System and method for arc detection and intervention in solar energy systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9043039-B2
Application number	US-201113075093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2011
Priority date	Feb 24, 2011
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

Abstract

An arc detection and intervention system for a solar energy system. One or more arc detectors are strategically located among strings of solar panels. In conjunction with local management units (LMUs), arcs can be isolated and affected panels disconnected from the solar energy system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar energy system, comprising:
a plurality of photovoltaic panels;
a plurality of local management units, each respective local management unit of the plurality of local management units connected to a respective photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels and configured to receive power from the respective photovoltaic panel, wherein when the respective local management unit is turned on, the respective local management unit provides power output based on the power received from the respective photovoltaic panel, and wherein when the respective local management unit is turned off, the respective local management unit disconnects the respective photovoltaic panel from the solar energy system;
one or more arc detectors configured to detect an arc in the solar energy system; and
a system management unit coupled with the one or more arc detectors and configured to be in communication with the plurality of local management units;
wherein if the one or more arc detectors detect the arc, the system management unit is configured to identify, via communicating with the plurality of local management units to turn on and off the plurality of local management units, a location of the arc in the solar energy system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein if the arc is located in at least one of a subset of the photovoltaic panels, the system management unit instructs the local management unit to disconnect the subset of the photovoltaic panels from the solar energy system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic panels are interconnected via a series circuit.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic panels are interconnected via a parallel circuit.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic panels are divided into one or more strings.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each of the arc detectors is connected to each of the strings.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein one of the arc detectors is connected to a set of the strings.

8. A method for managing a solar energy system, comprising:
monitoring the solar energy system with one or more arc detectors, the solar energy system including a plurality of photovoltaic panels and a plurality of local management units, wherein each respective local management unit of the plurality of local management units is connected to a respective photovoltaic panel of the plurality of photovoltaic panels and configured to receive power from the respective photovoltaic panel, wherein when the respective local management unit is turned on, the respective local management unit provides power output based on the power received from the respective photovoltaic panel, and wherein when the respective local management unit is turned off, the respective local management unit disconnects the respective photovoltaic panel from the solar energy system, wherein the one or more arc detectors and the plurality of local management units are connected to a system management unit;
notifying the system management unit by one or more of the arc detectors if the one or more of the arc detectors detect an arc in the solar energy system; and
identifying by the system management unit a location of the arc in the solar energy system, wherein the identifying of the location is via turning on and off the plurality of local management units.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, if the system management unit detects the location of the arc, identifying a subset of the photovoltaic panels affected by the arc.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, turning off a subset of the local management units to disconnect the subset of the photovoltaic panels from the system.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining at least one of: a strength, and a danger level of the arc by the system management unit.

12. A system, comprising:
a plurality of local management units, each of the plurality of local management units connected to a photovoltaic panel to selectively connect or disconnect the photovoltaic panel to or from the system;
at least one arc detector; and
a system management unit coupled with the at least one arc detector and configured to communicate with the plurality of local management units;
wherein when the arc detector detects an arc in the system, the system management unit communicates with the plurality of local management units to selectively connect and disconnect photovoltaic panels in the system and identify a location of the arc based on selectively connecting and disconnecting the photovoltaic panels in the system using the plurality of local management units.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein if the arc is located in at least one of a subset of the photovoltaic panels, the system management unit instructs the local management unit to disconnect the subset of the photovoltaic panels from the solar energy system.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the photovoltaic panels are interconnected via a series circuit.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the photovoltaic panels are interconnected via a parallel circuit.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the photovoltaic panels are divided into a plurality of strings.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one arc detector includes one arc detector connected to each of the strings.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the arc detector is connected to a set of the strings.

Assignees

• Eizips Daniel
• Arditi Shmuel
• Tigo Energy Inc

Inventors

• Eizips Daniel
• Arditi Shmuel

Classifications

• H02S50/10 Primary

  Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) · CPC title

• G05B23/0218

  characterised by the fault detection method dealing with either existing or incipient faults · CPC title

• H02S10/10

  including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems (combinations with gas-turbine plants F02C6/00) · CPC title

• G05F1/02 Primary

  Regulating electric characteristics of arcs · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title