SERIALLY CONNECTED INVERTERS
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Accused Products
Abstract
A photovoltaic power generation system, having a photovoltaic panel, which has a direct current (DC) output and a micro-inverter with input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are adapted for connection to the DC output. The micro-inverter is configured for converting an input DC power received at the input terminals to an output alternating current (AC) power at the output terminals. A bypass current path between the output terminals may be adapted for passing current produced externally to the micro-inverter. The micro-inverter is configured to output an alternating current voltage significantly less than a grid voltage.
37 Citations
33 Claims
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1-13. -13. (canceled)
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14. A micro-inverter comprising:
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a first output node; a second output node; and a bypass current path between the first node and the second node, the micro-inverter being configured to switch the bypass current path between passing an alternating current produced externally between the first node and the second node and passing the alternating current produced externally to the micro-inverter. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A photovoltaic power generation system comprising:
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a plurality of photovoltaic panels with direct current outputs; and a plurality of micro-inverters connected in series, each micro-inverter including input terminals, output terminals, and a bypass current path, wherein the input terminals are connected to the direct current outputs of one of the plurality of photovoltaic panels, respectively, and the output terminals of the plurality of micro-inverters are connected in series into a serial string, wherein an output voltage of the serial string is substantially equal to a grid voltage, and wherein each micro-inverter is configured to switch the bypass current path between passing an alternating current produced externally in the serial string between the output terminals and passing the alternating current produced externally in the serial string to the micro-inverter. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method, comprising:
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connecting input terminals of a plurality of micro-inverters respectively to direct current outputs of a plurality of photovoltaic panels; connecting output terminals of the plurality of micro-inverters serially to a serial voltage output; inverting, with the micro-inverters, input direct current power received at the input terminals to output alternating-current power at said output terminals while maintaining said serial voltage output substantially equal to a grid voltage; and in response to determining a failure of a micro-inverter, bypassing the micro-inverter by forming a current path between the output terminals of the micro-inverter. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification