Upgrading control method of power converter and related device

Abstract

The invention provides an upgrade control method of a power converter and a related device, and relates to the technical field of power conversion systems. The upgrading information and the operation information of the power converter are obtained, and under the condition that the operation information of the power converter meets the upgrading execution condition corresponding to the upgrading information, the upgrading operation of the power converter corresponding to the upgrading information is executed. And under the condition that the operation information of the power converter does not meet the upgrading execution condition, not executing the upgrading operation of the power converter so as to avoid influencing the normal grid-connected power generation of the power converter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power conversion system technology, and more specifically, to an upgrade control method and related apparatus for a power converter. Background Technology

[0002] The power conversion system is equipped with a power converter. Taking the power converter as an inverter as an example, the inverter needs to support software upgrade function so that it can perform software upgrade operations in scenarios such as grid connection standard updates, new function iterations, and software logic optimization.

[0003] Inverters play a crucial role in power conversion systems by generating electricity. During software upgrades, how to ensure that the software upgrade process does not affect the inverter's normal grid-connected power generation is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides an upgrade control method and related apparatus for a power converter, so as to achieve the purpose of software upgrade operation without affecting the normal grid-connected power generation of the power converter.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, this application discloses an upgrade control method for a power converter, comprising:

[0007] Obtain upgrade and operational information for the power converter;

[0008] If the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed.

[0009] Optionally, the upgrade information includes a delayed upgrade command and an upgrade data packet, and the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include: delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, wherein,

[0010] If the operating information of the power converter satisfies the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including:

[0011] In response to the delayed upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

[0012] Optionally, the power converter being in standby mode includes: the power converter being out of grid and the power converter's input power being greater than the minimum operating power limit.

[0013] Optionally, the grid-connected state of the power converter is off-grid, including:

[0014] The input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold;

[0015] or,

[0016] When the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, it responds to the off-grid command and performs an off-grid operation.

[0017] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0018] In response to the delayed upgrade command, grant delayed upgrade privileges.

[0019] Optionally, the upgrade information includes an immediate upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include that delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode.

[0020] If the operating information of the power converter satisfies the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including:

[0021] In response to the immediate upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

[0022] Optionally, after performing the upgrade operation using the upgrade data package, the method further includes:

[0023] If the number of consecutive upgrade failures exceeds a threshold, enable delayed upgrade permission.

[0024] If it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

[0025] Optionally, the upgrade operation is performed using the upgrade data package, including:

[0026] The upgrade data package is used to upgrade at least one of the communication module and controller inside the power converter.

[0027] Optionally, after obtaining the upgrade information of the power converter, the following may also be included:

[0028] If it is determined that the upgrade data packet is missing some data packets and the replacement of the missing data packets fails, an upgrade failure message will be output.

[0029] or,

[0030] If the upgrade data packet verification fails, an upgrade failure message will be output.

[0031] Secondly, this application discloses an upgrade control device for a power converter, comprising:

[0032] The information acquisition module is used to acquire upgrade and operational information of the power converter.

[0033] The upgrade module is used to perform an upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information when the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information.

[0034] Thirdly, this application discloses a communication module, including at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein:

[0035] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0036] The processor is used to execute the computer program so that the communication module can implement the power converter upgrade control method described above.

[0037] Fourthly, this application discloses a controller, including at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein:

[0038] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0039] The processor is used to execute the computer program so that the controller can implement the above-described power converter upgrade control method.

[0040] Fifthly, this application discloses a power converter, including the aforementioned communication module and / or the aforementioned controller.

[0041] This application provides an upgrade control method and related apparatus for a power converter. The method acquires upgrade information and operating information of the power converter. The upgrade operation of the power converter corresponding to the upgrade information will be executed only if the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions. If the operating information of the power converter does not meet the upgrade execution conditions, the upgrade operation of the power converter will not be executed to avoid affecting the normal grid-connected power generation of the power converter. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an upgrade control method for a power converter provided in this application embodiment;

[0044] Figure 2 This application provides a schematic diagram of an inverter upgrade.

[0045] Figure 3 This is another inverter upgrade schematic diagram provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an upgrade control device for a power converter provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a power converter provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions of this application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] In real-world scenarios, various devices are configured in different systems, and at least one device requires an upgrade. Taking a power conversion system as an example, and power converters as devices, we will use inverters as an example to illustrate the concept.

[0050] In power conversion systems, inverters need to support software upgrade functionality to perform software upgrade operations in scenarios such as grid connection standard updates, new function iterations, and software logic optimizations.

[0051] Inverters play a crucial role in power conversion systems by generating electricity. During actual operation, to reduce nighttime losses, only the communication module within the inverter is powered at night; the controller is not powered. This prevents controller upgrades from being performed at night, necessitating upgrades during the daytime.

[0052] During the daytime, the inverter is connected to the grid for power generation. During an upgrade process, to ensure the safety of the power conversion system, the inverter is first shut down and disconnected from the grid before the upgrade is performed. This shutdown operation affects the inverter's normal operation, which in turn affects its power generation during normal grid connection, thus reducing the power conversion system's output.

[0053] Therefore, in order to avoid power generation loss during inverter upgrades, inverters in a multi-inverter system can be upgraded alternately. However, this solution will affect the power generation of the inverters and is not suitable for single inverter applications or full-power output scenarios for arrays / power plants.

[0054] Another solution is to add an AC power supply circuit to the inverter. When an upgrade is needed at night, the controller is powered through the AC power supply circuit. This solution requires additional hardware costs.

[0055] In summary, there is a need for an upgrade control method that does not affect the power generation of the inverter during normal grid-connected power generation and does not increase hardware costs. Therefore, in this embodiment, upgrade information and operating information of the power converter are obtained. Different upgrade information corresponds to different upgrade execution conditions. When an immediate upgrade is not required, the upgrade execution conditions can be delayed upgrade permission activation and the power converter being in standby mode. That is, the upgrade operation is performed when the power converter is in standby and not generating power. At this time, since the power converter is not connected to the grid, its power generation will not be affected, and the entire process is implemented in software, without increasing hardware costs.

[0056] This application provides an upgrade control method for a power converter. The executing entity is an electronic device, which can be a rectifier for converting AC to DC, an inverter for converting DC to AC, or a converter with DC-AC bidirectional conversion capabilities, or other devices capable of transmitting photovoltaic power to the power grid. In one implementation, the electronic device may include a communication module and a controller, and the communication module or controller may be used to execute the upgrade control method for the power converter.

[0057] Reference Figure 1 An upgrade control method for a power converter may include:

[0058] S11. Obtain upgrade and operation information of the power converter.

[0059] In this embodiment, the power converter can be a rectifier for converting AC to DC, an inverter for converting DC to AC, or a converter with DC-AC bidirectional conversion, etc.

[0060] Upgrade information for power converters refers to the data used to control upgrades to the power converter, and may include upgrade commands and upgrade data packets. Upgrade commands are the instructions used to control the upgrade of the power converter, while upgrade data packets are the upgrade data used during the upgrade process.

[0061] In one implementation, the upgrade information for the power converter can be issued by a control device. In this embodiment, the control device can be a host computer, a main controller, a cloud device, or other devices used for upgrade control.

[0062] The power converter internally includes a communication module and a controller. The communication module communicates with the control equipment, and the communication method depends on the actual configuration. The communication module can receive upgrade information from the control equipment and execute the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information. In addition, the communication module also sends upgrade information to the controller, causing the controller to execute the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information.

[0063] In one implementation, when obtaining upgrade information for the power converter, the upgrade command issued by the control device is obtained first.

[0064] In this embodiment, the upgrade command includes at least two types of upgrade commands: a delayed upgrade command and an immediate upgrade command.

[0065] When a power converter exhibits an anomaly affecting its operation, and if the anomaly can be fixed through a software upgrade, the power converter should be upgraded as soon as possible to resolve the issue quickly. In this case, the power converter's power generation can be disregarded. The upgrade command issued by the control equipment will be an immediate upgrade command. Upon receiving this immediate upgrade command, the power converter will immediately perform the upgrade operation after acquiring the upgrade data packet to quickly fix the problem and avoid affecting its normal operation. Here, normal operation of the power converter refers to its normal grid connection and power generation.

[0066] If there is no anomaly requiring an immediate upgrade of the power converter, the upgrade can be implemented without affecting its power generation. In this case, the upgrade command issued by the control equipment is a delayed upgrade command. Upon receiving this delayed upgrade command, the power converter will not immediately perform the upgrade operation. Instead, the upgrade will only be performed when the power converter is in standby mode and not connected to the grid, to avoid impacting its power generation if the upgrade is performed while the power converter is connected to the grid.

[0067] For power converters, in order to accommodate different upgrade commands issued by the control equipment, a delayed upgrade permission is configured inside the power converter. If an immediate upgrade is required, the delayed upgrade permission should be deactivated; if a delayed upgrade is required, the delayed upgrade permission should be enabled.

[0068] In one implementation, delayed upgrade permission can be implemented through delayed upgrade status. The delayed upgrade status can be implemented using specific values, letters, text, etc. Clearing the delayed upgrade status means deactivating delayed upgrade permission, while setting the delayed upgrade status means enabling delayed upgrade permission.

[0069] After receiving the upgrade command from the control device, the power converter will release the delayed upgrade permission to avoid the situation where the delayed upgrade permission was not released during the last upgrade, which would cause the upgrade time to be incorrect. If a delayed upgrade is required in the future, the delayed upgrade permission will be re-enabled.

[0070] After the power converter removes the delayed upgrade permission, it sends a message to the control device, and the control device and power converter successfully handshake. Subsequently, the control device sends an upgrade data packet to the power converter. The content of the upgrade data packet depends on the actual configuration and is used to upgrade certain functions of the power converter. The power converter receives the upgrade data packet to obtain the upgrade data packet sent by the control device.

[0071] In one implementation, after receiving the upgrade data packet, the power converter verifies whether the content of the upgrade data packet is complete and correct.

[0072] Specifically, after the power converter and control device complete their handshake, the control device transmits an upgrade data packet to the power converter. Upon receiving the upgrade data packet, the power converter performs packet loss detection and upgrade packet verification. Packet loss detection checks the completeness of the upgrade data packet, while upgrade packet verification verifies its correctness. In one implementation, upgrade packet verification can employ CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) verification.

[0073] During packet loss detection, if it is determined that the upgrade data packet is missing, a message will be sent to the control device so that the control device can resend the missing data packets. If the missing data packets still cannot be sent to the power converter after multiple resendings, the power converter will determine that the upgrade data packet is missing some data packets and that the resending of some data packets has failed. At this time, the upgrade failure message will be output to the control device and the upgrade process will be exited. Otherwise, the upgrade process will continue.

[0074] Similarly, during the upgrade package verification, if the upgrade data package verification fails, it is considered that the content of the upgrade data package sent by the control device is incorrect. At this time, the upgrade failure message is output to the control device and the upgrade process is exited; otherwise, the upgrade process continues.

[0075] In addition to obtaining the upgrade information mentioned above, it is also necessary to obtain the operating information of the power converter.

[0076] In this embodiment, the operating information of the power converter may include illumination, power, grid connection status, and the status of delayed upgrade permissions.

[0077] S12. If the power converter's operating information meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, execute the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information.

[0078] In this embodiment, the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information vary depending on the actual configuration and the upgrade command in the upgrade information. Specifically, limiting the upgrade execution conditions in this embodiment ensures that the current operating status of the power converter meets the minimum requirements for the upgrade, allowing the power converter to successfully perform the upgrade operation. These minimum requirements may include factors such as illumination, power output, grid connection status, and the status of delayed upgrade permissions.

[0079] If the power converter's operating information meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, it means that the power converter is currently capable of undergoing an upgrade operation, and the upgrade information can be used to execute the power converter's upgrade operation.

[0080] In one implementation, the power converter includes a communication module and a controller. When the power converter is upgraded, an upgrade data packet should be used to upgrade at least one of the communication module and the controller inside the power converter.

[0081] During the specific upgrade process, the communication module decomposes the upgrade data packet and uses the communication module upgrade data in the upgrade data packet to perform a self-upgrade operation. During the self-upgrade operation (before, during, or after the self-upgrade starts), the controller upgrade data in the upgrade data packet is sent to the controller, and the controller uses the controller upgrade data to perform the upgrade operation.

[0082] It should be noted that if only the communication module needs to be upgraded, the communication module only needs to perform a self-upgrade using the communication module upgrade data in the upgrade data package. If only the controller needs to be upgraded, the controller only needs to perform a self-upgrade using the controller upgrade data in the upgrade data package.

[0083] During the controller upgrade process, the upgrade status (upgrading in progress, upgrade failed, or upgrade successful) can be returned to the communication module. The communication module then returns the upgrade status to the control device, enabling the control device to understand the upgrade progress of the power converter.

[0084] After the controller and / or communication module are successfully upgraded, the delayed upgrade permission can be removed to avoid the impact of not removing the delayed upgrade permission on the next upgrade.

[0085] In this embodiment, upgrade information and operation information of the power converter are obtained. The upgrade operation of the power converter corresponding to the upgrade information will be executed only if the operation information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions. If the operation information of the power converter does not meet the upgrade execution conditions, the upgrade operation of the power converter will not be executed to avoid affecting the normal grid-connected power generation of the power converter.

[0086] Based on any of the above embodiments, when the upgrade information includes a delayed upgrade command, the delayed upgrade command can be responded to, and delayed upgrade permission can be enabled.

[0087] In this embodiment, based on the above discussion, after receiving the upgrade command issued by the control device, the power converter will release the delayed upgrade permission to avoid an upgrade time error caused by not releasing the delayed upgrade permission during the previous upgrade. In this embodiment, since the upgrade command is a delayed upgrade command, a delayed upgrade operation is required. Therefore, the delayed upgrade permission needs to be enabled to ensure that the current state of the delayed upgrade permission matches the delayed upgrade operation.

[0088] Based on any of the above embodiments, when the upgrade information includes a delayed upgrade command and an upgrade data packet, the upgrade execution condition corresponding to the upgrade information is a limiting condition characterizing that the power converter is in standby mode and needs to undergo a delayed upgrade. In one implementation, the upgrade execution condition corresponding to the upgrade information includes: delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode.

[0089] Enabling delayed upgrade permission ensures that a delayed upgrade operation is performed at this time.

[0090] A power converter in standby mode means that the power converter is not connected to the grid to generate electricity, but the communication module and controller in the power converter are operating normally.

[0091] In one implementation, the power converter is in a standby state, including: the grid connection state of the power converter is not connected to the grid, and the input power of the power converter is greater than the minimum operating power limit.

[0092] A power converter's grid-connected status as "not connected to the grid" means that the power converter is not generating electricity at this time. This could be due to insufficient sunlight causing the power converter to be unable to generate electricity normally, or due to faults, manual control of the power converter to disconnect from the grid, or other reasons.

[0093] In one implementation, the grid-connected state of the power converter is off-grid, including:

[0094] The input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold.

[0095] In real-world scenarios, when the input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold, and the power converter is in an off-grid state, the power converter will not output electrical energy to the grid. In this case, performing an upgrade operation on the power converter will not affect the grid-connected power generation during normal operation.

[0096] The reasons why the input power of a power converter falls below the minimum grid-connected power threshold vary depending on the specific scenario. Taking a power converter in a photovoltaic (PV) power generation scenario as an example, the input of the power converter is connected to the PV module. The PV module generates electricity using sunlight. If there is insufficient sunlight, the power output from the PV module to the power converter will be relatively low, thus causing the input power of the power converter to fall below the minimum grid-connected power threshold.

[0097] Periods of insufficient sunlight typically occur during sunrise or sunset when sunlight levels are low, or during periods of low sunlight due to cloudy weather or other inclement weather. During these periods, the low sunlight levels result in lower power generation from photovoltaic modules, which may not meet the grid-connected power requirements of the power converter. Therefore, upgrading during these times will not affect the grid-connected power generation capacity of the power converter during normal operation.

[0098] In another implementation, when the power converter is used in a wind power generation scenario, the input power of the power converter is low due to the low wind intensity, which does not meet the power requirements for grid connection. In this case, the power converter does not need to perform grid connection operation. Upgrading during this period will not affect the grid connection power generation when the power converter is operating normally.

[0099] Besides the power converter's grid-connected state being "out of grid" including cases where the power converter's input power is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold, another implementation of the power converter's grid-connected state as "out of grid" can also include:

[0100] When the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, it responds to the off-grid command and performs an off-grid operation.

[0101] In practice, when the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, the input power of the power converter meets the grid-connected power generation conditions, and the power converter can then perform grid-connected power generation operation. If the grid-connected power generation exceeds the required power generation or if the power converter malfunctions, a manual off-grid command can be output, and the power converter can respond to the off-grid command and execute an off-grid operation. During the off-grid period, the power converter undergoes an upgrade operation.

[0102] In one implementation, if a grid connection command is received during the upgrade process after the power converter performs an off-grid operation, the grid connection operation can be carried out only after the upgrade is successful, in order to avoid the grid connection affecting the grid operation status during the upgrade process.

[0103] When the power converter is in standby mode, in addition to limiting the grid connection status of the power converter to off-grid, it is also necessary to limit the input power of the power converter to be greater than the minimum operating power limit.

[0104] Specifically, in the condition that the input power of the power converter exceeds the minimum operating power limit, the minimum operating power limit can be determined based on the actual configuration. The minimum operating power limit refers to the minimum operating power required to ensure the normal operation of the controller in the power converter. Taking an inverter as an example, the minimum operating power can be a value greater than 5% of the inverter's rated power. When the inverter's input power exceeds the minimum operating power limit, it meets the upgrade power requirements of the controller, providing sufficient power for the controller upgrade and ensuring its normal operation.

[0105] In one implementation, the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include: delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode. In this case:

[0106] If the power converter's operating information meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including:

[0107] In response to the delayed upgrade command, and after determining that delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade operation is performed using the upgrade data packet.

[0108] Specifically, when a delayed operation is required, the operating information of the power converter can be obtained. Based on this operating information, it can be determined whether the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode. If the conditions are met, the upgrade data package can be used to perform the upgrade operation.

[0109] An example of a delayed upgrade can be as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Specifically, under the premise that the power converter software upgrade does not affect the power converter's power generation, the upgrade is initiated with a delay. The upgrade operation is carried out the next day when the sun has just risen, the light level is low, the power converter's input power meets the upgrade power requirements (the power converter's input power is greater than the minimum operating power limit), and the power converter is not yet connected to the grid.

[0110] like Figure 2 As shown, taking the control device as the host computer and the power converter as the inverter as an example, the entire upgrade process is introduced, which includes the following steps:

[0111] When the host computer upgrades the inverter, it will send a delayed upgrade command to the inverter. After receiving the upgrade command, the inverter will clear the previous delayed upgrade status. Figure 2 Taking the adjustment of the delay upgrade status of the communication module in an inverter as an example, this is because at night, power is supplied to the communication module in the inverter, but not to the controller. Since the controller does not operate at night, if a delay upgrade command is received at night, the controller cannot perform the delay upgrade status adjustment operation. Figure 2 This section uses the example of clearing the last delayed upgrade state in the communication module of an inverter. During the daytime, the adjustment of the delayed upgrade state can be performed by either the communication module or the controller.

[0112] After the host computer and inverter complete their handshake, the host computer will transmit the upgrade data packet to the communication module in the inverter. Upon receiving the upgrade data packet, the communication module in the inverter will perform packet loss detection and upgrade packet verification. Specifically, packet loss detection can be performed by the communication module at night, while during the day, it can be performed by either the communication module or the controller.

[0113] If a packet is missing and packet replacement fails, or if the upgrade data packet verification fails, an upgrade failure message is returned to the host computer, and the inverter exits the upgrade process; otherwise, the delayed upgrade status is set, and the upgrade status is returned to the host computer. The upgrade status can be a delayed upgrade, allowing the host computer to exit the upgrade process.

[0114] The controller or communication module in the inverter periodically checks whether the delayed upgrade conditions are met. Figure 2 The communication module obtains relevant data from the controller and periodically checks whether the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information are met. In this embodiment, the upgrade execution conditions are described using delayed upgrade conditions as an example. The delayed upgrade conditions in this embodiment may include:

[0115] Delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode.

[0116] Among them, the power converter being in standby mode includes: the power converter being out of grid and the power converter's input power being greater than the minimum operating power limit.

[0117] Among them, the grid-connected status of the power converter is off-grid, including:

[0118] If the input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold, or if the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, the power converter responds to the off-grid command and performs an off-grid operation.

[0119] If the conditions for delayed upgrade are not met, continue testing;

[0120] If the delayed upgrade conditions are met, the upgrade process is initiated. First, the communication module is upgraded. During the self-upgrade process, the communication module sends the controller upgrade data in the upgrade data packet to the controller. The controller performs the upgrade operation and returns the upgrade status.

[0121] If both the controller and the communication module are successfully upgraded, the communication module clears the delayed upgrade status and exits the upgrade process; if the upgrade fails, it attempts to upgrade N (N ≥ 1) times. If one of the upgrades is successful, the communication module clears the delayed upgrade status and exits the upgrade process; otherwise, the communication module sets the delayed upgrade status, exits the upgrade process, and continues to perform delayed upgrade detection the next day.

[0122] In one implementation, the upgrade operation can be performed on either the communication module or the controller.

[0123] In one embodiment, during the day / night, an upgrade data packet is sent to the communication module via a host computer. After the communication module verifies the upgrade data packet, it temporarily stores the upgrade data packet and does not start the upgrade process. The upgrade is started again the next day when the inverter restarts, is not connected to the grid, and meets the upgrade power requirements (the input power of the power converter is greater than the minimum operating power limit). Since the sun has just risen and the light level is low and the inverter is not yet connected to the grid, the upgrade does not cause any loss in power generation.

[0124] In this embodiment, when the power converter upgrade is allowed to be delayed, the inverter upgrade operation is performed when the power converter is in standby mode and not connected to the grid for power generation, thus avoiding the impact of the power converter upgrade operation on the power generation.

[0125] In addition, in this embodiment of the application, since the power converter is upgraded in an off-grid state, the upgrade operation of the power converter will not affect the power grid. Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the power converter does not need to be shut down first when upgrading, and the upgrade operation can be performed directly.

[0126] Based on the above embodiments, in another implementation of the present application, the upgrade information includes an immediate upgrade command and an upgrade data packet, and the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby state.

[0127] In this embodiment, when the power converter needs to perform an upgrade operation immediately, the operating state of the power converter is not required. It can be in grid-connected operation, in which the power converter outputs power to the grid, or it can be in standby mode. The meaning of standby mode can be referred to the corresponding description above.

[0128] Regardless of whether it is in grid-connected operation or standby mode, the input power of the power converter can provide enough power to the controller in the power converter to support the controller upgrade. In addition to meeting the state constraints, it is also necessary to ensure that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled. At this time, the power converter uses the upgrade data packet to perform upgrade operations on at least one of the communication module and the controller to meet the timely upgrade requirements.

[0129] In one implementation, the upgrade information includes an immediate upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include that delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode.

[0130] If the power converter's operating information meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including:

[0131] In response to the immediate upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode, the upgrade operation is performed using the upgrade data packet.

[0132] Specifically, when it is desired to quickly upgrade the power converter to solve certain problems, the impact of the power converter upgrade on power generation is not considered, and the timing diagram is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, taking the control device as the host computer and the power converter as the inverter as an example, the entire upgrade process is described, which includes the following steps:

[0133] When the host computer upgrades the inverter, it will send an immediate upgrade command to the inverter. After receiving the immediate upgrade command, the inverter will clear the delayed upgrade status.

[0134] After the host computer and the inverter complete the handshake, the host computer will transmit the upgrade data packet to the inverter. After receiving the upgrade data packet, the inverter will perform packet missing detection and upgrade packet verification. If packet missing occurs and packet replacement fails or upgrade packet verification fails, the upgrade will fail and the upgrade process will be exited; otherwise, the upgrade process will continue.

[0135] When upgrading the inverter, the communication module is upgraded first, followed by the controller, as described above. If both the communication module and the controller are successfully upgraded, the upgrade is successful and the upgrade process exits.

[0136] It should be noted that if the inverter is in grid-connected operation (i.e., generating electricity while connected to the grid), and an immediate upgrade is needed, the inverter must first be disconnected from the grid before the upgrade operation can proceed. Alternatively, if the inverter detects that it needs to perform an upgrade while generating electricity while connected to the grid, it can automatically perform a grid disconnection operation before proceeding with the upgrade.

[0137] In one implementation, there may be cases where the inverter upgrade fails. If the upgrade fails, the system will continue to attempt the upgrade N (N ≥ 1) times. If the upgrade succeeds at any of the attempts, the system will return an upgrade success message and exit the upgrade process. If the number of consecutive upgrade failures exceeds the threshold, such as N times, it means that the immediate upgrade will fail. In this case, to avoid repeated upgrade failures, the immediate upgrade operation will not be performed. Instead, the delayed upgrade permission will be enabled. Specifically, the delayed upgrade status can be set, the upgrade failure message can be returned, and the upgrade process can be exited to wait for subsequent upgrades.

[0138] It should be noted that if the inverter receives an immediate upgrade command from the host computer at night, the upgrade will fail because the controller is not working at that time. The upgrade will be delayed and the upgrade operation will not be performed until the controller is powered on the next day.

[0139] When a delayed upgrade is required, the upgrade operation can be performed using an upgrade data package, provided that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode.

[0140] For an explanation of whether delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, please refer to the corresponding instructions above.

[0141] Specifically, the inverter periodically checks whether the delayed upgrade condition is met, namely that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode. If the delayed upgrade condition is not met, the check continues.

[0142] If the delayed upgrade conditions are met, the upgrade process is initiated. The controller first controls the communication module to upgrade. After the communication module completes its upgrade, it sends the controller upgrade data from the upgrade data packet to the controller. The controller then performs the upgrade operation and returns the upgrade status.

[0143] If both the controller and the communication module are successfully upgraded, the communication module clears the delayed upgrade status and exits the upgrade process; if the upgrade fails, it attempts to upgrade N (N ≥ 1) times. If one of the upgrades is successful, the communication module clears the delayed upgrade status and exits the upgrade process; otherwise, the communication module sets the delayed upgrade status, exits the upgrade process, and continues to perform delayed upgrade detection the next day.

[0144] In this embodiment, when an immediate upgrade of the power converter is required, the upgrade operation is performed immediately to ensure the reliable operation of the power converter. If the upgrade fails, a delayed upgrade operation is performed to ensure that the power converter upgrade does not affect the power generation.

[0145] In summary, the power converter upgrade control method in this application embodiment does not require hardware modification, but only optimizes the upgrade strategy by modifying the software, achieving a function similar to nighttime upgrade, reducing the power generation loss caused by the power converter upgrade, and reducing the power generation loss caused by the upgrade to near 0W. In addition, the power converter upgrade control method in this application embodiment has universality. After the inverter device fails to upgrade normally, it will start a delayed upgrade strategy to ensure the consistency of the power converter software version.

[0146] Based on the embodiments of the power converter upgrade control method described above, another embodiment of this application provides a power converter upgrade control device, referring to... Figure 4 It can include:

[0147] Information acquisition module 11 is used to acquire upgrade information and operation information of the power converter;

[0148] Upgrade module 12 is used to perform the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information when the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information.

[0149] In one implementation, the upgrade information includes a delayed upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include: delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode. Specifically, the upgrade module 12 is used for:

[0150] In response to the delayed upgrade command, and after determining that delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade operation is performed using the upgrade data packet.

[0151] In one implementation, the power converter is in a standby state, including: the grid connection state of the power converter is not connected to the grid, and the input power of the power converter is greater than the minimum operating power limit.

[0152] In one implementation, the grid-connected state of the power converter is off-grid, including:

[0153] The input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold;

[0154] or,

[0155] When the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, it responds to the off-grid command and performs an off-grid operation.

[0156] One implementation also includes:

[0157] The permission handling module is used to respond to delayed upgrade commands and enable delayed upgrade permissions.

[0158] In one implementation, the upgrade information includes an immediate upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include that delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode. Specifically, the upgrade module 12 is used for:

[0159] In response to the immediate upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode, the upgrade operation is performed using the upgrade data packet.

[0160] In one implementation, the permission processing module is further configured to enable delayed upgrade permission if the number of consecutive failures in performing the upgrade operation exceeds a threshold.

[0161] Upgrade module 12 is also used to perform upgrade operations using upgrade data packets when it is determined that delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode.

[0162] In one implementation, when the upgrade module 12 performs an upgrade operation using the upgrade data packet, it is specifically used for:

[0163] The upgrade package is used to upgrade at least one of the communication modules and controllers inside the power converter.

[0164] One implementation also includes:

[0165] The message feedback module is used to output upgrade failure information when it is determined that the upgrade data package is missing some data packets and the partial data packet replacement fails; or, when it is determined that the upgrade data package verification fails, it outputs upgrade failure information.

[0166] In this embodiment, upgrade information and operation information of the power converter are obtained. The upgrade operation of the power converter corresponding to the upgrade information will be executed only if the operation information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions. If the operation information of the power converter does not meet the upgrade execution conditions, the upgrade operation of the power converter will not be executed to avoid affecting the normal grid-connected power generation of the power converter.

[0167] It should be noted that the working process of each module and sub-module in this embodiment is described in the corresponding descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0168] Another implementation of this application discloses a communication module, including at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein:

[0169] Memory is used to store computer programs;

[0170] The processor is used to execute computer programs to enable the communication module to implement the aforementioned power converter upgrade control method.

[0171] Another implementation of this application discloses a controller, including at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein:

[0172] Memory is used to store computer programs;

[0173] The processor is used to execute computer programs so that the controller can implement the aforementioned power converter upgrade control method.

[0174] It should be noted that the controller in this embodiment refers to the controller inside the power converter.

[0175] This application discloses a power converter, including the aforementioned communication module and / or the aforementioned controller.

[0176] Reference Figure 5 This application discloses a power converter, comprising:

[0177] Communication module 111 and controller 112.

[0178] Both the communication module 111 and the controller 112 can implement the above-mentioned power converter upgrade control method, so that the communication module 111 or the controller 112 can be selected for power converter upgrade control according to the requirements.

[0179] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of the communication module 111 and the controller 112 in this embodiment can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above embodiments. Furthermore, the power converter may also include only one of the communication module 111 and the controller 112.

[0180] This application also provides a computer program product including computer-readable instructions, which, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to implement any of the power converter upgrade control methods provided in this application.

[0181] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more computer programs. When the one or more computer programs are executed by an electronic device, the electronic device can implement any of the power converter upgrade control methods provided in this application.

[0182] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the embodiments of this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An upgrade control method for a power converter, characterized in that, include: Obtain upgrade and operational information for the power converter; If the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed.

2. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upgrade information includes a delayed upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include: delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode. If the operating information of the power converter satisfies the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including: In response to the delayed upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

3. The upgrade control method for the power converter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power converter being in standby mode includes: the power converter being in an off-grid state and the power converter's input power being greater than the minimum operating power limit.

4. The upgrade control method for the power converter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The grid-connected state of the power converter is off-grid, including: The input power of the power converter is less than the minimum grid-connected power threshold; or, When the input power of the power converter is greater than or equal to the minimum grid-connected power threshold, it responds to the off-grid command and performs an off-grid operation.

5. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the delayed upgrade command, grant delayed upgrade privileges.

6. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upgrade information includes an immediate upgrade command and an upgrade data packet. The upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information include that delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode. If the operating information of the power converter satisfies the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information, the upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information is executed, including: In response to the immediate upgrade command, if it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is not enabled and the power converter is in grid-connected operation or standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

7. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to claim 6, characterized in that, After performing the upgrade operation using the upgrade data package, the process also includes: If the number of consecutive upgrade failures exceeds a threshold, enable delayed upgrade permission. If it is determined that the delayed upgrade permission is enabled and the power converter is in standby mode, the upgrade data packet is used to perform the upgrade operation.

8. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, The upgrade operation using the upgrade data package includes: The upgrade data package is used to upgrade at least one of the communication module and controller inside the power converter.

9. The upgrade control method for a power converter according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, After obtaining upgrade information for the power converter, the following is also included: If it is determined that the upgrade data packet is missing some data packets and the replacement of the missing data packets fails, an upgrade failure message will be output. or, If the upgrade data packet verification fails, an upgrade failure message will be output.

10. An upgrade control device for a power converter, characterized in that, include: The information acquisition module is used to acquire upgrade and operational information of the power converter. The upgrade module is used to perform an upgrade operation corresponding to the upgrade information when the operating information of the power converter meets the upgrade execution conditions corresponding to the upgrade information.

11. A communication module, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein: The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to execute the computer program to enable the communication module to implement the power converter upgrade control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A controller, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein: The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to execute the computer program to enable the controller to implement the power converter upgrade control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A power converter, characterized in that, Includes the communication module as described in claim 11 and / or the controller as described in claim 12.

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