402 results about "Photovoltaic generator" patented technology

A control circuit for a switching DC/DC Converter comprising: an input for an indicator signal indicative of an output current level from said converter; a peak detector for detecting and storing a maximum value of said indicator signal; a comparator element for comparing an instantaneous value of said indicator signal with said stored maximum value, and for generating a switching signal when said instantaneous value becomes less than a predetermined fraction of said stored value; reinitializer means for reinitializing said peak detector in response to said switching signal; and means for generating a control signal that switches between a state in which it increases over time and a state in which it decreases over time in response to said switching signal. A control module for photovoltaic generator, the module including such a control circuit, and a photovoltaic generator system comprising a plurality of such modules, each controlling a respective photovoltaic generator.

The subject matter of the present invention is a method for monitoring a photovoltaic generator (1) for generating current with a number of solar cells connected between two external connections by repeated feeding of a current with a frequency spectrum into the generator current circuit, detecting thereby a respective frequency response in the frequency spectrum with the supplied current as the input variable and an electric variable of the generator as the output variable, and detecting a change in the frequency response for monitoring the photovoltaic generator (1) in the event of a change during repeated feeding.

The subject matter of the present invention is a load breaker arrangement (1) for switching on and off a DC current of a DC current circuit in a photovoltaic plant with a semiconductor switching element (4) to avoid a switching arc, there being provided an electronic control unit (5) configured such that one or more signals are received by the control unit, and the load breaker arrangement (1) being configured such that in at least one current-carrying line of the DC current circuit there is galvanic separation by a switching contact that is automatically controllable by the control unit (5) in the switched-off condition and one or more control signals being transmitted to the load breaker arrangement (1) and a semiconductor switching element (4) interrupting the DC current so that the switching contact is de-energized, whereby

• • the signals are flaw signals that are received in case of a flaw in the PV generator, inverter or on the AC side, the DC current circuit being automatically switched on or off by the control signals in case of at least one flaw,
  • said arrangement being configured such that, during switch off,
  • said semiconductor switching element (4) is at first closed in a first step,
  • the switching contacts (K1, K2) of a first switching means are opened in a second step for the DC current to flow through said semiconductor switching element (4),
  • said semiconductor switching element (4) being again opened in a third step and
  • switching contacts (K1, K2) of a second switching means being opened in order to cause galvanic separation to occur
  • and that an additional manually operable load breaker (8) is connected, said manually operable load breaker (8) being a manually breakable DC current connecting system with plug contacts for photovoltaic plants that is provided with an electronic arc quenching system.

A surface electrode (5) is installed on the light receiving surface of a solar cell element, the surface electrode (5) comprises three bus bar electrodes (5a) for extracting light-produced at the solar cell element to the outside and collecting finger electrodes (5b) connected to these bus bar electrodes (5a), and the bus bar electrodes (5a) are not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 2 mm in width and the finger electrodes (5b) are not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 0.1 mm in width. A high-efficient solar cell module can be obtained with substantially lowered resistance by increasing the number of bus bar electrode (5a) and thereby decreasing the lengths of the finger electrodes (5b).

Described herein are apparatuses, systems and methods for configuring and managing the combination of strings of photovoltaic energy generators to improve the energy production performance of such generators. The strings of photovoltaic energy generators are connected to terminals in a combiner box having receptacles for receiving removable modular units of various types. Removable modular units with measurement capabilities are used in the combiner boxes to measure the direct current input provided by the strings; and in light of the measurements, the removable modular units can be selectively downgraded to simpler units that do not have measurement capabilities to reduce cost, and/or selectively upgraded to more sophisticated units that can adjust the output of the respective strings, such as upconverting the output voltage of the respective strings, to improve the performance of the strings.

A method of finding a power maximum of a photovoltaic generator using an MPP regulator of a photovoltaic current converter by means of which a maximum generator power is set at an operating point of the generator's characteristic curve is intended to supply improved efficiency when the generator is partially shadowed. This is achieved by switching the MPP regulator off in order to next load and/or unload the generator to allow a new operating point of the generator's characteristic curve to set and by next switching the MPP regulator on again.

A power converter circuitry for converting a DC voltage generated by a generator with varying output power in the mean voltage range into an alternating voltage for feeding into a grid, with several series-connected power converters, which are connected in parallel with said generator, as well as with a controllable bridging switch for each power converter, said bridging switch lying in a direct voltage intermediate circuit and bridging the respective power converter in the closed condition, is intended to be used for a photovoltaic generator. This is achieved in that a resistance chopper is connected between each power converter and the generator, no input diode being provided in the current path from the generator to the power converter, and that each bridging switch is connected in parallel with the resistance chopper in the direct voltage intermediate circuit.

A photovoltaic power generator with safety shutdown system includes a plurality of solar panel strings, a combiner, and a plurality of solar safety switches electrically disposed between a plurality of DC outputs of the plurality of solar panels strings and a plurality of DC inputs of the combiner. Each solar safety switch is associated with one of the solar panel strings and includes a solid-state device and a close actuator. The solid-state device of each solar safety switch is connected between the positive and negative terminals of the DC output of its associated solar panel string. The close actuator in each solar safety switch controls whether its associated solid-state device is turned on or is turned off. During normal operating conditions, the close actuators prevent their respective solid-state devices from turning on. However, in the event of a fire, the close actuators cause their associated solid-state devices to turn on, thereby effectively short-circuiting the DC outputs of their associated solar panel strings and preventing the solar panel strings from producing high voltages.

In one aspect, a solar inverter which can be connected to at least one photovoltaic generator at the input end and to a power system at the output end is provided. The solar inverter includes an inverter module, an electronic control unit at least for diagnosing an inverter module, and a bus interface for technically connecting the electronic control unit to a communication bus. The electronic control unit cyclically outputs a piece of status information of the solar inverter on the communication bus, and outputs an error message on the communication bus, cyclically reads status information of other solar inverters that are connected to the communication bus, and outputs an error message on the communication bus in case at least one expected additional piece of status information fails to be output. Whereby, the need for a separate monitoring unit is eliminated.

A support system for installing a photovoltaic power generator includes: display means for displaying an installation surface image including an installation surface on which photovoltaic modules are to be installed and a gauge disposed on the installation surface and whose actual dimensions are known, the installation surface being a region of a finite area; installation surface input means for receiving inputs for specifying the installation surface on the installation surface image displayed on the display means; installation surface shape specification means for specifying an installation surface shape on the basis of the dimensions of the gauge in the installation surface image; and module determination means for determining a type and layout of the photovoltaic modules suitable for the installation surface shape.

A photovoltaic power generator which outputs power generated by a solar battery panel through a DC-DC converter detects a time point at which a time differentiation value of output voltage of the solar battery panel substantially becomes zero, obtains power variation from the output power of the solar battery panel at each time point, controls the DC-DC converter based on the power variation, thereby swiftly and precisely tracking the maximum power point of the solar battery panel even when hysteresis loop (dynamic characteristic) is generated.

The subject matter of the invention is an inverter (3), more specifically for use in a photovoltaic plant (1) with a direct voltage input (connection terminals 4; 5) for connection to a generator (2) and an alternating voltage output (connection terminals 7; 8) for feeding into an energy supply network (6) as well as with a DC-AC converter (12) with semiconductor switch elements (15) and an intermediate circuit (11), at least one short-circuit switch element (18) being connected in parallel to the generator (2), so that the voltage will not exceed a maximum voltage value neither at the connection terminals (4; 5) of the generator (2) nor between the connection terminals (9; 10) of the inverter. This is achieved in that the inverter (3) comprises, in the intermediate circuit (12), a buffer capacitor (14) that is connected to the generator (2) through a protection diode (17) so that said buffer capacitor (14) will not be discharged upon actuation of the short-circuit switch element (18), the generator (2) working according to a clock rate in the short-circuit mode of operation.

The invention is a generator for photovoltaic conversion of concentrated sunlight into electricity. A generator according to the invention incorporates a plurality of photovoltaic cells and is intended for operation near the focus of a large paraboloidal reflector pointed at the sun. Within the generator, the entering concentrated light is relayed by secondary optics to the cells arranged in a compact, concave array. The light is delivered to the cells at high concentration, consistent with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and low cell cost per unit power output. Light enters the generator, preferably first through a sealing window, and passes through a field lens, preferably in the form of a full sphere or ball lens centered on the paraboloid focus. This lens forms a concentric, concave and wide-angle image of the primary reflector, where the intensity of the concentrated light is stabilized against changes in the position of concentrated light entering the generator. Receiving the stabilized light are flat photovoltaic cells made in different shapes and sizes and configured in a concave array corresponding to the concave image of a given primary reflector. Photovoltaic cells in a generator are also sized and interconnected so as to provide a single electrical output that remains high and stable, despite aberrations in the light delivered to the generator caused by, for example, mispointing or bending of the primary reflector. In some embodiments, the cells are set back from the image formed by the ball lens, and part of the light is reflected onto each cell small secondary reflectors in the form of mirrors set around its perimeter.

The invention discloses a solar-energy focus photovoltaic generator with natural heat radiation, comprising a total reflection condenser, a secondary reflection beam-splitter, a photovoltaic cell, and a heat radiator or the like, or further comprising a thermal receiver. The total reflection condenser condenses sun radiation on the second reflection beam-splitter which reflects the light in the wavelength met with photovoltaic cell to the photovoltaic cell to generate electricity, while the waste heat uses a heat radiator composed of a thermal conductive plate, an additional heat radiation plate adhered at the back of the photovoltaic cell board, and the back coat of the total reflection condenser, to use radiation and convection to disperse heat. The beam of other wavelengths penetrates the second reflection beam-splitter can radiate a heat receiver to generate hundreds units of heat. The condense ratio of the invention can reach 20-30 of sun radiation, while the generating efficiency of unit photovoltaic cell can be improved 15 times to obtain high-temperature heat, therefore, the invention can reduce the invest and cost of solar-energy generation, with significant economic and social benefits.

A photovoltaic (PV) sub-generator junction box (1) for a PV system (100) comprises a plurality of electric terminals (11) for optionally connecting one respective PV string (2) of one or more serially connected PV modules (3). Said PV sub-generator junction box (1) further comprises a sub-generator line terminal (12) for connecting a PV sub-generator line (4) of a remote central PV inverter (5) or connecting a PV sub-generator line (4) of an inserted PV generator junction box (6). The PV sub-generator junction box (1) also comprises an electronic control unit (10) that is connected to a central control unit (7) of the PV inverter (5) in order to exchange data (DAT). According to the invention, the PV sub-generator junction box (1) comprises a power line modem (8) for feeding and retrieving the data (DAT) via the PV sub-generator line (4).

A concentrating photovoltaic generation system including a photovoltaic generator which converts solar light into electric power, a reflector panel which concentrates solar light onto the photovoltaic generator, and a radiation cooling mechanism to which heat is transmitted from the photovoltaic generator and from which heat is radiated, thus cooling the photovoltaic generator.

Methods and systems for solar energy converter with increased photovoltaic and thermal conversion efficiencies including a collection optics for receiving and concentrating incident sunlight, or radiation from any other directed electromagnetic energy source, an optical filtering unit for separating and redirecting infrared light and ultraviolet light from incoming solar light, a thermal distribution unit redirecting heat from the optical filtering unit into a thermal-loop, and a photovoltaic for receiving the filtered light from the filtering system and converting the light into energy.

The invention provides a photovoltaic generator of plane network support two-dimension sun track, belonging to the technical field of solar-energy photovoltaic generation. The invention comprises a solar-energy photovoltaic generator and a sun tracker, wherein the sun tracker is a two-dimension track device, which comprises a horizontal rotary support, an inclined swing support, a vertical fixed shaft, a horizontal shaft, a sun direction track driver, and a sun altitude angle track driver. The solar-energy photovoltaic generator can be provided with a condenser and a self heat radiation in disc or groove shape while a plurality of photovoltaic generators are mounted on a plane network support of the inclined swing support. The horizontal rotary support rotates around the vertical fixed shaft. The inclined swing support rotates around the horizontal shaft. Therefore, the normal line of the photoelectric battery plate of the solar-energy photovoltaic generator is toward sun all the time. The invention has stable structure, small drive force, multiple load of elements, saved track cost, improved condense ratio caused by the utilization of condenser and self heat radiator, and improved generating efficiency.

A method is provided of fabricating a photo voltaic generator panel (15) including a polymer back sheet (24) with at least one attachment feature (21) so as to provide means of attaching the panel to a structural support (25) upon subsequent installation. At least one polymer attachment feature (21) is applied to the outer side of the polymer back sheet of the panel during the manufacturing process for the panel whereby the attachment feature projects with respect to the back sheet. The application may be in conjunction with a lamination process, or subsequent to the lamination process, or as an integral part of the back sheet manufacturing process. The attachment feature is adapted to engage with a corresponding feature (26) or features to be found on a support structure (25) located at a site for the installation of the panel. The said at least one polymer attachment feature and said outer side of the polymer back sheet have a similar thermal expansion coefficient.