# US 12,224,703 B2 · Fixed DC bus and hydrogen generation system

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- Number: US 12,224,703 B2
- Document ID: US12224703B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/389,192
- Filed: 2021-07-29
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-29
- Assignees: Nextracker LLC
- Applicants: NEXTracker LLC
- Inventors: Alexander W. Au; Venkata Rahul Abbaraju; Yang Liu; Wesley Chu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224703B2

## CPC

- H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
- H02J 1/102: being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence)
- H02J 3/28: Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy
- H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators}
- H02J 7/34: Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence)
- H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)}
- H02J 15/50: using stored hydrogen
- H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics
- H02J 2101/25: {involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources}
- H02J 2101/30: Fuel cells
- H02J 2207/30: Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
- Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
- Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
- Y02P 80/20: using renewable energy
- 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)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A distributed direct current power system including an inverter to invert DC to alternating current (AC), a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) strings, and a plurality of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) converters coupled between the plurality of photovoltaic (PV) strings, respectively, and the central inverter, the plurality of MPPT converters configured to maximize solar power production by the plurality of PV strings and minimize mismatch between the plurality of PV strings. The system also including a plurality of batteries, a plurality of DC-DC battery converters (DCBC) coupled to the plurality of batteries and configured to manage charge and discharge of the plurality of batteries, enable interconnection of the plurality of PV strings and the plurality of batteries, and supply a constant medium DC voltage to the central inverter, and a hydrogen generation system in electrical communication with the inverter, the photovoltaic strings, or the batteries.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A distributed direct current (DC) power system comprising:
an inverter configured to invert DC to alternating current (AC), the inverter coupled to a DC bus;
a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) strings;
a plurality of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) converters coupled between the plurality of photovoltaic (PV) strings and the DC bus, the plurality of MPPT converters configured to maximize solar power production by the plurality of PV strings and minimize mismatch between the plurality of PV strings;
a plurality of batteries coupled to the DC bus and configured to store excess solar power generated by the plurality of PV strings;
a plurality of DC-DC battery converters (DCBC) coupled between the plurality of batteries and the DC bus, the plurality of DCBCs configured to manage charge and discharge of the plurality of batteries and supply a constant DC voltage to the inverter via the DC bus;
a hydrogen generation system in electrical communication with the plurality of PV strings and the plurality of batteries via the DC bus, the hydrogen generation system configured to draw power from the DC bus that is generated by the plurality of PV strings and that is unable to be fed to a load or to the plurality of batteries to generate hydrogen gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, wherein the DC bus is a fixed DC bus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generation system includes a hydrogen generator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The power system of claim 3, wherein the hydrogen generation system further includes a plurality of vessels coupled to the hydrogen generator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The power system of claim 4, wherein a first vessel of the plurality of vessels is configured to store hydrogen and a second vessel of the plurality of vessels is configured to store oxygen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The power system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of vessels includes a plurality of portable vessels.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The power system of claim 4, wherein the hydrogen generation system further includes a hydrogen-powered gen-set coupled to a vessel of the plurality of vessels and positioned in proximity to the plurality of PV strings.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The power system of claim 4, wherein the hydrogen generation system further includes a fuel cell fluidically coupled to a vessel of the plurality of vessels.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The power system of claim 8, further comprising a DC bus electrically coupled to the fuel cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, wherein the constant DC voltage is a constant, medium DC voltage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, further comprising one or more hydrogen fuel cells configured to generate electricity using the hydrogen gas generated by the hydrogen generation system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The power system of claim 11, wherein the one or more hydrogen fuel cells are coupled to a fixed DC bus.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, further comprising a management system, the management system configured to minimize clipping of solar power produced by the plurality of PV strings.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The power system of claim 13, wherein the management system comprises one or more of the plurality of DCBCs, the plurality of MPPTs, or the inverter.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The power system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generation system is further configured to draw power from the plurality of batteries to generate hydrogen gas.