Photovoltaic Panel Circuitry

• US 20150171789A1
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Har-Shai, Liron, Zohar, Alon, Yoscovitch, Ilan, Galin, Yoav, Handelsman, Lior
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• 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: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/16 responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 ; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

Circuits integrated or integrable with a photovoltaic panel to provide built-in functionality to the photovoltaic panel including safety features such as arc detection and elimination, ground fault detection and elimination, reverse current protection, monitoring of the performance of the photovoltaic panel, transmission of the monitored parameters and theft prevention of the photovoltaic panel. The circuits may avoid power conversion, for instance DC/DC power conversion, may avoid performing maximum power tracking to include a minimum number of components and thereby increase overall reliability.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

first and second nodes, a storage circuit, and a bypass circuit, wherein the apparatus is configured to;

during a first phase of an operating period, store in the storage circuit operating power received across the first and the second nodes and isolate by the bypass circuit the first node from the second node; and

during a second phase of the operating period, operate the bypass circuit using the power from the storage circuit, wherein the bypass circuit shorts the first node and the second node until the power stored in the storage circuit is expended.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to repeat cyclically the first and the second phases in response to a positive voltage from the first node to the second node.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, the bypass circuit is configured to isolate the first node from the second node in response to a negative voltage across the first node to the second node.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second phase of the operating period is greater in duration than the first phase.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising one or more photovoltaic cells connected across the first and the second nodes in parallel with the bypass circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising one or more additional photovoltaic cells connected in series with the bypass circuit and in series with the one or more photovoltaic cells.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a switch connected in series between the first or the second node and the one or more photovoltaic cells.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage circuit comprises a battery.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the storage circuit comprises a voltage regulator in parallel with a capacitance.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the storage circuit comprises a transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode.

11. A circuit comprising:

first and second nodes;

a controller circuit;

a first switch comprising a first gate, a first drain, and a first source;

a second switch comprising a second gate, a second drain, and a second source;

a first diode comprising a first anode and a first cathode;

a second diode comprising a second anode and a second cathode;

a third diode comprising a third anode and a third cathode;

a capacitor comprising a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a voltage regulator comprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal, wherein the first terminal and the third cathode are connected, wherein the first node, the first drain, the first cathode, the third anode, and the positive terminal are connected, wherein the second node, the second drain, and the second cathode are connected, wherein the first source, the second source, the first anode, the second anode, the second terminal, and the negative terminal are connected, and wherein the controller circuit is powered from charge stored in the capacitor and configured to open and close the first gate and the second gate.

12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to open the first gate and the second gate in response to a negative voltage from the first node to the second node.

13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to close the first gate and the second gate in response to a positive voltage from the first node to the second node.

14. A method comprising:

charging a storage circuit with power received across first and second nodes over a first duration when the first node is isolated from the second node by a bypass circuit;

providing the power from the storage circuit to the bypass circuit over a second duration; and

shorting the first node to the second node through the bypass circuit over the second duration in response to the bypass circuit receiving the power provided from the storage circuit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the power from the storage circuit to the bypass circuit is responsive to a negative differential in a voltage of the first node to a voltage of the second node.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

responsive to a positive differential in the voltage of the first node to the voltage of the second node, re-isolating the first node and the second node and discontinuing the providing of the power from the storage circuit to the bypass circuit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the negative differential in the voltage of the first node to the second node results from a shading of a photovoltaic panel connected across the first node and the second node.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein shorting the first node and the second node comprises closing a first switch and a second switch connected in series across the first node and the second node.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein providing power from the storage circuit to the bypass circuit is responsive to a condition selected from the group consisting of:

an arc, a ground fault, and a monitored parameter fault.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the storage circuit comprises a voltage regulator in parallel with a capacitor.