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US 12,719,407 B2Granted
Systems and methods for an enhanced watchdog in solar module installations
AssigneeTigo Energy Innovations LLC
InventorsRon Hadar, Shmuel Arditi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically or remotely rendering a solar array safe during an emergency or maintenance. A watchdog unit is disclosed for monitoring a signal from a central controller. If the signal is lost, interrupted, or becomes irregular, or if a shutdown signal is received, then the watchdog unit can shut down one or more solar modules. Shutting down a solar module can mean disconnecting it from a power bus of the solar array or lowering the solar module voltage to a safe level.
Claims15
A watchdog unit comprising:
- a local controller configured to monitor a power line communication from a central controller and determine whether the power line communication has been interrupted for a period longer than a predetermined time or number of allowed skips,
- wherein the power line communication is a signal whose modulation represents coded information;
- at least one component configured to disconnect a solar module from a power bus in response to a determination by the local controller that the power line communication from the central controller has been interrupted for a period longer than the predetermined time or number of allowed skips;
- a diode configured to be coupled in series with the power bus;
- wherein the watchdog unit is configured to connect the solar module to the power bus when the power line communication is not interrupted;
- and
- a bypass circuit configured to enable current in the power bus to bypass the solar module when the at least one component disconnects the solar module from the power bus;
- wherein the bypass circuit is configured to short the power bus through the watchdog unit such that current in the power bus can bypass the solar module;
- wherein the bypass circuit is configured to enable current in the power bus to bypass the diode.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.