Method and apparatus for interconnecting distributed power sources
AssigneeEnphase Energy, Inc.
InventorsMartin Fornage, Raghuveer R. Belur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and system for coupling power. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a trunk cable comprising a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor; a first connector, wherein a first terminal of the first connector is conductively coupled to the first conductor; a second connector, wherein a first terminal of the second connector is conductively coupled to the second conductor; and a third connector, wherein a first terminal of the third connector is conductively coupled to the third conductor, and wherein the first, the second, and the third connectors are each adapted to couple to a different DC-AC power converter and an output of the trunk cable comprises three-phase AC power.
Claims14
An apparatus for coupling power, comprising:
- a trunk cable comprising a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor;
- a first connector, wherein a first terminal of the first connector is conductively coupled to the first conductor;
- a second connector, wherein a first terminal of the second connector is conductively coupled to the second conductor;
- and
- a third connector, wherein a first terminal of the third connector is conductively coupled to the third conductor, and wherein the first, the second, and the third connectors are each adapted to couple to a different DC-AC power converter and an output of the trunk cable comprises three-phase AC power;
- wherein a second terminal of the first connector is conductively coupled to the third conductor, a second terminal of the second connector is conductively coupled to the first conductor, and a second terminal of the third connector is conductively coupled to the second conductor;
- and wherein connections between (a) the first and second terminals of each connector and (b) the first, second, and third conductors are such that phase connections at each connector are rotated.
A system for coupling power, comprising:
- a plurality of DC-AC inverters;
- a trunk cable comprising a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor;
- a first connector, wherein a first terminal of the first connector is conductively coupled to the first conductor;
- a second connector, wherein a first terminal of the second connector is conductively coupled to the second conductor;
- and
- a third connector, wherein a first terminal of the third connector is conductively coupled to the third conductor, and wherein the first, the second, and the third connectors are each adapted to couple to a different DC-AC power converter of the plurality of DC-AC inverters and an output of the trunk cable comprises three-phase AC power;
- wherein a second terminal of the first connector is conductively coupled to the third conductor, a second terminal of the second connector is conductively coupled to the first conductor, and a second terminal of the third connector is conductively coupled to the second conductor;
- and wherein connections between (a) the first and second terminals of each connector and (b) the first, second, and third conductors are such that phase connections at each connector are rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.