Power Connector Switching for Isolated Microgrid Supply Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
In microgrids, there is a risk of mutual coupling among power supply systems such as diesel generators and photovoltaic systems, leading to electric leakage due to insufficient insulation between ports, posing a safety hazard.
Innovation Solution
A connector system with insulated input terminals and a selection unit that allows only one power supply device to connect to a load at a time, using mutually exclusive switches to prevent simultaneous connections and ensure electrical isolation, along with a control unit to manage power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple power supply devices are connected to supply power simultaneously, then power supply capacity is improved, but electrical insulation between ports deteriorates leading to mutual coupling and electric leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The connector divides the power supply system into isolated input terminals, each connected to a specific power supply device. The selection unit segments the conduction path so that only one input terminal can be connected to the output terminal at a time, preventing mutual coupling between multiple power supply devices while maintaining electrical insulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The selection unit acts as an intermediary component between multiple input terminals and the output terminal. It controls the conduction state of each input terminal independently, allowing safe connection of multiple power supply devices to the system while ensuring that only one device supplies power at a time, thus maintaining electrical insulation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple power supply devices are connected simultaneously, then power supply versatility is improved, but safety hazard from electric leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selection unit dynamically controls the conduction state of each input terminal based on operational requirements. It can switch between different input terminals and control their conduction states in real-time, enabling versatile power supply configurations while maintaining safety by ensuring only one terminal conducts at a time, thus preventing electric leakage.
3Reliability
If electrical insulation between input terminals is enhanced, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the insulation control function from the physical structure and implements it through the selection unit's conduction control. Instead of relying solely on complex physical insulation structures, the selection unit actively manages which terminals are conductive, simplifying the overall design while maintaining high electrical insulation and safety standards.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector, a power supply system, and a control method are provided. The power supply system includes multiple power supply devices and a connector. The connector includes a load connection terminal and a selection unit. The load connection terminal is configured to be connected to a load. The selection unit includes an output terminal and multiple input terminals. Each of the power supply devices is connected to a corresponding one of the input terminals. The input terminals are electrically insulated from each other. The output terminal is connected to the load connection terminal. The selection unit enables a selection of at most one of the input terminals to be electrically connected to the output terminal, to cause at most one of the power supply devices to supply power to the load through the selection unit.