# US 2019/0173376 A1 · Circuit for charging an electric battery by means of a photovoltaic module

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2019/0173376 A1
- Document ID: US20190173376A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/201,292
- Filed: 2018-11-27
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Commissariat à I'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
- Applicants: Commissariat à I'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
- Inventors: Mark VERVAART
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173376A1

## CPC

- H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells
- H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
- H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The invention concerns a circuit for charging a battery by means of a photovoltaic module, including: input and output terminals intended to be respectively coupled to the module and to the battery; a converter including input and output terminals respectively coupled to the input and output terminals of the charging circuit; a control circuit including power supply terminals coupled to the output terminals of the charging circuit; a switch coupling one of the output terminals of the converter to one of the output terminals of the charging circuit; and a detection circuit configured, when the voltage between output terminals of the charging circuit exceeds a threshold, to send an order to turn off the switch and stop the converter for a predetermined period.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit (205) for charging an electric battery (101) by means of a photovoltaic module (103), comprising:
first (I+) and second (I−) input terminals intended to be respectively coupled to fist (M+) and second (M−) terminals of the photovoltaic module;
first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals intended to be respectively coupled to first (B+) and second (B−) terminals of the battery;
a switched-mode power converter (107) comprising first (ci+) and second (ci−) input terminals respectively coupled to the first (I+) and second (I−) input terminals of the charging circuit and first (co+) and second (co−) output terminals respectively coupled to the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit;
a circuit (109) for controlling the switched-mode power converter (107) comprising first (s+) and second (s−) power supply terminals respectively coupled to the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit;
a protection switch (K2) coupling the first output terminal (co+) of the switched-mode power converter to the first output terminal (O+) of the charging circuit; and
an overvoltage detection circuit (207) configured to, when the voltage between the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit exceeds a threshold, send an order to turn off the protection switch (K2) and stop the switched-mode power converter (107) for a predetermined inhibition period.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 1, wherein the overvoltage detection circuit (207) is further configured to, at the end of the inhibition period, send an order to turn on the protection switch (K2) and restart the switched-mode power converter (107).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 1, wherein the control circuit (109) is configured to control the switched-mode power converter (107) according to the output voltage and/or current of the photovoltaic module (103), measured on the first (I+) and/or second (I−) input terminals of the charging circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 3, wherein the control circuit (109) is configured to automatically adapt the control of the switched-mode power converter (107) to maximize the output power of the photovoltaic module.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 1, wherein the overvoltage detection circuit (207) comprises a comparator (401) having its output coupled to a charging node (n4) of a timer circuit (C4, R5) via a diode (D2).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 5, wherein the timer circuit comprises a first capacitor (C4) and a first resistor (R5) coupled in parallel between the charging node (n4) of the timer circuit and the second output terminal (O−) of the charging circuit (205).

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 5, wherein the overvoltage detection circuit (207) comprises a Zener diode (Z1) series-coupled with a second resistor (R1) between the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit, the comparator having a positive input terminal (+) coupled to the junction point of the Zener diode (Z1) and of the second resistor (R1) and a negative input terminal coupled to a node (n3) of application of a reference voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 7, wherein the overvoltage detection circuit (207) further comprises a resistive voltage dividing bridge comprising a third resistor (R2) in series with a fourth resistor (R3) between the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit (205), the node (n3) of application of the reference voltage being coupled to the junction point of the third (R2) and fourth (R3) resistors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The charging circuit (205) of claim 5, wherein the charging node (n4) of the timer circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the protection switch (K2) and to a control terminal of the circuit (109) for controlling the switched-mode power converter (107).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A system comprising a photovoltaic module (103), an electric battery (101), and the charging circuit (205) of claim 1, wherein the first (I+) and second (I−) input terminals of the charging circuit are respectively coupled to first (M+) and second (M−) terminals of the photovoltaic module, and wherein the first (O+) and second (O−) output terminals of the charging circuit are respectively coupled to first (B+) and second (B−) terminals of the battery.