Inverter system for photovoltaic power generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9608438-B2
Application number	US-201313937322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2013
Priority date	Jul 17, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an inverter system capable of more economically and efficiently performing photovoltaic power generation by automatically switching an integrated operation and an independent operation of inverters according to voltage values and current values of photovoltaic panels without a separate communication function. The inverter system for photovoltaic power generation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is an inverter system which changes direct current power output from a first photovoltaic panel and a second photovoltaic panel to alternating current power and includes: a first inverter and a second inverter, in which all of the outputs of the first and second photovoltaic panels are applied to the first inverter, or the output of the first photovoltaic panel is applied to the first inverter, and the output of the second photovoltaic panel is applied to the second inverter according to output values of the first and second photovoltaic panels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inverter system comprising:
a first photovoltaic panel;
a first inverter including a first switch and a first controller,
wherein the first inverter is connected to the first photovoltaic panel;
a second photovoltaic panel; and
a second inverter including a second switch and a second controller, wherein the second inverter is connected to the second photovoltaic panel;
wherein according to output values of the first and second photovoltaic panels, through on/off method of the first and second switches, all of the outputs of the first and second photovoltaic panels are applied to the first inverter, or the output of the first photovoltaic panel is applied to the first inverter and the output of the second photovoltaic panel is applied to the second inverter,
wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are connected with a power cable,
wherein the first and second switches are operated separately by the first and second controller,
wherein the first inverter and the second inverter serve as a master inverter and a slave inverter, respectively,
wherein in response to determining that the first inverter has failed, independent operation of the second inverter is performed by fixing a switch to a second inverter side, and
wherein to determine whether the first inverter is in operation based on a switch state, a voltage of the second photovoltaic panel is temporarily increased to a value of a photovoltaic panel open voltage,
wherein the first switch is located inside the first inverter and is connected to the second photovoltaic panel in order to additionally receive the output of the second photovoltaic panel, and
the second switch is located inside the second inverter and is connected between the second photovoltaic panel and the first inverter in order to receive the output of the second photovoltaic panel or switch the output of the second photovoltaic panel to the first inverter to apply the output.

2. The inverter system of claim 1 , wherein when the output value of the first photovoltaic panel is smaller than a predetermined power value, all of the outputs of the first and second photovoltaic panels are applied to the first inverter, and
when the output value of the first photovoltaic panel is equal to or larger than the predetermined power value, the output of the first photovoltaic panel is applied to the first inverter, and the output of the second photovoltaic panel is applied to the second inverter.

3. The inverter system of claim 1 , wherein when the output value of the second photovoltaic panel is smaller than a predetermined power value, all of the outputs of the first and second photovoltaic panels are applied to the first inverter, and
when the output value of the second photovoltaic panel is equal to or larger than the predetermined power value, the output of the first photovoltaic panel is applied to the first inverter, and the output of the second photovoltaic panel is applied to the second inverter.

4. The inverter system of claim 1 , wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are connected only with the power cable, which is transmitting electric power.

5. The inverter system of claim 1 , wherein when the output value of the second photovoltaic panel is smaller than a predetermined power value, the first controller turns on the first switch, and the second controller switches the second switch to the first inverter side, and
when the output value of the second photovoltaic panel is equal to or larger than the predetermined power value, the first controller turns off the first switch, and the second controller switches the second switch to the second inverter side.

6. The inverter system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second controllers control so that the first and second inverters are operated at a maximum power point by monitoring voltages and current input from the first and second photovoltaic panels.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Chu Moo Jung

Classifications

• H02J1/10

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title

• H02J2101/25

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

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• Y02E10/58

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01L31/02021

  Electricity · mapped topic