# US 11,909,351 B2 · Inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,351 B2 - Document ID: US11909351B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/962,275 - Filed: 2022-10-07 - Published: 2023-07-13 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-01 - Assignees: Aderis Energy, LLC - Applicants: Aderis Energy, LLC - Inventors: Olee Joel Olsen, Jr.; Adam Will Foodman; Bradley Allan Micallef - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909351B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/00: Conversion of DC power input into DC power output - H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection - H02M 3/02: without intermediate conversion into AC - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) ## Abstract An inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness for photovoltaic solar facilities includes a housing, a plurality of PV input connectors, an at least one PV output connector. The housing incorporates a DC/DC converter, and has an input and an output. The plurality of PV input connectors are operatively connected to the housing at the input. The PV output connector is operatively connected to the housing at the output. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness for photovoltaic solar facilities, comprising: a housing containing a plurality of DC/DC converters, each having a two-pole input and a two-pole output, wherein the outputs of the DC/DC converters are connected together in parallel in the housing and provided as an exterior two-pole output from the housing; wherein each pole of the input of each of the plurality of DC/DC converters is terminated with a connector adapted to connect to a corresponding connector operatively connected to an existing circuit; and wherein each pole of the exterior output from the housing is terminated with a connector adapted to connect to a respective corresponding connector operatively connected to a DC combiner box. ### Claim 2 An inline DC voltage step-up system for retrofitting a photovoltaic (PV) solar facility to provide a new, higher-voltage output, the system comprising: (a) an inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness, including: (i) a housing, (ii) a plurality of DC/DC converters disposed within the housing, each DC/DC converter having a two-pole input and a two-pole output, (iii) wherein the outputs of the DC/DC converters are connected together in parallel in the housing and provided as an exterior two-pole output from the housing, (iv) wherein each pole of the input of each of the plurality of DC/DC converters is terminated with a connector adapted to connect to a respective corresponding connector operatively connected to an existing circuit, and (v) wherein each pole of the exterior output from the housing is terminated with a connector; and (b) a DC combiner box having a two-pole input, terminated with connectors coupled to the connectors of the exterior output of the inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness, and an output connected to a load. ### Claim 3 A method of retrofitting a photovoltaic (PV) solar facility to replace an existing lower-voltage module, connected to connectors that terminate output circuits from the PV solar facility, with a new higher-voltage module, the existing lower-voltage module providing output voltage to a load at a first voltage, the method comprising: (a) providing an inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness and a first DC combiner box, wherein the inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness includes: (i) a housing, (ii) a plurality of DC/DC converters disposed within the housing, each DC/DC converter having a two-pole input and a two-pole output, (iii) wherein the outputs of the DC/DC converters are connected together in parallel in the housing and provided as an exterior two-pole output from the housing, (iv) wherein each pole of the input of each of the plurality of DC/DC converters is terminated with a connector, and (v) wherein each pole of the exterior output from the housing is terminated with a connector; and (b) disconnecting a second DC combiner box from the plurality of connectors that terminate output circuits from the PV solar facility; (c) after disconnecting, connecting inline DC feeder DC/DC voltage step-up harness to the output circuits from the PV solar facility by connecting the respective connectors together; (d) connecting the first DC combiner box to the output from the housing via the respective connectors; and (e) thereafter, providing an output voltage to the load at a second voltage, the second voltage being greater than the first voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the first DC combiner box is a replacement combiner box. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the first voltage is 600 VDC or 1000 VDC, and the second voltage is 1500 VDC.