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Title: Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system

Abstract

A PV system composed of sub-arrays, each having a group of PV cells that are electrically connected to each other. A power management circuit for each sub-array has a communications interface and serves to connect or disconnect the sub-array to a programmable power grid. The power grid has bus rows and bus columns. A bus management circuit is positioned at a respective junction of a bus column and a bus row and is programmable through its communication interface to connect or disconnect a power path in the grid. As a result, selected sub-arrays are connected by selected power paths to be in parallel so as to produce a low system voltage, and, alternately in series so as to produce a high system voltage that is greater than the low voltage by at least a factor of ten.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1255127
Patent Number(s):
9356173
Application Number:
14/014,266
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B64 - AIRCRAFT B64G - COSMONAUTICS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2013 Aug 29
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Okandan, Murat, and Nielson, Gregory N. Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
Okandan, Murat, & Nielson, Gregory N. Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system. United States.
Okandan, Murat, and Nielson, Gregory N. Tue . "Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1255127.
@article{osti_1255127,
title = {Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system},
author = {Okandan, Murat and Nielson, Gregory N.},
abstractNote = {A PV system composed of sub-arrays, each having a group of PV cells that are electrically connected to each other. A power management circuit for each sub-array has a communications interface and serves to connect or disconnect the sub-array to a programmable power grid. The power grid has bus rows and bus columns. A bus management circuit is positioned at a respective junction of a bus column and a bus row and is programmable through its communication interface to connect or disconnect a power path in the grid. As a result, selected sub-arrays are connected by selected power paths to be in parallel so as to produce a low system voltage, and, alternately in series so as to produce a high system voltage that is greater than the low voltage by at least a factor of ten.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Tue May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Near-optimal, dynamic module reconfiguration in a photovoltaic system to combat partial shading effects
conference, January 2012


Generation control circuit for photovoltaic modules
journal, May 2001


Solar module array with reconfigurable tile
patent, February 2002


Voltage bus regulation circuit
patent, January 2003


Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods
patent-application, February 2012