Hierarchical control of a plurality of power subsystems and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10326277-B2
Application number	US-201514751502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus formed with a plurality of power subsystems, and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the apparatus is formed with plurality of local controllers to control an operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of power subsystems. A central controller of the apparatus is configured to receive an indication of an overall power produced by the plurality of power subsystems, selectively command a first local controller of the plurality of local controllers to change a value of the operating characteristic of a first power subsystem of the plurality of power subsystems, receive an indication of a change in the overall power in response to the change in the value of the operating characteristic of the first power subsystem, and store, in memory, the change in the value of the operating characteristic of the first power subsystem if the overall power is increased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus operable with a plurality of power subsystems coupled to a central power converter, comprising:
a plurality of local controllers with a corresponding one of said plurality of local controllers configured to control an operating characteristic of at least one of said plurality of power subsystems; and
a central controller of said central power converter configured to:
receive a measurement of an overall power produced by said plurality of power subsystems and provided to said central power converter;
selectively command a first local controller of said plurality of local controllers to change a value of said operating characteristic of a first power subsystem of said plurality of power subsystems, wherein the first local controller is synchronized with the central controller at an adjustable duty cycle to isolate an effect that the change in the value of the operating characteristic has on the overall power;
receive a measurement of a change in said overall power in response to said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem; and
store, in memory, said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem if said overall power is increased.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said central controller is further configured to negate said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem if said overall power is decreased.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first power subsystem comprises a differential power processing converter.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of power subsystems form at least a portion of a photovoltaic-to-bus power architecture.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said operating characteristic is a duty cycle of a power train of said plurality of power subsystems.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said operating characteristic is an output voltage of said plurality of power subsystems.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said central controller employs a current-sense resistor to sense said overall power produced by said plurality of power subsystems.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of power subsystems provide at least a portion of a photovoltaic power source.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said central controller is further configured to:
selectively command a second local controller of said plurality of local controllers to change said value of said operating characteristic of a second power subsystem of said plurality of power subsystems;
receive a measurement of a change in said overall power in response to said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said second power subsystem; and
store, in said memory, said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said second power subsystem if said overall power is increased.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said central controller is configured to:
receive said measurement of said overall power,
selectively command said first local controller,
receive said measurement of said change in said overall power, and
store said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem at a frequency of an alternating current power produced by said plurality of power subsystems.

11. A method operating an apparatus with a plurality of power subsystems coupled to a central power converter, comprising:
controlling an operating characteristic of at least one of said plurality of power subsystems with a corresponding one of a plurality of local controllers; and
receiving, at a central controller of said central power converter, a measurement of an overall power produced by said plurality of power subsystems and provided to said central power converter;
selectively commanding, by said central controller, a first local controller of said plurality of local controllers to change a value of said operating characteristic of a first power subsystem of said plurality of power subsystems, wherein the first local controller is synchronized with the central controller at an adjustable duty cycle to isolate an effect that the change in the value of the operating characteristic has on the overall power;
receiving, at said central controller, a measurement of a change in said overall power in response to said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem; and
storing, in memory, said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem if said overall power is increased.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising negating said change in said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem if said overall power is decreased.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said first power subsystem provides differential power processing.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising providing a photovoltaic-to-bus power architecture with said plurality of power subsystems.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said controlling said operating characteristic comprises controlling a duty cycle of a power train of at least one of said plurality of power subsystems.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said controlling said operating characteristic comprises controlling an output voltage of at least one of said plurality of power subsystems.

17. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising sensing, by a current sense resistor coupled to said central controller, said overall power produced by said plurality of power subsystems.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said plurality of power subsystems provide at least a portion of a photovoltaic power source.

19. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising:
selectively commanding, by said central controller, a second local controller of said plurality of local controllers to change said value of said operating characteristic of a second power subsystem of said plurality of power subsystems;
receiving, at said central controller, a measurement of a change in said overall power in response to said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said second power subsystem; and
storing, in said memory, said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said second power subsystem if said overall power is increased.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said receiving said measurement of said overall power, selectively commanding said first local controller, receiving said measurement of said change in said overall power, and storing said change of said value of said operating characteristic of said first power subsystem is performed at a frequency of an alternating current power produced by said plurality of power subsystems.

Assignees

• Enphase Energy Inc

Inventors

• Chapman Patrick
• Ehlmann Jonathan

Classifications

• G05F1/67

  to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell · CPC title

• H02J2101/25

  involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources · CPC title

• H02J3/383 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J3/385

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/58

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic