Starting of a solar power plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843185-B2
Application number	US-201314054889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A method of optimizing one or more starting parameters of a solar power generator system and a solar power generator system, wherein the solar power generator system includes a solar panel array and a converter for converting power obtained from the panel array. The method can include measuring an output voltage of the panel array, comparing the output voltage with a starting voltage (V dc ), starting the solar power generator system when the output voltage of the panel array exceeds the starting voltage (V dc ), measuring the obtained power from the solar panel array after a morning start, comparing the obtained power with a known limit value, and changing the one or more starting parameters on the basis of the comparison of power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of optimizing one or more starting parameters of a solar power generator system, wherein the solar power generator system includes a solar panel array and a converter for converting power obtained from the solar panel array, the method comprising:
measuring an output voltage of the solar panel array;
comparing the output voltage with a starting voltage (V dc );
starting the solar power generator system when the output voltage of the solar panel array exceeds the starting voltage (V dc );
measuring power obtained from the solar panel array after a morning start;
comparing the power obtained from the solar panel array with a known limit value (P ac,opt ); and
changing the one or more starting parameters on a basis of the comparing of power;
wherein one of the one or more starting parameters is a time delay used in the starting of the solar power generator system, and changing the one or more starting parameters comprises:
decreasing the time delay when the power obtained from the solar panel is higher than a upper limit, and
increasing the time delay when the power obtained from the solar panel is lower than a lower limit.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the power obtained from the solar panel with the known limit value (P ac,opt ) comprises:
comparing the power obtained from the solar panel with the lower limit and the upper limit; and
changing the one or more starting parameters when the power obtained from the solar panel is higher than the upper limit or lower than the lower limit.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one of the one or more starting parameters is a starting voltage level, and the changing of the one or more starting parameters comprises:
decreasing the starting voltage when the power obtained from the solar panel is higher than the upper limit; and
increasing the starting voltage when the power obtained from the solar panel is lower than the lower limit.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the decreasing or increasing of the starting voltage is carried out by adding a voltage step (V step ) to the starting voltage used in a present starting, or by subtracting a voltage step (V step ) from the starting voltage used in the present starting.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the starting voltage has an upper and lower limit value (V dc,max , V dc,min ), which values limit the increasing and decreasing of the starting voltage.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the voltage step (V step ) is a constant or a variable whose value depends on the difference between the current starting voltage and the upper or lower limit value (V dc,max , V dc,min ).

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising:
generating an alarm when one or more of the one or more starting parameters are at its limit value, or increase at a specified rate.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the decreasing or increasing of the time delay is carried out by adding a time step (T step ) to the time delay used in the present starting or by subtracting the time step (T step ) from the time delay used in the present starting.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the time delay has an upper and lower limit value (T start,max , T start,min ), which values limit the increasing and decreasing of the time delay.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the time step (T step ) is a constant or a variable whose value depends on the difference between the current time and the upper or lower limit value (T start,max , T start,min ).

11. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the decreasing or increasing of the starting voltage is carried out by adding a voltage step (V step ) to the starting voltage used in a present starting, or by subtracting a voltage step (V step ) from the starting voltage used in the present starting.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more starting parameters is a starting voltage level, and the changing of the one or more starting parameters comprises:
decreasing the starting voltage when the power obtained from the solar panel is higher than the upper limit; and
increasing the starting voltage when the power obtained from the solar panel is lower than the lower limit.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the starting voltage has an upper and lower limit value (V dc,max , V dc,min ), which values limit the increasing and decreasing of the starting voltage.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decreasing or increasing of the starting voltage is carried out by adding a voltage step (V step ) to the starting voltage used in a present starting, or by subtracting a voltage step (V step ) from the starting voltage used in the present starting.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the voltage step (V step ) is a constant or a variable whose value depends on the difference between a current starting voltage and the upper or lower limit value (V dc,max , V dc,min ).

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decreasing or increasing of the time delay is carried out by adding a time step (T step ) to the time delay used in the present starting or by subtracting the time step (T step ) from the time delay used in the present starting.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the time step (T step ) is a constant or a variable whose value depends on the difference between the current time and the upper or lower limit value (T start,max , T start,min ).

18. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the time delay has an upper and lower limit value (T start,max , T start,min ), which values limit the increasing and decreasing of the time delay.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
generating an alarm when one or more of the one or more starting parameters are at its limit value.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
generating an alarm when one or more of the one or more starting parameters increase at a specified rate.

Assignees

• Abb Oy

Inventors

• Uusimäki Jari
• Hyttinen Jarkko
• Hellberg Janne

Classifications

• H02J2101/25

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

• H02J1/102 Primary

  being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02J3/385

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y10T307/729

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E10/58

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic