Method of finding a maximum power of a photovoltaic generator

• US 7,471,073 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
• Original Assignee: SMA Technologie AG (SMA Solar Technology AG)
• Inventors: Arend, Oliver, Reichenbächer, Wolfgang Kurt, Bettenwort, Gerd, Kühnel, Christian, Laschinski, Joachim Ralf, Leonhardt, Gerald Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Rajnikant B
• Application Number:
  US11/484,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 323282-288, 323/299, 323/906, 323/300, 323/222, 307/113, 307/115, 320/101, 320/141, 320/163
• US Class Current: 323/299
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/906 Solar cell systems

Abstract

A method of finding a power maximum of a photovoltaic generator using an MPP regulator of a photovoltaic current converter by means of which a maximum generator power is set at an operating point of the generator'"'"'s characteristic curve is intended to supply improved efficiency when the generator is partially shadowed. This is achieved by switching the MPP regulator off in order to next load and/or unload the generator to allow a new operating point of the generator'"'"'s characteristic curve to set and by next switching the MPP regulator on again.

Claims

1. A method of finding a power maximum of a photovoltaic generator, using MPP regulation of a power converter by means of which a maximum generator power is set at an operating point of the generator'"'"'s characteristic curve,

wherein the MPP regulation is switched off in order to find a plurality of power maxima due to partial shadowing effects and wherein the MPP regulation is switched off in order to then load and/or unload the generator and that the MPP regulation is next switched on again in order to bring the operating point of the generator'"'"'s characteristic curve from a stable condition into an instable condition and vice versa, wherein the instable condition is performed in that way, that a new operating point that is arranged near to a local or global maximum is provided nearly without delay.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein after the MPP regulation has been switched off, the power of the power converter is increased so that a first operating point of a power characteristic curve, which corresponds to a local maximum, moves toward a second operating point located between the first operating point and a third operating point and near said third operating point, said third operating point being a global maximum.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein after the MPP regulation has been switched off, the power of the power converter is increased so that a first operating point of a power characteristic curve, which corresponds to a global maximum, moves toward a second operating point located near point zero of the characteristic curve.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the generator is unloaded again when the voltage falls below a limit.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein after the MPP regulation has been switched off, the power of the power converter is reduced so that a first operating point of a power characteristic curve, which corresponds to a local maximum, moves toward a second operating point located near the generator'"'"'s idle voltage.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein after the MPP regulation has been switched off, the power of the power converter is reduced so that a first operating point of a power characteristic curve, which corresponds to a local maximum, moves toward a second operating point located near the generator'"'"'s idle voltage, a third operating point occurring after the current has been increased, said third operating point being as high as the first operating point and near a fourth operating point, which is a global maximum.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the generator voltage is stored.

8. A method of finding a power maximum of a partially shadowed photovoltaic generator having multiple maximum power points, comprising the steps of

setting a first operating point of the photovoltaic generator at a first maximum power point using an MPP regulator of an inverter;

switching off the MPP regulator;

loading or unloading the photovoltaic generator by a predetermined factor by adjusting the output current of the inverter; and

turning on the MPP regulator.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising

pausing after loading or unloading the photovoltaic generator;

determining whether a new operating point achieves a stable operating point after pausing;

reversing the loading or unloading of the photovoltaic generator if in the step of determining it is determined that the new operating point does not achieve a stable operating point;

skipping to the step of turning on the MPP regulator after the step of reversing if the step of reversing is performed;

calculating whether the new operating point is near the first operating point;

incrementing a counter if in the step of calculating it is determined that the new operating point is not near the first operating point.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of loading or unloading, pausing, determining, calculating and incrementing until the counter reaches a maximum value or the steps of reversing and skipping are performed.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the following steps before the step of switching off the MPP regulator measuring a voltage across output terminals of the photovoltaic generator;

storing a value of the voltage measured across output terminals of the photovoltaic generator in a first memory location;

measuring a current from an output terminal of the inverter connected to the output terminals of the photovoltaic generator; and

storing a value of the current measured from an output terminal of a power converter connected to the output terminals of the photovoltaic generator in a second memory location.