Ground fault detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707809-B2
Application number	US-201816133679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure is provided to improve the accuracy of a ground fault position detected from a power conditioning system. A ground fault position calculation part ( 41 ) calculates a ground fault position (P g ) by using a power supply voltage of a solar cell string ( 11 ), a ground fault current (I g ), and a ground potential of an input terminal (N) measured by a power conditioning system ( 12 ). The ground fault position calculation part ( 41 ) sets a lower limit value of the power supply voltage to be used.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ground fault detection device adapted for a solar power generation system comprising a solar cell string in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in series and a power conversion device for converting power supplied from the solar cell string and outputting the converted power to a system, the ground fault detection device comprising:
a ground fault position specifying part for specifying a ground fault position by using an output voltage of the solar cell string, a ground fault current, and a ground potential measured by the power conversion device,
wherein the ground fault position is between the k th solar cell module and (k+1) th solar cell module, where 1≤k≤n−1, n is the number of the solar cell modules, X=k/n, and X is a value indicating the ground fault position,
wherein the ground fault position specifying part sets a lower limit value of the output voltage to be used.

2. The ground fault detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower limit value is a value obtained by multiplying an open circuit voltage of the solar cell string by a predetermined ratio.

3. The ground fault detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower limit value is the output voltage at a maximum output point of the solar cell string.

4. The ground fault detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower limit value is a minimum value in a range in which linearity of the output voltage and the ground fault current is maintained.

5. A ground fault detection device adapted for a solar power generation system comprising a solar cell string in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in series and a power conversion device for converting power supplied from the solar cell string and outputting the converted power to a system, the ground fault detection device comprising:
a ground fault position specifying part for specifying a ground fault position by using an output voltage of the solar cell string, a ground fault current, and a ground potential measured by the power conversion device,
wherein the ground fault position specifying part outputs information on a range of an error of the ground fault position corresponding to the specified ground fault position.

6. A ground fault detection device adapted for a solar power generation system comprising a solar cell string in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in series and a power conversion device for converting power supplied from the solar cell string and outputting the converted power to a system, the ground fault detection device comprising:
a ground fault position specifying part for specifying a ground fault position by using an output voltage of the solar cell string, a ground fault current, and a ground potential measured by the power conversion device,
wherein the ground fault position is between the k th solar cell module and (k+1) th solar cell module, where 1≤k≤n−1, n is the number of the solar cell modules, X=k/n, and X is a value indicating the ground fault position,
wherein the ground fault position specifying part obtains an I-V characteristic of the solar cell string from the power conversion device, creates corresponding information of the output voltage and the ground fault current for the ground fault position by using the obtained I-V characteristic, and specifies the ground fault position corresponding to the output voltage and the ground fault current obtained from the power conversion device based on the created corresponding information.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Sano Akihiko
• Nakamura Kotaro
• Kobayashi Kenji
• Nakagawa Kohei
• Ide Makoto

Classifications

• G01R31/52

  Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H02S40/32

  comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules · 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

• G01R31/50

  Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58) · CPC title