Converter apparatus and operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12301006-B2
Application number	US-202217751788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A converter device configured to exchange power between a first grid and a second grid, including a first inverter configured to connect on an AC side thereof to the first grid, and connected on a DC side thereof to a link circuit of the converter device, and a second inverter configured to connect on an AC side thereof to the second grid, and connected on a DC side thereof to the link circuit. The converter device also includes a solar generator connected to the link circuit, a first controller operably coupled to the first inverter and configured to set a specified converter power of the first inverter, and a second controller operably coupled to the second inverter and configured to set a voltage of the link circuit such that a power of the solar generator optimized according to a predetermined criteria.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A converter device configured to exchange power between a first grid and a second grid, comprising:
a first inverter configured to connect on an AC side thereof to the first grid, and connected on a DC side thereof to a link circuit of the converter device,
a second inverter configured to connect on an AC side thereof to the second grid, and connected on a DC side thereof to the link circuit,
a solar generator connected to the link circuit,
a first controller operably coupled to the first inverter and configured to set a specified converter power of the first inverter, and
a second controller operably coupled to the second inverter and configured to set a voltage of the link circuit such that a power of the solar generator is optimized according to a predetermined criteria.

2. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first grid and the second grid comprises a three-phase design.

3. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first grid comprises a single-phase design.

4. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first controller and the second controller are configured to exchange control parameters with one another.

5. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a storage device operably coupled to the link circuit via a DC/DC converter.

6. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first inverter and the second inverter have a bidirectional power flow design.

7. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solar generator is configured to operate at a rated power which is between 10% and 200% of the rated power of one of the first and second inverters of the converter device.

8. The converter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a maximization of power of the solar generator.

9. A method for exchanging power between a first grid and a second grid via a converter device comprising a first inverter connected to the first grid and a second inverter connected to the second grid, wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are connected to each other via a link circuit, wherein the converter device further comprises a solar generator connected to the link circuit, the method comprising:
operating the first inverter in a power-regulating operation; and
operating the second inverter in a link-circuit-voltage-regulating operation, wherein a link circuit voltage is regulated by the second inverter to satisfy a predetermined power criteria of the solar generator.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second inverter is configured to operate the solar generator in a curtailed manner when a maximum converter power of the second inverter is reached as the predetermined power criteria.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first inverter and the second inverter provides reactive power, wherein the reactive power is provided as a function of a voltage of the first grid or second grid, respectively, connected to the at least one of the first inverter and the second inverter.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first inverter is configured to select a power as a function of a frequency of the first grid connected to the first inverter.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising swapping an operation of the power-regulating operation and the link-circuit-voltage-regulating operation between the first inverter and the second inverter based on a swap criteria.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising, before swapping the operation of the first inverter and the second inverter, setting an operating point of the solar generator with a voltage above an MPP voltage of the solar generator.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein operating the second inverter in the link-circuit-voltage-regulating manner comprises specifying a target power value of the first inverter operating in the power-regulating manner as a function of the power flowing via the second inverter operating in the voltage-regulating manner.

Assignees

• Sma Solar Technology Ag

Inventors

• Falk Andreas

Classifications

• H02J2101/25

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

• H02M5/16

  for conversion of frequency · CPC title

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02J3/32 Primary

  using batteries or super capacitors with converting means · CPC title

• H02J3/16

  by adjustment of reactive power · CPC title