Photovoltaic power generation system and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11128142-B2
Application number	US-201916666402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Apr 23, 2019
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

The invention discloses a photovoltaic power generation system and a method for controlling the same. The photovoltaic power generation system comprises: an string of optimizing modules and an inverter, the string of optimizing modules comprises a plurality of optimizing modules each having an input port coupled to at least one photovoltaic module, output ports of the plurality of optimizing modules are connected in series, each of the optimizing modules comprises a control unit, an input port of the inverter is coupled to an output port of the string of optimizing modules, and the inverter comprises an auxiliary detection module for auxiliary detecting an output current of the string of optimizing modules, and the control unit controls an output voltage of the string of optimizing modules based on the output current of the string of optimizing modules, such that the output voltage satisfies a start-up condition of the inverter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a photovoltaic power generation system, the photovoltaic power generation system comprising a string of optimizing modules an inverter and an auxiliary detection module, the string of optimizing modules comprising a plurality of optimizing modules each having an input port coupled to at least one photovoltaic module respectively, output ports of the plurality of optimizing modules are connected in series, each optimizing modules comprising a control unit, the inverter having an input port coupled to an output port of the string of optimizing modules, and the auxiliary detection module connected in parallel with the input port of the inverter for controlling an output current of the string of optimizing modules, and comprising a plurality of power resistors connected in parallel with each other and a plurality of switches connected in series with respective power resistor;
the method comprising:
step S 1 for controlling, by the control unit, each of the optimizing modules to output an initial voltage;
step S 2 for detecting and determining, by the inverter, an output voltage of the string of optimizing modules, and controlling at least one switch to be turned on to connect at least one power resistor with the inverter when the output voltage of the string of optimizing modules is in a second voltage range; and
step S 3 for detecting and determining, by the control unit, the output current of the string of optimizing modules, and controlling the optimizing module to stably operate when the output current satisfies a stable operation condition, or otherwise increasing an output voltage of a corresponding optimizing module, such that the output voltage of the string of optimizing modules satisfies a start-up condition of the inverter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step S 3 further comprises:
step S 31 for detecting and determining, by the control unit, the output current of the string of optimizing modules, and controlling each of the optimizing modules to stably operate, when the output current satisfies the stable operation condition, and then proceeding to step S 32 , or otherwise setting a voltage variation and then proceeding to step S 32 ′; and
step S 32 for detecting and determining the output voltage of the string of optimizing modules, wherein the inverter starts up to connect the photovoltaic power generation system to a power grid when the output voltage of the string of optimizing modules satisfies the start-up condition of the inverter; or
step S 32 ′ for increasing the output voltage of each of the optimizing modules by the voltage variation, and then returning to step S 31 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step S 3 further comprises:
step S 33 for controlling, by the control unit of the optimizing module, the corresponding optimizing module to operate in a MPPT mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control method further comprises:
step S 4 for detecting and determining the output current of the string of optimizing modules, and controlling, by the control unit of the optimizing module, the corresponding optimizing module to output the initial voltage when the output current is less than a preset minimum current.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the start-up condition of the inverter is that the inverter has an input voltage in a first voltage range.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stable operation condition of the optimizing module is that the optimizing module has an output current larger than a preset current for a preset period of time.

7. A photovoltaic power generation system controlled by the method of claim 1 , the photovoltaic power generation system comprising:
an string of optimizing modules comprising a plurality of optimizing modules each having an input port coupled to at least one photovoltaic module respectively, output ports of the plurality of optimizing modules connected in series, each of the optimizing modules comprising a control unit;
an inverter having an input port coupled to an output port of the string of optimizing modules; and
an auxiliary detection module connected in parallel with the input port of the inverter for controlling an output current of the string of optimizing modules, and comprising a plurality of power resistors connected in parallel with each other and a plurality of switches connected in series with respective power resistor,
wherein the control unit is configured to control an output voltage of the string of optimizing modules based on the output current of the string of optimizing modules, such that the output voltage satisfies a start-up condition of the inverter.

8. The photovoltaic power generation system of claim 7 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the string of optimizing modules to rapidly shut-down based on the output current of the string of optimizing modules.

9. The photovoltaic power generation system of claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary detection module is externally connected to the inverter.

10. The photovoltaic power generation system of claim 7 , wherein the start-up condition of the inverter is that the inverter has an input voltage in a first voltage range.

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Shanghai Co

Inventors

• Zhu Xuancai
• Weng Bingwen
• Wang Qin
• Zhao Wei

Classifications

• H02J2101/25

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

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02M1/36 Primary

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• H02S40/32

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

• H02J3/38

  Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel · CPC title