System for controlling power from a photovoltaic array by selectively configurating connections between photovoltaic panels
US8115340B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 12, 2009 |
| Grant date | Feb 14, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/56
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for maximizing power output from a photovoltaic array includes a configurable photovoltaic panel having a series-parallel selector and a bypass selector electrically controlled by a node controller. Some embodiments further include a plurality of configurable photovoltaic modules. A configurable photovoltaic panel may selectively be electrically connected to other configurable photovoltaic panels in a series circuit, a parallel circuit, or a combination of series and parallel circuits according to switching states set by the node controller for the bypass selector and series-parallel selector. A number of configurable photovoltaic panels connected in series and a number connected in parallel may optionally be selected in response to a change in an output voltage from a photovoltaic array, for example a voltage change resulting from a change in illumination, thereby causing the output voltage from the photovoltaic array to be greater than or equal to a minimum input voltage for an inverter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.