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US 12,719,384 B2Granted
System and methods for operating a power converter at varying power production conditions
AssigneeSolaredge Technologies Ltd.
InventorsOmer Szlafsztein, Amir Peri, Tom Di Cori, Ohad Fried
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In case the operational power production level of a multi-phase DC-AC power converter decreases, a controller may be configured to determine that a switching leg or switching legs of DC-AC power converter are to be disabled based on a power criterion to reduce losses incurred by the DC-AC power converter. The controller may be configured to select one of more of the switching legs, based on a selection criterion, and disable the selected switching leg or switching legs so as to reduce phase imbalance or degradation of the switching legs.
Claims17
A system comprising:
- a power converter comprising:
- direct current (DC) terminals configured to receive input power from a power source;
- a plurality of alternating current (AC) terminals;
- and
- a plurality of switching legs comprising:
- a first switching leg comprising a plurality of switches and connected to the DC terminals and to a first AC terminal of the plurality of AC terminals;
- a second switching leg comprising a plurality of switches and connected to the DC terminals and to a second AC terminal of the plurality of AC terminals;
- and
- a third switching leg comprising a plurality of switches and connected to the DC terminals and to a third AC terminal of the plurality of AC terminals;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine, based on based on a comparison of a measured electrical characteristic with a load power consumption threshold, to disable one or more switching legs of the plurality of switching legs;
- select at least one switching leg of the plurality of switching legs, based on as selection criteria and based on a determination that power drawn by a load, connected to one or more terminals of the plurality of AC terminals, is below the load power consumption threshold;
- and
- cause the selected at least one switching leg to be disabled.
12 more elements
A method comprising:
- measuring a load power consumption based on power drawn by a load connected to one or more switching legs of a plurality of switching legs of a power converter, wherein the plurality of switching legs comprises at least three switching legs each corresponding to a different phase of alternating current voltage;
- determining, by a controller, based on the load power consumption, to disable one or more switching legs of the plurality of switching legs;
- selecting, based on a selection criteria and based on the load power consumption being below a load power consumption threshold, at least one switching leg from the plurality of switching legs;
- and
- disabling by the controller, the selected at least one switching leg.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.