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US 9,866,098 B2Granted
Serially connected inverters
AssigneeSolaredge Technologies Ltd.
InventorsIlan Yoscovich, Meir Gazit, Tzachi Glovinsky, Yoav Galin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photovoltaic power generation system, having a photovoltaic panel, which has a direct current (DC) output and a micro-inverter with input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are adapted for connection to the DC output. The micro-inverter is configured for converting an input DC power received at the input terminals to an output alternating current (AC) power at the output terminals. A bypass current path between the output terminals may be adapted for passing current produced externally to the micro-inverter. The micro-inverter is configured to output an alternating current voltage significantly less than a grid voltage.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- connecting input terminals of a plurality of micro-inverters to direct current outputs of respective photovoltaic panels;
- connecting output terminals of the plurality of micro-inverters serially to a serial voltage output, wherein the plurality of micro-inverters comprise respective bypass current paths comprising at least two switches connected between the output terminals of the respective one of the plurality of micro-inverters to form an alternate current path between the output terminals of the respective one of the plurality of micro-inverters;
- inverting, with the plurality of micro-inverters, input direct current (DC) power received at the input terminals of each of the plurality of micro-inverters to output alternating-current (AC) power at the output terminals of the respective one of the plurality of micro-inverters while maintaining a serial voltage of the serial voltage output substantially equal to a grid voltage of a grid connected across the serial voltage output;
- in response to determining a failure of one or more micro-inverters of the plurality of micro-inverters, bypassing the one or more micro-inverters by switching the at least two switches of the bypass current path of each of the one or more micro-inverters;
- operating the plurality of micro-inverters in synchronization with the grid voltage;
- and
- in response to determining a failure in operating at least one of the plurality of micro-inverters to be in synchronization with the grid voltage, bypassing the output terminals of the at least one of the plurality of micro-inverters by switching the at least two switches of the respective bypass current path and operating others of the plurality of micro-inverters to adjust the serial voltage to the grid voltage.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of micro-inverters, each micro-inverter of the plurality of micro-inverters having input terminals and output terminals,
- wherein the output terminals of the plurality of micro-inverters are connected serially and configured to form a serial voltage output when the input terminals are connected to direct-current (DC) power from a photovoltaic panel;
- wherein each micro-inverter of the plurality of micro-inverters is configured to invert the DC power received at the input terminals of the micro-inverter to output alternating-current (AC) power at the output terminals of the micro-inverter while maintaining a serial voltage of the serial voltage output substantially equal to and synchronized with a grid voltage of a grid when the grid is connected across the serial voltage output;
- and
- wherein each micro-inverter of the plurality of micro-inverters further comprises a bypass current path comprising at least two switches connected between the output terminals of the micro-inverter to form an alternate current path between the output terminals of the micro-inverter, each micro-inverter of the plurality of micro-inverters is configured to bypass the output terminals by switching the at least two switches in response to determining a failure in operating the micro-inverter to be in synchronization with the grid voltage, and each micro-inverter of the plurality of micro-inverters is configured to adjust the serial voltage output to the grid voltage in response to a failure in operating a second micro-inverter to be in synchronization with the grid voltage.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising a first micro-inverter, the first micro-inverter comprising:
- input terminals;
- output terminals configured to generate part of a serial voltage output that is formed when the input terminals are connected to direct-current (DC) power from a photovoltaic panel and one of the output terminals is connected an output terminal of a second micro-inverter;
- wherein the first micro-inverter is configured to invert the DC power received at the input terminals to output alternating-current (AC) power at the output terminals of the first micro-inverter while maintaining, together with at least the second micro-inverter, the serial voltage output to be substantially equal to and synchronized with a grid voltage of a grid when the grid is connected across the serial voltage output;
- and
- wherein the first micro-inverter further comprises a bypass current path comprising at least two switches connected between the output terminals of the first micro-inverter to form an alternate current path between the output terminals, and the first micro-inverter is configured to bypass the output terminals by switching the at least two switches in response to a failure in operating the first micro-inverter to be in synchronization with the grid voltage, and the first micro-inverter is configured to adjust the serial voltage output to the grid voltage in response to a failure in operating the second micro-inverter to be in synchronization with the grid voltage.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.