METHOD FOR DISCONNECTING A PHOTOVOLTAIC ASSEMBLY AND PHOTOVOLTAIC ASSEMBLY

• US 20140311546A1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ingmar Kruse
• Original Assignee: Ingmar Kruse
• Inventors: Asimov, Roustam, Kruse, Ingmar
• Application Number:
  US13/993,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20140311546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• 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: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A method for disconnecting a photovoltaic assembly, wherein the photovoltaic assembly includes the following: a string having a plurality of photovoltaic modules having a plurality of solar cells, an electrical line, which connects the individual photovoltaic modules to one another to form the string and serve the purpose of conducting the current produced by the individual solar cells in the photovoltaic modules to a common inverter. The photovoltaic assembly is disconnected by a disconnection signal in a hazard situation. Furthermore, in order to ensure increased safety in an emergency situation, provision is made for the disconnection signal to be conducted via the electrical line to the individual photovoltaic modules in the string, for the disconnection signal to be detected at the respective photovoltaic module and for the respective photovoltaic module to be disconnected via a switching device arranged at the respective photovoltaic module.

Claims

1. A method for disconnecting a photovoltaic assembly, wherein the photovoltaic assembly comprises the following:

a string consisting of several photovoltaic modules comprising a plurality of solar cells, electrical line means which connect the individual photovoltaic modules to one another to form the string and which serve the purpose of conducting the current produced by the individual solar cells in the photovoltaic modules to a common inverter, wherein

disconnection of the photovoltaic assembly is performed in a hazardous situation by means of a disconnection signal, as a result of which interruption of the electrical line means takes place at the respective photovoltaic module,

the disconnection signal is conducted via the electrical line means to the individual photovoltaic modules in the string,

the disconnection signal is detected at the respective photovoltaic module,

the respective photovoltaic module is disconnected via a switching device arranged at the respective photovoltaic module,

determination of at least one status parameter of the respective photovoltaic module is implemented by a test circuit associated with the respective photovoltaic module, and

the disconnection signal can be detected as a further signal which can be sensed by the test circuit,

wherein

a modulated voltage or current signal is fed into the electrical line means in order to trigger the disconnection operation, and

a central evaluation unit is provided which receives the information relating to the status of the photovoltaic modules via the electrical line means.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical line means are interrupted for disconnection of the respective photovoltaic module.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a short circuit is connected for disconnecting the respective photovoltaic module.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein control of the current/voltage characteristic takes place at the inverter (MPP tracking) and the disconnection signal is generated by the inverter as a signal in the context of this control.

5. The method as claimed in at claim 1, wherein the voltage or the current intensity is modulated for generating the disconnection signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein voltage pulses with a relatively high frequency are provided as disconnection signal.

7. A photovoltaic assembly comprising

at least one string consisting of several photovoltaic modules comprising a plurality of solar cells,

electrical line means which connect the individual photovoltaic modules to one another to form the string and which serve the purpose of conducting the current produced by the individual solar cells in the photovoltaic modules to a common inverter,

a disconnection device of the photovoltaic assembly in a hazardous situation,

a device for generating a disconnection signal which is common to the photovoltaic modules is provided, and

a switching device is associated with each photovoltaic module, by means of which switching device the respective photovoltaic module can be disconnected when the disconnection signal is input, by virtue of an interruption of the electrical line means taking place at the respective photovoltaic module,

the test device of the respective photovoltaic module has a test circuit for the status determination which at the same time acts as a device for receiving the disconnection signal, and

the disconnection signal can be detected as a further signal which can be sensed by the test circuit,

wherein

a modulated voltage or current signal can be fed into the electrical line means in order to trigger the disconnection operation, and

a central evaluation unit is provided which receives the information relating to the status of the photovoltaic modules.

8. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switching device is a switch which interrupts the electrical line means.

9. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switching device is a short-circuiting switch.

10. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the controller of the inverter has control software for the current/voltage characteristic (MPP tracking), and a subroutine of the generation of the disconnection signal is provided.

11. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein a signal generator for generating the disconnection signal is provided.

12. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the signal generator comprises a load element and a transistor.

13. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein a signal modulated with respect to the voltage or the current intensity is provided as disconnection signal.

14. The photovoltaic assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein voltage pulses with a relatively high frequency are provided as disconnection signal.

15. A method for disconnecting a photovoltaic assembly, wherein the photovoltaic assembly comprises the following:

a string consisting of several photovoltaic modules comprising a plurality of solar cells,

electrical line means which connect the individual photovoltaic modules to one another to form the string and which serve the purpose of conducting the current produced by the individual solar cells in the photovoltaic modules to a common inverter, wherein

disconnection of the photovoltaic assembly is performed in a hazardous situation by means of a disconnection signal, as a result of which interruption of the electrical line means takes place at the respective photovoltaic module,

the disconnection signal is conducted via the electrical line means to the individual photovoltaic modules in the string,

the disconnection signal is detected at the respective photovoltaic module,

the respective photovoltaic module is disconnected via a switching device arranged at the respective photovoltaic module,

determination of at least one status parameter of the respective photovoltaic module is implemented by a test circuit associated with the respective photovoltaic module, and

the disconnection signal can be detected as a further signal which can be sensed by the test circuit,

wherein

a modulated voltage or current signal is fed into the electrical line means in order to trigger the disconnection operation, and

a central evaluation unit is provided which receives the information relating to the status of the photovoltaic modules via the electrical line means, wherein

the disconnection signal is one which is common to the photovoltaic modules.

16. A photovoltaic assembly comprising

at least one string consisting of several photovoltaic modules comprising a plurality of solar cells,

electrical line means which connect the individual photovoltaic modules to one another to form the string and which serve the purpose of conducting the current produced by the individual solar cells in the photovoltaic modules to a common inverter,

a disconnection device of the photovoltaic assembly in a hazardous situation,

a device for generating a disconnection signal which is common to the photovoltaic modules is provided, and

a switching device is associated with each photovoltaic module, by means of which switching device the respective photovoltaic module can be disconnected when the disconnection signal is input, by virtue of an interruption of the electrical line means taking place at the respective photovoltaic module,

the test device of the respective photovoltaic module has a test circuit for the status determination which at the same time acts as a device for receiving the disconnection signal, and

the disconnection signal can be detected as a further signal which can be sensed by the test circuit,

wherein

a modulated voltage or current signal can be fed into the electrical line means in order to trigger the disconnection operation, and

a central evaluation unit is provided which receives the information relating to the status of the photovoltaic modules, wherein

the disconnection signal is one which is common to the photovoltaic modules.