Device for generating photovoltaic energy with blocks of cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9813011-B2
Application number	US-201214124527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Photovoltaic energy generation device, characterized in that it comprises at least one brick (120) comprising a lower terminal and an upper terminal, between which are arranged two cells (111), each comprising a photovoltaic cell (7), comprising one or more elementary photovoltaic cell(s), and a storage element (8) connected to the terminals of the photovoltaic cell, and at least three cell switchs (113), so as to be able to dispose the said two cells (111) in series or in parallel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Photovoltaic energy generation device, comprising at least one brick consisting of:
(a) a lower terminal,
(b) an upper terminal,
(c) two cells arranged between the upper and lower terminals, each cell consisting of an elementary photovoltaic cell, and a storage element connected to terminals of the elementary photovoltaic cell,
(d) three cell switches which switch to connect said two cells at least one of in series and in parallel,
(e) first and second branches extending between the lower and upper terminals, wherein the first branch extends between the lower and upper terminals and consists of a cell connected to the upper terminal and a first of the three cell switches connected to the lower terminal, wherein the second branch extends between the lower and upper terminals and consists of a second of the three cell switches connected to the upper terminal and a cell connected to the lower terminal, and
(f) a transverse branch consisting of a third of the three cell switches linking respectively intermediate terminals, disposed between the cell and the cell switch, of each of the first and second branches.

2. A Photovoltaic energy generation device, wherein the device comprises a module comprising a lower terminal and an upper terminal, between which are disposed two bricks, linked by three branches, and three switches disposed respectively between two lower terminals of the two bricks, between two upper terminals of the two bricks, and between an upper terminal of a first lower brick and a lower terminal of a second upper brick, connecting the two bricks at least one of in series and in parallel, wherein each of the bricks is a brick according to claim 1 .

3. A Photovoltaic energy generation device wherein the device comprises a module comprising a lower terminal and an upper terminal, between which are disposed plural sets of more than two bricks that are able to be electrically disposed at least one of in series and in parallel therebetween, and these sets being able to be electrically disposed at least in series and/or in parallel between the upper and lower terminals of the module by several switches, wherein each of the bricks is a brick according to claim 1 .

4. A Photovoltaic energy generation device, wherein the device comprises a module comprising a lower terminal and an upper terminal, between which are disposed four bricks so as to form a superbrick, this superbrick comprising a first set comprising a first brick linked to the lower terminal of the module, and linked to a second brick linked to the upper terminal of the module by way of three switches making it possible to dispose these two bricks in series or in parallel, and comprising a second set of two other bricks disposed between the two terminals, lower and upper, of the module in parallel with the first set of two bricks, wherein each of the bricks is a brick according to claim 1 .

5. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 4 , wherein the device comprises at least one intermediate electrical link distinct from the upper and lower terminals between the two sets of two bricks.

6. A Photovoltaic energy generation device, wherein the device comprises several modules disposed in series, and in that each module comprises a lower terminal and an upper terminal between which are disposed several bricks in parallel, and/or several sets of two bricks interlinked in series and/or parallel, and/or several superbricks, each superbrick formed from four bricks, in parallel, wherein each of the bricks is a brick according to claim 1 .

7. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises
at least one H-bridge configured to invert a voltage across terminals of all or part of the photovoltaic energy generation device, and/or
several subsets of cells and switches disposed between these subsets configured to dispose two subsets in series or in parallel.

8. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one of the following:
(a) a module switch connected in parallel with a module and at least one control circuit connected to the module or the brick,
(b) a parallel switch connected in parallel with one of the cells and at least one control circuit connected to the brick,
(c) cell switches disposed in series with one of the cells and at least one control circuit connected to the brick,
(d) at least one switch disposed in parallel with several modules and at least one control circuit connected to the several modules or the brick, and/or
(e) switches for inverting the voltage across the terminals of all or part of the photovoltaic energy generation device and/or electrically modifying connection in series or in parallel of subsets of cells of the photovoltaic energy generation device and at least one control circuit connected to the brick.

9. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 8 , wherein the device comprises at least one processing circuit connected at one of the module, the several modules, the brick, and a central computer, wherein the at least one processing circuit drives switches of the photovoltaic energy generation device via the control circuit.

10. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more control circuit(s) and/or at least one processing circuit are connected electrically by at least one cell of the photovoltaic energy generation device.

11. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises
a sensor for measuring current of a cell, and/or
a sensor for measuring voltage across terminals of a cell and/or across terminals of a cell switch, and/or
a sensor for measuring temperature of a cell and/or for impedance spectrometry measurement.

12. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises an electronic card comprising at least one of the following:
terminals for a link with cells of the photovoltaic energy generation device,
cell switches,
a module switch connected in parallel with a module,
a parallel switch connected in parallel with a cell,
at least one switch disposed in parallel with several bricks or modules or subsets of cells,
switches for inverting the voltage across the terminals of all or part of the photovoltaic energy generation device and/or modifying connection in series or in parallel of subsets of cells of the photovoltaic energy generation device,
sensors for measuring a quantity characteristic of a state of cells,
a control circuit for the cell switches,
a processing circuit.

13. Photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the device comprises several transistors configured to function as switches and/or
wherein the storage element comprises a capacitor.

14. Method for managing a photovoltaic energy generation device comprising the bricks according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step of:
determining position of the cell switches of at least one brick of the photovoltaic energy generation device so as to connect its two cells in series or in parallel and to maintain its two cells in an operating state in a range around a predetermined optimal operating point of the photovoltaic energy generation device.

15. Method for managing a photovoltaic energy generation device according to claim 14 , wherein the position of at least one cell switch maintains the cell in an operating state in a range of plus or minus 5% around an optimal voltage operating point.

16. Method for managing a p

Assignees

• Despesse Ghislain
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Despesse Ghislain

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H01L31/02021

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B10/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02S10/00 Primary

  PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power · CPC title

• Y10T307/76

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic