Photovoltaic system, protection method, and inverter system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12355253-B2
Application number	US-202318334653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2023
Priority date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A photovoltaic system includes a controller and two groups of inverters. The two groups of inverters include a positive inverter group and a negative inverter group. The positive inverter group includes at least two inverters: a first inverter and a third inverter. The negative inverter group includes at least two inverters: a second inverter and a fourth inverter. Alternating current output ends of the first inverter and the third inverter are connected in parallel. Direct current input ends of the first inverter and the second inverter are connected in series. Alternating current output ends of the second inverter and the fourth inverter are connected in parallel. Direct current input ends of the third inverter and the fourth inverter are connected in series.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
two groups of inverters comprising:
a positive inverter group comprising:
a first inverter comprising a first inverter alternating current (AC) output end and a first inverter direct current (DC) input end; and
a third inverter comprising:
a third inverter AC output end connected in parallel to the first inverter AC output end; and
a third inverter DC input end;

a negative inverter group comprising:
a second inverter comprising:
a second inverter AC output end; and
a second inverter DC input end connected in series to the first inverter DC input end; and

a fourth inverter comprising:
a fourth inverter AC output end connected in parallel to the second inverter AC output end; and
a fourth inverter DC input end connected in series to the third inverter DC input end; and

a controller configured to:
obtain a circulating current between a pair of inverters, wherein the pair of inverters comprises the positive inverter group or the negative inverter group; and
control, when the circulating current is greater than a preset current threshold or a rising rate of the circulating current is greater than a preset rate, the pair of inverters to undergo wave blocking,
wherein the wave blocking comprises stopping a switching action of all power components of the pair of inverters.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power grid, wherein after the wave blocking, the controller is further configured to:
identify a faulty inverter of the two groups of inverters whose direct current bus voltage is less than a preset voltage threshold, wherein the faulty inverter comprises:
an AC output end; and
a first grid-connected switch connected in series between the AC output end and the power grid; and

turn off the first grid-connected switch.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein after the wave blocking, the controller is further configured to turn off a second grid-connected switch corresponding to a series-connected inverter that is of the two groups of inverters and that is connected in series to the faulty inverter.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein after the first grid-connected switch is turned off, the controller is further configured to control a power component of a non-faulty inverter of the two groups of inverters to resume a switching action.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a plurality of controllers, wherein the plurality of controllers corresponds to a plurality of inverters, and wherein the plurality of inverters comprises the first inverter, the second inverter, the third inverter, and the fourth inverter.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to:
obtain a common-mode output current based on a three-phase output current of a corresponding inverter, wherein the corresponding inverter comprises an output end connected in parallel to a parallel-connected inverter; and
control, when the common-mode output current is greater than the preset current threshold or a rising rate of the common-mode output current is greater than the preset rate, the corresponding inverter to undergo the wave blocking and the parallel-connected inverter to undergo the wave blocking.

7. A method, comprising:
obtaining a circulating current between at least two inverters whose alternating current output ends are connected in parallel; and
controlling, when the circulating current is greater than a preset current threshold or a rising rate of the circulating current is greater than a preset rate, the at least two inverters to undergo wave blocking,
wherein the wave blocking comprises stopping a switching action of all power components of the at least two inverters.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein after controlling the at least two inverters to undergo wave blocking, the method further comprises:
identifying one of the at least two inverters is a faulty inverter when a direct current bus voltage of the faulty inverter is less than a preset voltage threshold; and
turning off a first grid-connected switch corresponding to the faulty inverter, wherein the first grid-connected switch is connected in series between an alternating current output end of the faulty inverter and a power grid.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein after controlling the at least two inverters to undergo wave blocking, the controller further comprises turning off a second grid-connected switch corresponding to an inverter connected in series to the faulty inverter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein after turning off the second grid-connected switch, the method further comprises controlling a power component of a non-faulty inverter to resume a switching action.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein obtaining the circulating current between the at least two inverters comprises:
obtaining a three-phase output current of each of the at least two inverters;
obtaining a common-mode output current of each of the at least two inverters based on the corresponding three-phase output current; and
using the common-mode output current as the circulating current of each of the at least two inverters.

12. A system, comprising:
direct current power supplies;
at least two inverters comprising:
power components;
input ends respectively connected to the direct current power supplies; and
alternating current output ends connected in parallel; and

a controller configured to:
obtain a circulating current between the at least two inverters; and
control, when the circulating current is greater than a preset current threshold or a rising rate of the circulating current is greater than a preset rate, the at least two inverters to undergo wave blocking,
wherein the wave blocking comprises stopping a switching action of the power components of the at least two inverters.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein after the wave blocking, the controller is further configured to:
identify one of the at least two inverters is a faulty inverter when a direct current bus voltage of the faulty inverter is less than a preset voltage threshold; and
turn off a first grid-connected switch corresponding to the faulty inverter, and wherein the first grid-connected switch is connected in series between an alternating current output end of the faulty inverter and a power grid.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein after the wave blocking, the controller is further configured to turn off a second grid-connected switch corresponding to an inverter connected in series to the faulty inverter.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein after the first grid-connected switch is turned off, the controller is further configured to control a power component of a non-faulty inverter of the at least two inverters to resume a switching action.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain a common-mode output current based on a three-phase output current of a corresponding inverter, wherein the corresponding inverter comprises an output end connected in parallel to a parallel-connected inverter;
determine the circulating current metric based on the common-mode output current; and
control, when the circulating current is greater than the preset current threshold or the rising rate of the circulating current is greater than the preset rate, the corresponding inverter to undergo the wave blocking and the parallel-connected inverter to undergo the wave blocking.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
two groups of inverters comprising:
a positive inverte

Assignees

• Huawei Digital Power Tech Co Ltd
• Huawei Digital Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Xinyu
• Xin Kai
• Zhang Yanzhong
• Gao Yongbing

Classifications

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M1/0074

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

• H02M1/123

  Suppression of common mode voltage or current · CPC title

• H02M7/493

  the static converters being arranged for operation in parallel · CPC title