US 8,461,809 B2 · Power conditioning unit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power conditioning unit for delivering power from a dc power source to an ac output, particularly ac voltages greater than 50 volts, either for connecting directly to a grid utility supply, or for powering mains devices independent from the mains utility supply. We describe a power conditioning unit for delivering power from a dc power source to an ac mains output, the power conditioning unit comprising an input for receiving power from said dc power source, an output for delivering ac power, an energy storage capacitor, a dc-to-dc converter having an input connection coupled to said input and an output connection coupled to the energy storage capacitor, and a dc-to-ac converter having an input connection coupled to said energy storage capacitor and an output connection coupled to said output, wherein said energy storage capacitor has a capacitance of less than twenty microfarads.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A solar photovoltaic power conditioning unit for delivering power from a dc source into an electricity supply, the solar photovoltaic power conditioning unit comprising:

an input for connecting a solar photovoltaic dc power source;
an output for connecting to the electricity supply;
a power conversion stage for voltage conditioning of the solar photovoltaic dc power source;
a power conversion stage for power injection into the electricity supply;
an energy storage capacitor for energy buffering from the solar photovoltaic dc power source to the electricity supply;
and
means for controlling an amount of power transferred by said power conversion stage for power injection into the electricity supply to said electricity supply based on a fluctuating sinusoidal component of a signal on said energy storage capacitor.

4 more elements

A solar photovoltaic power conditioning unit for delivering power from a solar photovoltaic dc power source to an ac mains power supply output, the solar photovoltaic power conditioning unit comprising:

an input for receiving power from said solar photovoltaic dc power source;
an output for delivering ac power to an ac mains power supply;
an energy storage capacitor;
a dc-to-dc converter having an input connection coupled to said input and an output connection coupled to the energy storage capacitor;
and
a dc-to-ac converter having an input connection coupled to said energy storage capacitor and an output connection coupled to said output;
wherein said power conditioning unit further comprises a power injection control block having an input coupled to said energy storage capacitor and an output coupled to control said dc-to-ac converter, and
wherein said power injection control block is configured to control an amplitude of an ac current provided to said ac mains power supply output such that an amount of power transferred to said ac mains power supply output is dependent on a peak amplitude of a fluctuating sinusoidal component of a dc voltage on said energy storage capacitor.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power conditioning unit

Life of this patent

Power conditioning unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20