Photovoltaic module, trunk cable, and photovoltaic module including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11271523-B2
Application number	US-201816125040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2018
Priority date	Sep 7, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A photovoltaic module includes: a photovoltaic solar cell module; a junction box disposed on a back surface of the photovoltaic solar cell module, and to convert a DC power from the photovoltaic solar cell module to an AC power; and a first cable electrically connected to the junction box and to output the AC power. The junction box includes an insulating case having an insulating material, and disposed on the back surface of the photovoltaic solar cell module, and a circuit board within the insulating case, and mounted thereon a converter for converting a level of the DC power from the photovoltaic solar cell module, and an inverter for converting a DC power from the converter into an AC power. Th first cable includes first and second conductive lines for outputting the AC power output from the circuit board to the outside, without a grounding line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic module comprising:
a photovoltaic solar cell module;
a junction box disposed on a back surface of the photovoltaic solar cell module and configured to convert a DC power from the photovoltaic solar cell module into an AC power; and
a first cable electrically connected to the junction box and configured to output the AC power from the junction box;
wherein the junction box includes:
an insulating case comprising an insulating material, and disposed on the back surface of the photovoltaic solar cell module, and
a circuit board within the insulating case, and on which a converter and an inverter are mounted, the converter being configured to convert a level of the DC power from the photovoltaic solar cell module, and the inverter being configured to convert the DC power from the converter into the AC power,
wherein the first cable includes two conductive lines, and the two conductive lines include first and second conductive lines for outputting the AC power output from the circuit board to an outside, the first cable not including a grounding line,
wherein the converter and the inverter are electrically connected to a floating ground,
wherein the circuit board includes a plurality of conductive layers separated from each other,
wherein the converter and the inverter are connected to a first conductive layer among the plurality of conductive layers, and
wherein the converter and the inverter are electrically connected to the floating ground formed on a second conductive layer among the plurality of conductive layers, the second conductive layer being separated from the first conductive layer,
wherein a third conductive layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and a plurality of conductive lines are formed on the third conductive layer, and a control signal flows through at least one of the plurality of conductive lines,
wherein a fourth conductive layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer, and a plurality of conductive lines are formed on the fourth conductive layer, and the DC power from the converter flows through a first conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines of the fourth conductive layer, and the AC power from the inverter flows through a second conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines of the fourth conductive layer, and
wherein the second conductive layer is formed of a conductive member.

2. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating case is made of resin, the resin including at least one of polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyethylene ether, and polystyrene.

3. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , further comprising a connector connected to an end of the first cable for connection to an adjacent solar module or the outside.

4. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating case comprises:
a first insulating case for accommodating the circuit board; and
a second insulating case formed on the first case, and covering the circuit board.

5. The photovoltaic module according to claim 4 , further comprising an insulating member not disposed between the first insulating case and the circuit board, or between the second insulating case and the circuit board.

6. The photovoltaic module according to claim 4 , wherein the junction box further includes an insulating member disposed between the first insulating case and the circuit board.

7. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , further comprising a coating layer formed on a back surface of the circuit board.

8. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plug for supplying the AC power from the first cable to an external outlet,
wherein the plug includes first and second protrusion portions corresponding to the first and second conductive lines of the first cable, respectively.

9. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller for controlling the converter and the inverter, the controller being mounted on the circuit board, and
wherein the control signal from the controller flows through at least one conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines of the third conductive layer among the plurality of conductive layers.

10. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , further comprising a first filter unit for reducing interference, the first filter unit being disposed at an output terminal of the inverter on the circuit board.

11. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , further comprising a second filter unit for reducing interference, the second filter unit being disposed at an input terminal of the converter.

12. A photovoltaic system comprising:
a plurality of photovoltaic solar cell modules;
a plurality of junction boxes to convert a DC power from respective photovoltaic solar cell modules into an AC power;
a plurality of single output cables electrically connected to respective junction boxes of the plurality of junction boxes, and including first and second conductive lines for outputting the AC power; and
a plurality of trunk cables connected to respective single output cables of the plurality of single output cables for outputting the AC power,
wherein the respective single output cable includes two conductive lines, and the two conductive lines include the first and second conductive lines for outputting the AC power, the respective single output cable not including a grounding line,
wherein each of the plurality of junction boxes includes a converter being configured to convert a level of the DC power from the photovoltaic solar cell module, and an inverter being configured to convert the DC power from the converter into the AC power,
wherein the converter and the inverter are electrically connected to a floating ground,
wherein the converter and the inverter are mounted on a circuit board,
wherein the circuit board includes a plurality of conductive layers separated from each other,
wherein the converter and the inverter are connected to a first conductive layer among the plurality of conductive layers,
wherein the converter and the inverter are electrically connected to the floating ground formed on a second conductive layer among the plurality of conductive layers, the second conductive layer being separated from the first conductive layer,
wherein a third conductive layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and a plurality of conductive lines are formed on the third conductive layer, and a control signal flows through at least one of the plurality of conductive lines, and lines,
wherein a fourth conductive layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer, and a plurality of conductive lines are formed on the fourth conductive layer, and the DC power from the converter flows through a first conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines of the fourth conductive layer, and an AC power from the inverter flows through a second conductive line of the plurality of conductive lines of the fourth conductive layer, and
wherein the second conductive layer is formed of a conductive member.

13. The photovoltaic system according to claim 12 , wherein each trunk cable of the plurality of trunk cables comprises:
a cable through which an AC power input from an adjacent first solar cell module flows;
an interface unit including a first connector connected to a connector of a single output cable through which an AC power from a junction box flows, and a second connector for outputting the AC power from the junct

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Hyeonjae
• Kim Joongtae
• Park Youngchan
• Yun Juhwan
• Lee Suchang

Classifications

• H02S40/36

  characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection · CPC title

• H02S40/32

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

• H02S40/34 Primary

  comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes · CPC title

• H02M1/0009

  Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter · CPC title