Photovoltaic inverter system and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11190023-B2
Application number	US-201916673976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 23, 2019
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

The invention discloses a photovoltaic inverter system and a method for controlling the same. The photovoltaic inverter system comprises: an optimizing module string and an inverter, wherein the optimizing module string 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 optimizing module string, the inverter comprises an auxiliary detection module for auxiliary detecting an output current of the optimizing module string, and the control unit controls an output voltage of the optimizing module string based on the output current of the optimizing module string, such that the output voltage satisfies a start-up condition of the inverter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic inverter system, comprising:
an optimizing module string comprising 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; and
an inverter having an input port coupled to an output port of the optimizing module string, the inverter comprising a circuit for detecting an output voltage and output current of the optimizing module string; and
an auxiliary detection module for assisting in detecting a number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string,
wherein the auxiliary detection module is connected in parallel with the input port of the inverter and connected to the output port of the optimizing module string,
wherein the auxiliary detection module comprises a power resistor or a controllable current source,
wherein each of the optimizing modules comprises a control unit configured to detect an output voltage and output current of a corresponding optimizing module and control the output voltage of the corresponding optimizing module based on the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string, such that the output voltage of the optimizing module string satisfies a start-up condition of the inverter, and
wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the output voltage of the optimizing module string based on the output current of the optimizing module and a resistance value of the auxiliary detection module, and calculate the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string based on the calculated output voltage of the optimizing module string and the output voltage of the optimizing module, or
wherein the inverter is configured to calculate the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string based on the output voltage of the optimizing module string and a preset voltage of the optimizing module, and switch the auxiliary detection module on and off to generate and transmit pulses to the optimizing module string, wherein a number of pulses is proportional to the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string.

2. The photovoltaic inverter system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the optimizing module string to be rapidly shut down, based on the output current of the optimizing module string.

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

4. A method for controlling the photovoltaic inverter system of claim 1 , comprising:
step S 1 for controlling each of the optimizing modules to output an initial voltage;
step S 2 for detecting and determining the output voltage of the optimizing module string, and connecting the auxiliary detection module to the inverter when the output voltage of the optimizing module string is in a second voltage range;
step S 3 for calculating a number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string; and
step S 4 for controlling, by the control unit of the optimizing module, a corresponding optimizing module based on the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string, such that the output voltage of the optimizing module string satisfies the start-up condition of the inverter,
wherein the auxiliary detection module comprises a plurality of power resistors connected in parallel or a controllable current source, and
wherein the step S 3 comprises:
step S 31 for detecting, by the control unit of the optimizing module, the output current of the corresponding optimizing module, and calculating the output voltage of the optimizing module string based on the output current of the optimizing module and a resistance value of the auxiliary detection module; and
step S 32 for detecting, by the control unit of the optimizing module, an output voltage of the corresponding optimizing module, and calculating the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string based on the calculated output voltage of the optimizing module string and the output voltage of the corresponding optimizing module, or
wherein the step S 3 comprises:
step S 31 ′ for detecting, by the inverter, the output voltage of the optimizing module string, and calculating the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string based on the output voltage of the optimizing module string and a present voltage of the optimizing module; and
step S 32 ′ for switching the auxiliary detection module on and off to generate and transmit pulses to the optimizing module string, wherein a number of pulses is proportional to the number of optimizing modules actually connected in the optimizing module string.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
step S 5 for detecting and determining the output current of the optimizing module string, 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.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the start-up condition of the inverter is that the inverter has an input voltage in a first voltage range.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step S 4 comprises:
step S 41 for controlling, by the control unit of the optimizing module, the corresponding optimizing module to output a maximum voltage based on the number of optimizing modules, wherein the maximum voltage allows the output voltage of the optimizing module string to satisfy the start-up condition of the inverter; and
step S 42 for detecting, by the inverter, the output voltage of the optimizing module string, wherein the inverter starts up to connect the photovoltaic inverter system to a power grid when the start-up condition is met.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step S 2 comprises:
step S 21 for detecting and determining the output voltage of the optimizing module string, and connecting a first power resistor to the inverter when the output voltage of the optimizing module string is in the second voltage range;
step S 22 for detecting and determining the output current of the optimizing module string, and controlling, by the control unit, the corresponding optimizing module to output a preset voltage when the output current of the optimizing module string is in a first current range; and
step S 23 for detecting and determining the output voltage of the optimizing module string, disconnecting the first power resistor and connecting a second power resistor to the inverter when the output voltage of the optimizing module string is in a third voltage range, and disconnecting the first power resistor and connecting a third power resistor when the output voltage of the optimizing module string is in a fourth voltage range.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step S 4 further comprises:
step S 43 for controlling, by the control unit of the optimizing module, the corresponding optimizing module to operate in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) mode.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
step S 6 for detecting, by the control unit of the optimizing module, an output current of the corresponding optimizing module, and controlling the corresponding optimizing module to operate in a MPPT mode when the output current is larger than a preset threshold current for a preset period of threshold time.

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

• H02M1/36 Primary

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02M1/007

  Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826) · CPC title

• H02M1/0077

  Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series · CPC title