Dual use photovoltaic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9276410-B2
Application number	US-201414187756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 1, 2009
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A system for providing power from a direct current (DC) source to the power grid. The system includes a first inverter with an input and an output. The input is adapted to connect to the DC source. A first switch disposed between the output and the power grid. A second inverter with a DC terminal and an AC terminal, the AC terminal is adapted to connect in parallel with the output of the first inverter. A battery adapted to connect to the DC terminal of the second inverter. A second switch connected between the DC terminal of the second inverter and the input of the first inverter. The second switch also operatively connects the DC source to the battery. The system may further include a charging circuit adapted to be disposed between the input and the DC terminal and a load adapted to connect to the output.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising a first inverter, a second inverter, a switch, and direct-current power nodes; wherein alternating-current terminals of the first inverter are connected to alternating-current terminals of the second inverter; and wherein the direct-current power nodes are connected to direct-current terminals of the first inverter and connected through the switch to direct-current terminals of the second inverter.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second switch and alternating-current power nodes, wherein the alternating-current power nodes are connected through the second switch to the alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to:
close the second switch in response to a presence of an external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes; and
open the second switch in response to an absence of the external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to:
open the switch in response to a presence of an external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes; and
close the switch in response to an absence of the external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes.

5. The system of claim 2 , the second inverter being configured to:
convert alternating-current power on the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter to direct-current power on the direct-current terminals of the second inverter in response to a presence of an external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes; and
convert direct-current power on the direct-current terminals of the second inverter to alternating-current power on the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter in response to an absence of the external energy source energizing the alternating-current power nodes.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system is configured to operate in a plurality of modes when a load is connected to the alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter, a battery is connected to the direct-current terminals of the second inverter, a power source is connected to the direct-current power nodes, and a power grid is connected to the alternating-current power nodes, the plurality of modes including at least one of:
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the power source;
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the power grid;
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the battery;
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the power source and the power grid;
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the power source and the battery; and
the system being configured to supply power to the load solely from the power source, the battery, and the power grid.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a battery connected to the direct-current terminals of the second inverter.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a charging circuit connected between the battery and the direct-current power nodes through the switch.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power source connected to the direct-current power nodes.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a load connected to the alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter.

11. A method comprising:
connecting direct-current terminals of a first inverter to direct-current terminals of a second inverter in response to sensing a power grid not being energized, the direct-current terminals of the first inverter being connected to a power source, and alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and alternating-current terminals of the second inverter being connected to a load; and
disconnecting the direct-current terminals of the first inverter from the direct-current terminals of the second inverter in response to sensing the power grid being energized.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
connecting the alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter to the power grid in response to the sensing of the power grid being energized; and
disconnecting the alternating-current terminals of the first inverter and the alternating-current terminals of the second inverter from the power grid in response to the sensing of the power grid not being energized.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
the sensing of the power grid being energized and not being energized.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
converting, with the first inverter, direct-current power received from the power source to alternating-current power output to the power grid and to the load in response to the sensing of the power grid being energized.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
converting, with the second inverter, direct-current power received from the power source to alternating-current power output to the load in response to the sensing of the power grid not being energized.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
converting, with the second inverter, direct-current power received from a battery to alternating-current power output to the load in response to the sensing of the power grid not being energized.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
charging a battery connected the direct-current terminals of the second inverter with power provided from the power source or from the power grid.

18. The method of claim 17 , the charging comprising:
converting, with the second inverter, alternating-current power provided from the first inverter or from the power grid to direct-current power output to the battery in response to the sensing of the power grid being energized.

19. The method of claim 17 , the charging comprising:
charging the battery from the power source through a connection of the direct-current terminals of the second inverter to the direct-current terminals of the first inverter made in response to the sensing the power grid not being energized.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
disconnecting the battery and the direct-current terminals of the second inverter from the power source and from the direct-current terminals of the first inverter in response to sensing a voltage across the direct-current terminals of the first inverter exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Solaredge Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Binder Yaron
• Sella Guy
• Adest Meir
• Handelsman Lior
• Galin Yoav
• Fishelov Amir

Classifications

• H02J2101/25

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

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J2101/10

  Dispersed power generation using fossil fuels, e.g. diesel generators · CPC title

• H02M7/44

  by static converters · CPC title