Remote array mapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10230325-B2
Application number	US-201615294098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

Electrical component location is provided. Employed location techniques may include providing a cycling signal, having components to be located sense the cycling signal at the same time, report back the sensed signal, and determining relative locations for one or more of the components using the sensed signals reported by the components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for mapping an array of electrical components comprising:
a plurality of electrical components, each of the electrical components in the plurality distinct from each other, each of the electrical components spaced apart from each other, the electrical components arranged in at least one array and connected to at least one other electrical component;
a frequency generator, the frequency generator configured to generate a frequency signal different from a base operating frequency, the frequency generator configured to send the signal to each of the electrical components in the plurality;
a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors of the plurality configured to measure, at the same time, a voltage or current at each of the plurality of electrical components, the voltage or current reflecting the amplitude of the cycling frequency signal sent by the frequency generator and received at the electrical component being measured by the sensor; and
a system analyzer configured to determine a relative position of electrical components with respect to other electrical components based on a plurality of the voltages or currents measured by the sensors and attributable to different electrical components of the plurality.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the electrical components of the plurality are arranged in an array in parallel with each other and are connected via at least one insulated wire.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each electrical component comprises a microinverter power train.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality includes eight or more components in at least two one-dimensional arrays.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the frequency generator is located in one of the plurality of electrical components.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the frequency generator is not located in one of the plurality of electrical components.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the base operating frequency is 60 Hz of alternating voltages and wherein the frequency generator is further configured to generate the cycling frequency signal when the system is not connected to a mains power grid.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrical components is configured to serve as the frequency generator and is further configured to generate a frequency signal faster than 60 cycles per second, and is further configured to send a signal at the frequency generated, to each of the other electrical components in the plurality.

9. A process for mapping an array of installed microinverters comprising:
during a period of disconnection from a mains power grid, generating a test signal at a frequency greater than 60 cycles per second and sending the test signal into an array of microinverters to be tested;
within a bracketed amount of time previously acknowledged by each of the microinverters being tested, sensing a voltage or a current generated from that microinverters receipt of the test signal; and
determining whether the tested microinverters are in the same array or in a different array based the sensed value for each of the microinverters being tested.

10. The process of claim 9 further comprising:
determining the relative position of each of the microinverters in the same array relative to each other.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the bracketed amount of time is 50 milliseconds or less.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the test signal is generated by one of the microinverters.

13. The process of claim 9 wherein the test signal is a square wave and is generated by one of the microinverters using a power train of the microinverter.

14. The process of claim 9 wherein the test signal is generated by a photovoltaic system controller, the system controller remote from the array of microinverters and otherwise serving to monitor performance of the array of microinverters.

15. A device for remote mapping of installed photovoltaic modules comprising:
a system controller for an array of photovoltaic (PV) modules, the PV modules located apart from the system controller and arranged relative to each other in one or more arrays,
wherein the system controller is configured to send a cycling test signal, at a time previously acknowledged by each of the PV modules being tested, to each of the PV modules when the PV modules are not generating AC for the mains grid,
evaluate a sensed voltage or current associated with each of the PV modules, the sensed voltage or current generated at the particular PV module and reflective of the cycling test signal sent by the system controller, and
determine whether each of the PV modules lie along the same branch circuit based on the evaluated sensed voltage or current.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the system controller is further configured to determine the relative position of each PV module on the same branch circuit.

17. The device of claim 15 further comprising:
a gateway, the gateway configured to communicate evaluation results and for receipt of testing instructions to be performed with regard to the PV modules.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the cycling test signal is a square wave and has a frequency greater than 60 cycles per second.

19. The device of claim 15 wherein the evaluation includes adjusting for impedances of branch circuits and drop lines between the system controller and the PV modules being evaluated.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein the system controller is further configured to decouple the PV modules from a mains power grid before sending the cycling test signal.

Assignees

• Enphase Energy Inc

Inventors

• Chapman Patrick L
• Rodriguez Fernando
• Rothblum Philip
• Singh Anant K

Classifications

• H02S50/00 Primary

  Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification · CPC title

• H02H1/00

  Details of emergency protective circuit arrangements · CPC title

• H02S50/10 Primary

  Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title