Analog Power Converter Chip for MPPT and Rapid Shutdown
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of photovoltaic power generation systems due to the need for a large number of digital chips to control power converters in systems with many photovoltaic substrings, as well as the inefficiency caused by shadow shielding leading to wasted power generation capability.
Innovation Solution
A power converter analog chip implemented using analog circuits to control power converters, incorporating a sampling circuit, maximum power point tracking circuit, protection circuit, rapid shutdown circuit, and multiplexer, which reduces costs and enhances efficiency by integrating these functions into a single chip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a digital chip is used to control each power converter, then the power converter can function effectively with complete control capabilities, but the system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions (maximum power point tracking, protection, rapid shutdown) into a single integrated analog chip that controls multiple power converters simultaneously. This merging approach reduces the total number of chips needed and lowers system cost while maintaining effective control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The analog chip is designed with multi-functional capabilities including maximum power point tracking, overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, and rapid shutdown functions. This universal design allows a single chip type to handle various control tasks across multiple power converters, reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Measurement precision
If each power converter requires a separate control chip, then individual control precision is maintained, but the quantity of control chips increases leading to higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into modular functional blocks within the analog chip, including separate circuits for maximum power point tracking, protection detection, and output control. Each power converter channel has its own control signal generation, allowing independent precise control while sharing common support functions through the multiplexer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multiplexer as an intermediary component that efficiently distributes control signals from the analog chip to multiple power converters. The multiplexer acts as a signal router that maintains control precision for each channel while reducing the total number of control chips required.
3Ease of manufacture
If an analog chip is used instead of a digital chip, then system cost is reduced, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces digital processing mechanisms with analog circuit mechanisms. Instead of using digital processors that require programming and complex logic operations, the control is achieved through analog circuits that directly process electrical signals. This substitution simplifies the control implementation while reducing cost, as analog circuits are inherently suited for continuous signal processing in power conversion applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter analog chip includes a sampling circuit configured to collect electrical parameters of the power converter; a maximum power point tracking circuit configured to perform maximum power point tracking based on the input power or the output power obtained by the electrical parameters, and to obtain an adjustment signal; a rapid shutdown circuit configured to, when receiving a rapid shutdown instruction sent from the outside of the analog chip, generate a rapid shutdown signal; a protection circuit, configured to, when an electrical parameter of the power converter exceeds a first preset threshold, generate a protection signal and send the protection signal to the multiplexer; and a multiplexer configured to select one of the rapid shutdown signal, the protection signal, or the adjustment signal as a control signal, to control a power component in the power converter.