Photovoltaic power generation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12136808-B2
Application number	US-202217701940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A photovoltaic power generation system includes an inverter, a controller, and at least two direct current branch circuits. The leakage current detection apparatus is configured to: detect a leakage current of the direct current branch circuit on which the leakage current detection apparatus is located and send the leakage current to the controller. The controller is further configured to: when the photovoltaic power generation system runs and a value of a leakage current of the direct current branch circuit exceeds a preset range, determine that an insulation fault occurs on the direct current branch circuit. The system can determine the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs in the photovoltaic power generation system, so that measures are taken in time for the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs, to eliminate a potential safety hazard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic power generation system, comprising:
an inverter;
a controller; and
at least two direct current branch circuits, wherein each direct current branch circuit comprises a DC-DC converter and a leakage current detection apparatus, an input end of the DC-DC converter is connected to a corresponding photovoltaic unit, and an output end of the DC-DC converter is connected to an input end of the inverter;
wherein the DC-DC converter is configured to perform direct current to direct current conversion on a direct current that is output by the corresponding photovoltaic unit, and then transmit a converted direct current to the inverter;
wherein the inverter is configured to invert the direct current transmitted by the DC-DC converter into an alternating current;
wherein the leakage current detection apparatus is configured to: detect a leakage current of a direct current branch circuit on which the leakage current detection apparatus is located, and send the leakage current to the controller,
wherein the controller is configured to: before the photovoltaic power generation system runs, obtain values and directions of leakage currents of the at least two direct current branch circuits, and detect, based on the values and the directions of leakage currents of each of the at least two direct current branch circuits, a direct current branch circuit in the at least two direct current branch circuits on which an insulation fault occurs, and the controller is further configured to: when the photovoltaic power generation system runs and a value of a leakage current of a particular direct current branch circuit exceeds a preset range, detect that an insulation fault occurs on the particular direct current branch circuit.

2. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulation resistance detection apparatus, wherein the insulation resistance detection apparatus is configured to: before the photovoltaic power generation system runs, detect a value of an insulation resistance to ground of the photovoltaic power generation system, and send the value of the insulation resistance to ground to the controller, and the controller is configured to:
when the value of the insulation resistance to ground is less than a preset resistance range, detect that an insulation fault occurs in the photovoltaic power generation system.

3. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein each direct current branch circuit further comprises:
an input voltage detection apparatus configured to detect a voltage to ground of the input end of the DC-DC converter of the corresponding direct current branch circuit, and the controller is configured to: when the voltage to ground of the input end of the DC-DC converter is less than a preset input voltage range, detect that an insulation fault occurs on the corresponding direct current branch circuit.

4. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein each direct current branch circuit further comprises:
an output voltage detection apparatus configured to detect a voltage to ground of the output end of the DC-DC converter of the corresponding direct current branch circuit; and the controller is configured to: when the voltage to ground of the output end of the DC-DC converter is less than a preset output voltage range, detect that an insulation fault occurs on the corresponding direct current branch circuit.

5. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein each direct current branch circuit further comprises:
a breaking apparatus, and the controller is further configured to: when determining that an insulation fault occurs on the direct current branch circuit, control the breaking apparatus on the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs to be disconnected, to isolate the insulation fault.

6. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to: after controlling the breaking apparatus on the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs to be disconnected, control the DC-DC converter on the direct current branch circuit on which the insulation fault occurs to be powered off.

7. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 5 , wherein the breaking apparatus of each direct current branch circuit is integrated into the DC-DC converter, or the breaking apparatus of each direct current branch circuit is integrated into the inverter.

8. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage current detection apparatus of each direct current branch circuit is integrated into the corresponding DC-DC converter, or the leakage current detection apparatus of each direct current branch circuit is integrated into the inverter.

9. A photovoltaic power generation system, comprising
an insulation resistance detection apparatus,
an inverter,
a controller, and
at least two direct current branch circuits, wherein each direct current branch circuit comprises a DC-DC converter and a breaking apparatus, an input end of the DC-DC converter is connected to a corresponding photovoltaic unit, an output end of the DC-DC converter is connected to an input end of the inverter, the DC-DC converter is configured to: perform direct current-direct current conversion on a direct current that is output by the corresponding photovoltaic unit, and then transmit a converted direct current to the inverter, the inverter is configured to invert the direct current transmitted by the DC-DC converter into an alternating current; the insulation resistance detection apparatus and the controller are configured to: when a value of the insulation resistance to ground of the photovoltaic power generation system is less than a preset resistance range, detect an insulation fault in the photovoltaic power generation system, and sequentially control breaking apparatuses on the at least two direct current branch circuits to be disconnected.

10. The photovoltaic power generation system according to claim 5 , wherein the insulation resistance detection apparatus is configured to: before the photovoltaic power generation system runs, detect a value of an insulation resistance to ground of the photovoltaic power generation system, and send the value of the insulation resistance to ground to the controller.

11. A method for diagnosing an insulation fault of a photovoltaic power generation system, wherein the photovoltaic power generation system comprises an inverter and at least two direct current branch circuits, each direct current branch circuit comprises a DC-DC converter and a leakage current detection apparatus, an input end of the DC-DC converter is connected to a corresponding photovoltaic unit, and an output end of the DC-DC converter is connected to an input end of the inverter, and the method comprises, for each of the at least two direct current branch circuits:
controlling the DC-DC converter of a respective direct current branch circuit to perform direct current to direct current conversion on a direct current that is output by the corresponding photovoltaic unit of the respective direct current branch circuit;
transmitting the converted direct current to the inverter of the respective direct current branch circuit;
controlling the inverter to invert the direct current transmitted by the DC-DC converter into an alternating current;
receiving a leakage current that is of the respective direct current branch circuit on which the leakage current detection apparatus is located and that is detected by the leakage current detection apparat

Assignees

• Huawei Digital Power Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gao Yongbing
• Wang Chen
• Lin Tiansan
• Hu Yang

Classifications

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J2101/22

  Solar energy · CPC title

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title

• H02J1/102

  being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) · CPC title