Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices

Title: Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices

Abstract

A photovoltaic system includes voltage limiting devices that are connected in series. A voltage limiting device clips a corresponding photovoltaic string to limit a voltage of the photovoltaic string. Unclipping of clipped photovoltaic strings is coordinated by a central controller or in a distributed fashion by the voltage limiting devices based on monitored string conditions.

Inventors:: Truong, Tuan; Hau, Darren; Ponec, Andrew; Albers, Mark; Johnson, Benjamin

Issue Date:: 2019-02-26

Research Org.:: SunPower Corp., San Jose, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1524989

Patent Number(s):: 10218182

Application Number:: 15/272,911

Assignee:: SunPower Corporation (San Jose, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02J - CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES

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H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02J - CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER
H02J3/46 - Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S40/36 - characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
H02S50/00 - Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/042 - PV modules or arrays of single PV cells

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/56 - Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02J - CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER
H02J3/381 - {Dispersed generators}
H02J2300/24 - of photovoltaic origin

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S40/32 - comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02J - CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER
H02J3/383 - {Solar energy, e.g. photovoltaic energy

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S40/30 - Electrical components

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DOE Contract Number:: EE0006882

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2016-09-22

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Truong, Tuan, Hau, Darren, Ponec, Andrew, Albers, Mark, and Johnson, Benjamin. Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Truong, Tuan, Hau, Darren, Ponec, Andrew, Albers, Mark, & Johnson, Benjamin. Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices.  United States.

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                    Truong, Tuan, Hau, Darren, Ponec, Andrew, Albers, Mark, and Johnson, Benjamin. Tue .  
        "Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524989.

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@article{osti_1524989,

  title        = {Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices},

  author       = {Truong, Tuan and Hau, Darren and Ponec, Andrew and Albers, Mark and Johnson, Benjamin},

  abstractNote = {A photovoltaic system includes voltage limiting devices that are connected in series. A voltage limiting device clips a corresponding photovoltaic string to limit a voltage of the photovoltaic string. Unclipping of clipped photovoltaic strings is coordinated by a central controller or in a distributed fashion by the voltage limiting devices based on monitored string conditions.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {2}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Device for shunting current from photovoltaic circuit near the open circuit voltage and/or disconnecting solar module of a solar system
patent, October 2016

Kraft, Steven M.; Fischer, Kevin; Beardsworth, Greg
US Patent Document 9,472,691
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=9472691

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Title: Photovoltaic systems with voltage limiting devices

Abstract

Citation Formats

Device for shunting current from photovoltaic circuit near the open circuit voltage and/or disconnecting solar module of a solar system patent, October 2016

Device for shunting current from photovoltaic circuit near the open circuit voltage and/or disconnecting solar module of a solar system
patent, October 2016