Humidity-controlled electronic component assemblies for photovoltaic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11271522-B2
Application number	US-201615335060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) assemblies and modules for converting solar radiation to electrical energy are disclosed. A PV module comprises a plurality of PV or solar cells for generating DC power. In some embodiments, the plurality of solar cells are encapsulated within a PV laminate. A PV assembly comprises an electronic component assembly coupled to the PV module. The electronic component assembly comprises an enclosure defining an interior region and a power conditioning circuit within the interior region of the enclosure. The power conditioning circuit comprises at least one electronic component for conditioning power generated by the plurality of solar cells. The electronic component assembly comprises a first electrical conduit for inputting direct current (DC) generated by the plurality of solar cells to the power conditioning circuit. The electronic component assembly further comprises a second electrical conduit for outputting conditioned power from the power conditioning circuit. Additionally, the electronic component assembly comprises a humidity control circuit within the enclosure for performing a dehumidification operation. The humidity control circuit comprises a first heating component and regulates a moisture or humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An alternating current photovoltaic (ACPV) module comprising:
a photovoltaic (PV) laminate having a front side that faces the sun during normal operation to collect solar radiation during normal operation of the ACPV module and a back side opposite the front side, the PV laminate comprising:
a plurality of solar cells disposed within the PV laminate; the plurality of solar cells arranged into a plurality of solar cell strings; and,
a backsheet on the back side of the PV laminate;

a frame surrounding the PV laminate;
an electronic component assembly coupled to the frame, the electronic component assembly comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior region;
a power conditioning circuit within the interior region of the enclosure, the power conditioning circuit comprising a microinverter for converting direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells into alternating current;
a first electrical conduit for inputting direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells to the power conditioning circuit;
a second electrical conduit for outputting alternating current from the power conditioning circuit;
a humidity control circuit within the enclosure for performing a dehumidification operation, the humidity control circuit comprising:
a first heating component;
a humidity sensing component; and,

wherein the humidity control circuit regulates a humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure by applying an amount of actuation, of a plurality of amounts of actuation, to the first heating component to activate the first heating component.

2. The PV assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating component of the humidity control circuit comprises a resistor.

3. The PV assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating component of the humidity control circuit is a component of the power conditioning circuit that is utilized in performing power conditioning by the power conditioning circuit.

4. A photovoltaic (PV) assembly comprising:
a PV module comprising a plurality of solar cells;
an electronic component assembly coupled to the PV module, the electronic component assembly comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior region;
a power conditioning circuit within the interior region of the enclosure, the power conditioning circuit comprising an electronic component for conditioning power generated by the plurality of solar cells;
a first electrical conduit for inputting direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells to the power conditioning circuit;
a second electrical conduit for outputting conditioned power from the power conditioning circuit;
a humidity control circuit within the enclosure for performing a dehumidification operation, the humidity control circuit comprising a first heating component;
wherein the humidity control circuit regulates a humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure by applying an amount of actuation, of a plurality of amounts of actuation, to the first heating component.

5. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the humidity control circuit regulates the humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure based on a humidity level of the ambient environment external to the enclosure.

6. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the power conditioning circuit comprises a microinverter for converting direct current generated by the plurality of solar cells into alternating current and wherein the second electrical conduit outputs alternating current from the microinverter.

7. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the power conditioning circuit comprises an electronic DC to DC optimizer.

8. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the humidity control circuit comprises a sensor.

9. The PV assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

10. The PV assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

11. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the PV assembly further comprises a control unit for regulating the humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure.

12. The PV assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is a component of the humidity control circuit located within the enclosure.

13. The PV assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the first heating component if a measured humidity level within the interior region is above a predetermined maximum humidity level.

14. The PV assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
compute an error value based on a sensed humidity level and a predetermined maximum humidity level;
compute a control signal based on a predetermined function of the error value; and,
transmit the control signal to the first heating component, thereby actuating the first heating component.

15. The PV assembly according to claim 14 , wherein computing the control signal comprises computing the control signal by a predetermined proportional control function, integral control function, a derivative control function or a combination thereof.

16. The PV assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the humidity control circuit further comprises a second heating component; and, wherein the first and second heating components are configured to be actuated independently, and wherein actuating the first heating component causes air within the enclosure to move in a first direction, actuating the second heating component causes air within the enclosure to move in a second direction, and the first and second directions are different from one another.

17. An electronic component assembly for coupling to a PV module, the electronic component assembly comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior region;
a power conditioning circuit within the interior region of the enclosure, the power conditioning circuit comprising an electronic component for conditioning power generated by the plurality of solar cells;
a first electrical conduit for inputting direct current generated by a plurality of solar cells to the power conditioning circuit;
a second electrical conduit for outputting conditioned power from the power conditioning circuit;
a humidity control circuit within the enclosure for performing a dehumidification operation, the humidity control circuit comprising a first heating component; wherein the humidity control circuit regulates a humidity level within the interior region of the enclosure by applying an amount of actuation, of a plurality of amounts of actuation, to the first heating component.

18. The electronic component assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the humidity control circuit and the power conditioning circuit are mounted on a first printed circuit board.

19. The PV assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the enclosure comprises a vent.

20. The PV assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the humidity control circuit is powered via the second electrical conduit.

Assignees

• Enphase Energy Inc

Inventors

• Chapman Patrick L

Classifications

• H10F19/85

  Protective back sheets · CPC title

• H02S40/40

  Thermal components (H02S10/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02S40/32 Primary

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

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H02S40/10

  Cleaning arrangements · CPC title