Solar power generation system, control device used for solar power generation system, and control method and program for same

A control device which is applied to a light power generation control system which has a light power generation unit which generates power in accordance with incident light, a voltage detecting means for detecting a terminal voltage of the light power generation unit, a current detecting means for detecting an output current of the light power generation unit or a power detecting means for detecting an output power of the light power generation unit, and a power converting means which includes a switching element, converts the output voltage of the light power generation unit in accordance with the ON/OFF operation of the switching element, and outputs power of that voltage, wherein

• the control device is a control device which alternately performs a control operation in a maximum power detection mode and a control operation in a tracking operation mode, controls the switching element in the two modes, and controls the conversion operation of the power converting means, and
• the control device,
• in the maximum power detection mode,
• makes the switching element in the power converting means operate to the first logic state to open the circuit between the output terminals of the light power generation unit and
• makes the switching element operate from the open-circuit state to the second logic state to short-circuit the output terminals of the light power generation unit and, in that process, detects the point at which the power of the product of the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means and the current which was detected by the current detecting means or the power which was detected by the power detecting means becomes the maximum and detects the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means at the time when detecting the maximum power as the optimal output voltage, and
• in the tracking operation mode,
• uses the optimal output voltage as the reference voltage and makes the switching element operate so that the difference between the reference voltage and the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means becomes “0”or almost “0”.

A control method which is applied to a light power generation system which has a light power generation unit which generates power in accordance with incident light, a voltage detecting means for detecting a terminal voltage of the light power generation unit, a current detecting means for detecting an output current of the light power generation unit or a power detecting means for detecting an output power of the light power generation unit, and a power converting means including a switching element and converting the output voltage of the light power generation unit in accordance with an ON/OFF operation of the switching element and outputting power of that voltage, wherein

• the control method is a control method for alternately performing a control operation in a maximum power detection mode and a control operation in a tracking operation mode, controlling the switching element in the two modes, and controlling the conversion operation of the power converting means, and comprises steps of,
• in the maximum power detection mode,
• making the switching element in the power converting means operate to a first logic state to open the circuit between the output terminals of the light power generation unit and
• making the switching element operate from the open-circuit state to a second logic state to short-circuit the output terminals of the light power generation unit and, in that process, detecting the point at which the power of the product of the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means and the current which was detected by the current detecting means or the power which was detected by the power detecting means becomes the maximum and detecting the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means at the time when detecting the maximum power as the optimal output voltage, and
• in the tracking operation mode,
• using the optimal output voltage as the reference voltage and making the switching element operate so that a difference between the reference voltage and the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means becomes “0” or almost “0”.

A program for making a computer run processing for controlling a light power generation system which has a light power generation unit which generates power in accordance with incident light, a voltage detecting means for detecting a terminal voltage of the light power generation unit, a current detecting means for detecting an output current of the light power generation unit or a power detecting means for detecting an output power of the light power generation unit, and a power converting means including a switching element and converting an output voltage of the light power generation unit in accordance with the ON/OFF operation of the switching element and outputting power of that voltage, wherein

• the program is a program having a routine of alternately performing a control operation in a maximum power detection mode and a control operation in a tracking operation mode, controlling the switching element in the two modes, and controlling the conversion operation of the power converting means, and
• makes the computer run
• a first routine of making the switching element in the power converting means operate to a first logic state to open a circuit between the output terminals of the light power generation unit in the maximum power detection mode,
• a second routine of making the switching element operate from the open-circuit state to a second logic state to short-circuit the output terminals of the light power generation unit and, in that process, detecting the point at which the power of the product of the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means and the current which was detected by the current detecting means or the power which was detected by the power detecting means becomes the maximum and detecting the voltage which was detected by the voltage detecting means at the time when detecting the maximum power as the optimal output voltage,
• a third routine of switching the operation from the maximum power detection mode to the tracking operation mode, and
• a fourth routine of using the optimal output voltage as the reference voltage and making the switching element operate so that the difference between the reference voltage and the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means becomes “0” or almost “0” in the tracking operation mode.