Method and system for a DC nanogrid
AssigneesPurdue Research Foundation, Rectify LLC
InventorsJonathan Ore, Philip Teague, Frank W. Teague, III, Eckhard Groll
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A direct current (DC) electrical panel (DC Combiner) is disclosed which includes a plurality of input pairs of positive and negative inputs, each input pair of the plurality of input pairs is configured to provide a positive DC input at a predefined voltage and a negative DC return, each positive input is coupled to a protection circuit whereby each such positive input is isolated from other positive inputs of the plurality of input pairs, thereby generating a protected input, each protected input is coupled to a busbar, and the busbar coupled to a plurality of switched circuits via a breaker switch in line with a protected input.
Claims26
A direct current (DC) electrical panel (DC Combiner), comprising:
- a plurality of input pairs of positive and negative inputs, each input pair of the plurality of input pairs configured to provide a positive DC input at a predefined voltage and a negative DC return;
- each positive input coupled to a protection circuit whereby each such positive input isolated from other positive inputs of the plurality of input pairs, thereby generating a protected input;
- each protected input coupled to a busbar;
- and
- the busbar coupled to a plurality of switched circuits via a breaker switch in line with a protected input,
- wherein each of the protection circuits includes an input disconnect switch coupled to an associated positive input, thereby generating a positive switched input, and
- wherein each of the protection circuits further includes a DC shunt coupled to an associated positive switched input and configured to provide a current reading passing through or a temperature reading of the DC shunt, thereby generating a positive shunted switched input.
A nanogrid system for use in a commercial or residential setting (dwelling), comprising:
- an alternating current (AC) utility input from a utility provider;
- a plurality of direct current (DC) sources configured to generate DC voltage at one or more DC levels, wherein each DC source generating a voltage different than a predefined voltage is coupled to an external DC-DC converter configured to output a DC voltage at about the predefined voltage, thereby generating a converted DC source;
- a bidirectional inverter coupled to the AC utility input and a DC electrical panel (DC Combiner), the bidirectional inverter configured to invert the DC voltage at the DC combiner to an AC voltage to be used by AC loads within the dwelling;
- the DC combiner, comprising:
- a plurality of input pairs of positive and negative inputs, each input pair of the plurality of input pairs configured to provide a positive DC input at a predefined voltage and a negative DC return, one or more of the plurality of input pairs each coupled to an associated DC source or to an associated converted DC source;
- each positive input coupled to a protection circuit whereby each such positive input isolated from other positive inputs of the plurality of input pairs, thereby generating a protected input;
- each protected input coupled to a busbar;
- and
- the busbar coupled to a plurality of switched circuits via a breaker switch in line with a protected input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.