Load Management Circuit for Solar Inverter Power Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Photovoltaic solar energy systems face inefficiencies in managing load due to varying solar radiation, leading to reliance on expensive battery storage and inefficient DC-AC conversion, as current radiation estimates do not account for factors affecting solar panel output.
Innovation Solution
A load management circuit and programmable load balancing algorithm within DC-AC inverters monitor power demand and available power, ensuring it does not exceed, and allocate power limits to inverters for balanced sharing through power-line communication, allowing the system to operate within prescribed voltage ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radiation meters are used to estimate available power, then power estimation is provided, but the estimates are not specific to the solar panels and do not account for factors affecting solar panel output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a load management circuit as an intermediary component that sits between the solar panels and the load. This circuit actively monitors multiple parameters (panel voltage, current, temperature, irradiance) and uses this data to compute available power specifically for the connected solar panels, rather than relying on generic radiation meter estimates. The load management circuit acts as a mediator that translates raw sensor data into actionable power availability information tailored to the specific solar panel configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical radiation meter with an active electronic load management circuit that uses electronic sensors and computation. Instead of relying solely on mechanical radiation measurement, the system uses electronic monitoring of voltage, current, temperature, and irradiance combined with computational algorithms to determine available power. This substitution enables more precise, real-time, and panel-specific power estimation.
2Reliability
If battery storage subsystem is used to manage varying solar radiation, then power availability is maintained, but the system becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The load management circuit enables the solar power system to self-regulate and self-manage its own power distribution. By continuously monitoring available power from the solar panels and actively controlling load connections, the system automatically adjusts to varying solar radiation conditions without requiring external battery storage. The load management circuit serves the system's needs for power availability management internally, eliminating the need for expensive battery subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the load management function from the traditional battery storage subsystem and places it in a dedicated load management circuit. By separating and specializing the management function, the system achieves reliable power availability through intelligent control rather than through expensive energy storage hardware. This extraction allows the system to maintain reliability while reducing complexity and cost by removing the battery subsystem entirely.
3Use of energy by moving object
If DC-AC inverter subsystem is used to convert DC to AC energy, then usable AC energy is produced, but the conversion is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The load management circuit performs preliminary action by pre-assessing the available DC power from solar panels and pre-coordinating with inverters before conversion occurs. By determining power availability in advance and communicating with inverters proactively, the system ensures that conversion operations are optimized and scheduled efficiently, minimizing energy losses during the DC-AC conversion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The load management circuit implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the performance and status of DC-AC inverters and adjusting its load management decisions accordingly. This feedback loop allows the system to optimize conversion efficiency by matching load demands with available solar power in real-time, reducing unnecessary conversions and minimizing energy losses during the DC-AC conversion process.
4Reliability
If load management circuit monitors power demand and available power, then power demand does not exceed available power, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load management circuit is designed as a universal, multi-functional device that combines multiple capabilities: monitoring panel voltage and current, sensing temperature and irradiance, computing available power, controlling load connections, and communicating with inverters. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single integrated circuit, the system achieves reliable power balance without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The universal design allows one circuit to perform what would otherwise require multiple separate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient management of power demand and supply in off-grid solar energy systems, reducing the need for expensive battery storage and improving the utilization of solar energy by ensuring balanced load sharing among inverters.
Implementation Method 1
one or more photovoltaic generators
Implementation Method 2
communicates the limit to each one of the DC-AC inverters through power-line communication
Data Source
AI summary
A system and process of its operation for monitoring and managing load circuits connected to a renewable energy generation system are disclosed. A programmable load manger circuit continuously monitors the available energy from the generation system and manages the load circuits connected to the system in a manner such that the energy demand from the active load circuits is below the level of available energy. The load circuits can be prioritized and programmed such that the lower priority loads are deactivated prior to the higher priority loads when the available energy from the generation system is not sufficient to satisfy demand from all the active load circuits. When the renewable energy generation system incorporates more than one generator, a load balancing control algorithm, continuously monitoring the load connected to the system and allocates the load in a balanced manner to each of the generators in the system.