Circuits and methods for limiting open circuit voltage of photovoltaic strings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9190839-B2
Application number	US-201314097882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Nov 17, 2015
Grant date	Nov 17, 2015

Abstract

A photovoltaic string may include an open circuit voltage limiter that conducts current in one direction to provide a limiter voltage less than an open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic string, and that conducts current in the other direction. One or more open circuit voltage limiters may be connected across the photovoltaic string or across selected groups of solar cells of the photovoltaic string. The limiter voltage may be greater than a maximum power point voltage but less than the open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic string comprising:
a plurality of serially connected solar cells;
a positive lead and a negative lead on opposite ends of the photovoltaic string, one end of the plurality of serially connected solar cells being connected to the positive lead and an opposite end of the plurality of serially connected solar cells being connected to the negative lead;
an open circuit voltage limiter across a group of solar cells in the plurality of serially…

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Johnston Keith
• Judkins Zachary S

Classifications

• H10F19/70

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F19/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F19/902

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02H9/04 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/042

  Electricity · mapped topic