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US 12,298,791 B2Granted
System and method for arc detection and intervention in solar energy systems
AssigneeTigo Energy, Inc.
InventorsDaniel Eizips, Shmuel Arditi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An arc detection and intervention system for a solar energy system. One or more arc detectors are strategically located among strings of solar panels. In conjunction with local management units (LMUs), arcs can be isolated and affected panels disconnected from the solar energy system.
Claims16
A photovoltaic system, comprising:
- a plurality of devices, a plurality of the photovoltaic panels, each device in the plurality of devices having:
- a switch to control output of electricity generated by a respective photovoltaic panel to which a respective device is locally coupled, and
- a controller;
- and
- a detector in communication with the plurality of devices;
- wherein in response to the detector detecting an arc fault in the photovoltaic system, the detector outputs a signal indicating the arc fault is present;
- and
- in response to the signal indicating the arc fault is present, the controller changes operations of the respective photovoltaic panel, including turning off output to a subset of the plurality of the photovoltaic panels to cause the detector to report absence of the arc fault in the photovoltaic system, wherein the subset of the photovoltaic panels contains less photovoltaic panels than the plurality of the photovoltaic panels.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- controlling, by a plurality of devices, a plurality of photovoltaic panels, wherein each device in the plurality of devices has:
- a switch to control output of electricity generated by a respective photovoltaic panel to which the respective device is locally coupled, and
- a controller;
- and
- detecting, by a detector, a presence of an arc fault in a photovoltaic system, in response to the detector detecting the presence of the arc fault in the photovoltaic system:
- changing operations of the photovoltaic panels, including turning off output of a subset of the photovoltaic panels to cause the detector to report absence of the arc fault in the photovoltaic system, wherein the subset of the photovoltaic panels contains less photovoltaic panels than the plurality of the photovoltaic panels.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.