Method and Apparatus for Controlling an Inverter Using Pulse Mode Control
AssigneeSolarBridge Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPatrick L. Chapman, Philip T. Krein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling an inverter includes operating the inverter in a one of a normal run mode or a pulse mode depending on one or more criteria. When operating in the pulse mode, the inverter generates a sinusoidal output pulse waveform including a plurality of pulses having a determined pulse width. The pulse width is less than a half-wave period of a full-cycle sinusoidal waveform and may be determined as function of, for example, the output power of the inverter, a grid voltage, and/or other criteria.
Claims20
A method for controlling an inverter, the method comprising:
- determining an output frequency of the inverter;
- determining a pulse width value for an output waveform of the inverter, the pulse width value being less than a half-wave period of a full-cycle sinusoidal waveform at the output frequency;
- and
- generating a sinusoidal output pulse waveform comprising a plurality of pulses having a pulse width equal to the pulse width value.
An inverter for converting direct current (DC) power to an alternating current (AC) power, the inverter comprising:
- an output converter to generate an output waveform at an output frequency in response to a plurality of switching signals;
- and
- an output converter controller coupled to the output converter and configured to:
- (i) determine a pulse width value for the output waveform of the inverter, the pulse width value being less than a half-wave period of the output frequency, and
- (ii) generate the plurality of switching signals to cause the output converter to generate a sinusoidal output pulse having a pulse width equal to the pulse width value.
An apparatus comprising:
- a solar panel comprising a plurality of solar cells configured to generate a direct current (DC) power output in response to receiving an amount of sunlight;
- and
- an inverter coupled to the solar cell panel and configured to convert the DC power output to an AC power output, the inverter comprising:
- a converter circuit to generate an output waveform at an output frequency;
- and
- a converter control circuit to control the operation of the converter circuit, the converter control circuit configured to:
- (i) determine an output power of the inverter;
- (ii) operate the inverter in a normal run mode to cause the converter circuit to generate a full-cycle sinusoidal output waveform at the output frequency in response to the output power being equal to or greater than a reference output power threshold;
- and
- (iii) operate the converter circuit in a pulse mode to cause the converter circuit to generate a sinusoidal pulse output waveform having a pulse width less than a half-wave period of the full-cycle sinusoidal output waveform in response to the output power being less than the reference threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.