SAFETY SWITCH FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first electrical conductor coupled to a first electrical connector, the first electrical connector designed to be connectable to a first power source;
a second electrical conductor coupled to a second electrical connector, the second electrical connector designed to be connectable to a second power source;
a switching element coupled between the first electrical conductor the second electrical conductor; and
a controller coupled to a control terminal of the switching element, the controller responsive to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition and configured to control the switching element to disconnect the first electrical conductor from the second electrical conductor in response to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition.
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Abstract
Various implementations described herein are directed to a methods and apparatuses for disconnecting, by a device, elements at certain parts of an electrical system. The method may include measuring operational parameters at certain locations within the system and/or receiving messages from control devices indicating a potentially unsafe condition, disconnecting and/or short-circuiting system elements in response, and reconnection the system elements when it is safe to do so. Certain embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for providing operational power to safety switches during different modes of system operation.
59 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first electrical conductor coupled to a first electrical connector, the first electrical connector designed to be connectable to a first power source; a second electrical conductor coupled to a second electrical connector, the second electrical connector designed to be connectable to a second power source; a switching element coupled between the first electrical conductor the second electrical conductor; and a controller coupled to a control terminal of the switching element, the controller responsive to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition and configured to control the switching element to disconnect the first electrical conductor from the second electrical conductor in response to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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detecting, by a controller, a potentially unsafe condition at a power generation installation comprising two or more power sources and one or more safety switches, each safety switch disposed between two power sources; controlling, by the controller, the one or more safety switches to disconnect one or more of the two or more power sources; receiving, by the controller, an indication that the potentially unsafe condition has been resolved; and controlling the one or more safety switches to reconnect one or more of the two or more power sources. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus comprising:
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a transistor; a diode coupled in parallel to the transistor; a resistor coupled in parallel to the transistor; and a power circuit coupled in parallel to the transistor, the power circuit configured to receive as input a voltage disposed between a first terminal of the transistor and a second terminal of the transistor and output a voltage to a third terminal of the transistor, wherein the power circuit comprises a direct current to direct current converter, wherein the first terminal of the transistor is coupled to a first terminal of a first photovoltaic generator and the second terminal of the transistor is coupled to a terminal of a second photovoltaic generator. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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a first terminal configured to be coupled to a first power device terminal; a second terminal configured to be coupled to a first electrical power source; a third terminal configured to be coupled to a second power device terminal; a fourth terminal configured to be coupled to a second electrical power source; a switching element coupled between the second terminal and the fourth terminal; and a controller configured to control a state of the switching element, the controller responsive to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition and configured to disconnect the first electrical power source from the second electrical power source in response to an indication of a potentially unsafe condition. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification