High efficiency wide load range buck/boost/bridge photovoltaic micro-converter
US9018800B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 2011 |
| Grant date | Apr 28, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 6, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/56
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Series strings of photovoltaic (PV) modules with integrated dc-dc microconverters that can function in buck, boost, or an intermediate bridge mode based on the load can harvest more energy than conventional central-inverter architectures, especially when the arrays are partially shaded or when the modules are mismatched. The integrated multi-mode dc-dc converter includes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm that can track the true MPP, even when a PV module becomes partially-shaded, without scanning the entire output voltage range. The algorithm compares power levels only at a voltage that occurs when a bypass diode bypasses a portion of an associated PV module, and multiples thereof.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.