass circuit comprises at least one switch that is in a first state during the bypassing and a second state during the reconnecting.