U.S. patent application number 14/988514 was filed with the patent office on 2016-05-12 for modular photovoltaic power supply assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is Patrick L. Chapman, William R. Van Dell. Invention is credited to Patrick L. Chapman, William R. Van Dell.
Application Number | 20160134233 14/988514 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44858134 |
Filed Date | 2016-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160134233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chapman; Patrick L. ; et
al. |
May 12, 2016 |
MODULAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY
Abstract
An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of
output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input
includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically
coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is
selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to
generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The
system may also include one or more DC power electronic
accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more
AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters.
The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable
power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of
the configurable power supply.
Inventors: |
Chapman; Patrick L.;
(Austin, TX) ; Van Dell; William R.; (Austin,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chapman; Patrick L.
Van Dell; William R. |
Austin
Austin |
TX
TX |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
44858134 |
Appl. No.: |
14/988514 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14089425 |
Nov 25, 2013 |
9263183 |
|
|
14988514 |
|
|
|
|
13180168 |
Jul 11, 2011 |
8599587 |
|
|
14089425 |
|
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|
61479844 |
Apr 27, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
307/31 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02J 2300/24 20200101;
H02J 3/381 20130101; H02M 3/158 20130101; Y02E 10/56 20130101; H02M
7/44 20130101; Y02B 70/10 20130101; H01F 38/14 20130101; H02S 40/34
20141201; H02M 7/537 20130101; H02J 3/383 20130101; H02S 40/32
20141201; H02M 7/48 20130101; Y10S 323/906 20130101; H02M 3/155
20130101; H02M 7/003 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H02S 40/34 20060101
H02S040/34; H02M 7/537 20060101 H02M007/537; H02S 40/32 20060101
H02S040/32; H02M 3/155 20060101 H02M003/155 |
Claims
1. An assembly for generating an amount of output power in response
to a direct current (DC) power input signal, the system comprising:
a power supply having (i) a power supply housing and (ii) a
configurable power supply circuit located in the housing to receive
the DC power input signal, the configurable power supply circuit
being selectively configurable, based on at least one control
signal, between a first circuit topology to generate a DC power
signal at a DC output of the configurable power supply and a second
circuit topology to generate an alternating current (AC) power
signal at an AC output of the configurable power supply; and an AC
electronic accessory device having an accessory housing removably
coupled to the power supply housing and including an internal
electronic circuit located in the accessory housing, the accessory
housing enclosing the internal electronic circuit to physically
separate the internal electronic circuit from the configurable
power supply circuit, wherein the internal electronic circuit
includes an AC input inductively coupled with the AC output of the
configurable power supply circuit when the AC electronic accessory
device is coupled to the power supply housing.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 14/089,425, entitled "Modular Photovoltaic
Power Supply Assembly," which was filed on Nov. 25, 2013 and which
is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.
13/180,168, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,599,587, entitled "Modular
Photovoltaic Power Supply Assembly," which was filed on Jul. 11,
2011 and which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/479,844, entitled
"MODULAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY" by Patrick Chapman,
which was filed on Apr. 27, 2011, the entirety of each of which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] Cross-reference is also made to U.S. Utility patent
application Ser. No. 13/180,170, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,174,856,
entitled "CONFIGURABLE POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY" by Patrick Chapman,
which was filed on Jul. 11, 2011 and to U.S. Utility patent
application Ser. No. 13/180,176, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,193,788,
entitled "METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A CONFIGURABLE POWER
SUPPLY" by Patrick Chapman, which was filed on Jul. 11, 2011, the
entirety of each of which is incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The present disclosure relates, generally, to photovoltaic
(PV) modules and associated power electronic devices, and more
particularly, to power converters for converting direct current
(DC) power generated by PV modules to DC or alternating current
(AC) power.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Photovoltaic (PV) modules typically include a large number
of individual solar cells that each generate a small amount of DC
power at very low voltage levels. As such, the individual solar
cells are electrically connected together in serial strings of
solar cells such that the PV module, as a whole, generates DC power
at a low voltage level (e.g., about 25 volts). For example, as
shown in FIG. 22, a typical photovoltaic module 2200 includes a
housing 2202 and a plurality of solar cells 2204 defined on a front
side 2206 of the housing 2202. To allow interconnection of the
photovoltaic module 2200 with other modules 2200, typical
photovoltaic modules 2200 include a junction box 2300 located on a
back side 2208 of the housing 2202 as shown in FIG. 23. The
junction box 2300 typically houses a simplistic, passive connection
circuit 2302 that facilitates the interconnection of multiple
photovoltaic modules 2200 in a parallel or serial configuration. A
typical passive connection circuit 2302 includes a pair of bypass
diodes, which provide an alternate current path through the
photovoltaic module 2200 should one of the solar cell strings of
the module 2200 become damaged, shaded, or otherwise inoperable. A
pair of output wires 2304 extend from the junction box 2300 and
allow the photovoltaic module 2200 to be coupled with other modules
2200 or with other electronic devices.
[0005] One example of an electronic device that may be attached to
the photovoltaic module is a microinverter. Microinverters convert
the DC power generated by the associated individual photovoltaic
module 2200 into an AC power suitable for supplying energy to an AC
grid and/or an AC load coupled to the AC grid. Microinverters may
be coupled directly to the housing 2202 of the photovoltaic module
2200 via screws, adhesive, or other securing devices.
Alternatively, microinverters may be coupled directly to the
junction box 2300. The output wires 2304 of the photovoltaic module
2200 are electrically coupled to input connections of the
microinverter. The output of the microinverter may be coupled to
the outputs of other microinverters of a string of PV modules
2200.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to one aspect, an assembly for generating an
amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power
input signal may include a power supply and an AC electronic
accessory device. The power supply may include power supply
housing. Additionally, the power supply may include a configurable
power supply circuit located in the housing to receive the DC power
input signal. The configurable power supply may be selectively
configurable, based on at least one control signal, between a first
circuit topology to generate a DC power signal at a DC output of
the configurable power supply and a second circuit topology to
generate an alternating current (AC) power signal at an AC output
of the configurable power supply. The AC electronic accessory
device may include an accessory housing removably coupled to the
power supply housing and may also include an internal electronic
circuit located in the accessory housing. The accessory housing may
enclose the internal electronic circuit to physically separate the
internal electronic circuit from the configurable power supply
circuit. The internal electronic circuit may include an AC input
inductively coupled with the AC output of the configurable power
supply circuit when the AC electronic accessory device is coupled
to the power supply housing.
[0007] In some embodiments, the AC output of the configurable power
supply may include a primary coil. Additionally, in some
embodiments, the AC input of the internal electronic circuit may
include a secondary coil.
[0008] The power supply housing may include an inductive coupling
receptacle defined in a sidewall of the power supply housing.
Additionally or alternatively, the accessory housing may include an
inductive coupling connector extending outwardly from a sidewall of
the accessory housing. The inductive coupling connector may be
received in the inductive coupling receptacle when the AC
electronic accessory device is coupled to the power supply housing
to inductively couple the AC input of the internal electronic
circuit to the AC output of the configurable power supply
circuit.
[0009] In some embodiments, the inductive coupling connector may
include an internal chamber. In such embodiments, at least a
portion of the secondary coil of the internal electronic circuit
may be positioned in the internal chamber of the inductive coupling
connector.
[0010] The AC electronic accessory device may have an elongated
ferrite core having a first end and a second end. In such
embodiments, the secondary coil of the configurable power supply
may be wound around the first end of the elongated ferrite core and
the second end of the ferrite core may be positioned in the
internal chamber of the inductive coupling connector.
[0011] In some embodiments, the inductive coupling connector and
the inductive coupling receptacle may have a substantially
rectangular cross-section. In such embodiments, the inductive
coupling receptacle may have a slightly larger cross-sectional area
than the inductive coupling connector to allow the inductive
coupling connector to be received in the inductive coupling
receptacle. Additionally, in some embodiments, the inductive
coupling receptacle may have a plurality of receptacle sidewalls
attached to a rear wall that is inset relative to the sidewall of
the power supply housing. The primary coil of the reconfigurable
power supply circuit may be wound around the plurality of sidewalls
of the inductive coupling receptacle.
[0012] In some embodiments, the power supply housing may include a
first attachment connector defined in the sidewall of the power
supply housing. In such embodiments, the accessory housing may
include a second attachment connector extending outwardly from the
sidewall of the accessory housing. Additionally, the second
attachment may be configured to mate with the first attachment
connector to attach the accessory housing to the power supply
housing.
[0013] The AC electronic accessory device may form part of an
AC-to-DC power inverter when inductively coupled to the
configurable power supply circuit. Additionally or alternatively,
the assembly may include a DC electronic accessory device. The DC
electronic accessory device may have a housing configured to couple
to the power supply housing in place of the AC electronic accessory
device. In such embodiments, the DC electronic accessory device may
include an internal DC circuit located in the housing and
configured to electrically connect to the DC output of the
configurable power supply circuit when the housing of the DC
electronic accessory device is coupled to the power supply
housing.
[0014] According to another aspect, a configurable power supply
which may include a housing, a configurable power supply circuit,
and a plurality of attachment connectors. The housing may include a
sidewall. Additionally, the configurable power supply circuit may
be located in the housing and may be configured to receive a direct
current (DC) power input signal. Furthermore, the configurable
power supply circuit may be selectively configurable, based on at
least one control signal, between a first circuit topology to
generate a DC power signal at a DC output of the configurable power
supply and a second circuit topology to generate an alternating
current (AC) power signal at an AC output of the configurable power
supply different from the DC output. The plurality of attachment
connectors may be secured to the sidewall and configured to receive
corresponding attachment connectors of an electronic accessory to
secure the electronic accessory to the housing.
[0015] In some embodiments, the DC output of the configurable power
supply may be a pair of electrical wires extending out of the
sidewall of the housing. Additionally or alternatively, the DC
output of the configurable power supply may be a pair of DC
receptacles attached to the sidewall of the housing.
[0016] The configurable power supply may also include a pair of
plugs. In such embodiments, each plug may be removably insertable
into a corresponding DC receptacle to environmentally seal the DC
receptacle. Additionally or alternatively, the configurable power
supply may include a pair of DC electrical wires. Each pair of DC
electrical wires may have a first end. Furthermore, the first end
of the pair of DC electrical wires may have a plug configured to
mate with a corresponding one of the DC receptacles.
[0017] In some embodiments, AC output may include a primary coil.
In such embodiments, the housing may include an inductive coupling
receptacle defined in the sidewall. Additionally, the primary coil
may be wound around a plurality of inner sidewalls of the inductive
coupling receptacle. In some embodiments, the AC output may be a
primary coil wound around a first end of a ferrite core. The
housing may include an inductively coupling connector extending
from the sidewall. Moreover, the inductively coupling connector may
include an internal chamber. The internal chamber may have a second
end of the ferrite core positioned therein.
[0018] According to a further aspect, a photovoltaic module. The
photovoltaic module may include a housing, a direct current (DC)
power source positioned in the housing, a junction box, and a
configurable power supply circuit. The direct current (DC) power
source may positioned in the housing and may include a plurality of
solar cells located on a front side of the housing which may be
configured to generate a DC power input signal in response to
receiving an amount of sun light. The junction box may be secured
to a back side of the housing. In such embodiments, the
configurable power supply circuit may be located in the junction
box. Additionally, the configurable power supply circuit may be
configured to receive the DC power input signal. The configurable
power supply circuit may be selectively configurable based on at
least one control signal, between a first circuit topology to
generate a DC power signal at a DC output of the configurable power
supply and a second circuit topology to generate an alternating
current (AC) power signal at an AC output of the configurable power
supply different from the DC output. Furthermore, the DC output may
include a first and second DC receptacles attached to a sidewall of
the junction box. The AC output may include an inductive coupling
receptacle defined in the sidewall between the first and second DC
receptacles.
[0019] The AC electronic accessory device may include an accessory
housing removably coupled to the power supply housing. In such
embodiments, the accessory housing may include an inductive
coupling connector extending outwardly from a sidewall of the
accessory housing. The inductive coupling connector may be received
in the inductive coupling receptacle. Additionally, the internal
electronic circuit located in the accessory housing may include an
AC input inductively coupled with the AC output of the configurable
power supply circuit.
[0020] Similarly, the DC accessory may include an accessory housing
removably coupled to the power supply housing. The accessory
housing may include a first and a second DC connector extending
outwardly from a sidewall of the accessory housing. Each of the
first and second DC connectors may be received in a corresponding
one of the first and second DC receptacles. Additionally, the
internal electronic circuit located in the accessory housing may
include a DC input electrically connect with the DC output of the
configurable power supply circuit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of a
modular photovoltaic (PV) power supply assembly;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of a
configurable power supply of the modular photovoltaic power supply
assembly of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of an
input converter of the configurable power supply of FIG. 2
[0024] FIG. 4 is a simplified electrical schematic of one
embodiment of the input converter of FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a simplified electrical schematic of the input
converter of FIG. 4 configured to an illustrative circuit
topology;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a simplified electrical schematic of the input
converter of FIG. 4 configured to another circuit topology;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a simplified electrical schematic of the input
converter of FIG. 4 configured to a further circuit topology;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of a
PV module junction box of the modular photovoltaic power supply
assembly of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of
a PV module junction box of the modular photovoltaic power supply
assembly of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment
of a PV module junction box of the modular photovoltaic power
supply assembly of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 11 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of a
DC electronic accessory device of the modular photovoltaic power
supply assembly of FIG. 1 being coupled to the PV module junction
box of FIG. 9;
[0032] FIG. 12 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of a
PV module junction box and an AC electronic accessory device of the
modular photovoltaic power supply assembly of FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 13 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment
of a PV module junction box and an AC electronic accessory device
of the modular photovoltaic power supply assembly of FIG. 1;
[0034] FIG. 14 is a simplified block diagram of the configurable
power supply and an AC electronic accessory device of the modular
photovoltaic power supply assembly of FIG. 1;
[0035] FIG. 15 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of
an AC electronic accessory device of the modular photovoltaic power
supply assembly of FIG. 1;
[0036] FIG. 16 is a simplified schematic of one embodiment of the
AC electronic accessory device of FIG. 15;
[0037] FIG. 17 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of
the PV module junction box and an AC electronic accessory device of
the modular photovoltaic power supply assembly of FIG. 1 having
corresponding inductive coupling connectors;
[0038] FIG. 18 is a simplified block diagram of another embodiment
of an AC electronic accessory device couplable to the configurable
power supply of the modular photovoltaic power supply assembly of
FIG. 1;
[0039] FIG. 19 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of
the AC electronic accessory device of the FIG. 18;
[0040] FIG. 20 is a simplified schematic of one embodiment of the
AC electronic accessory device of FIG. 19;
[0041] FIG. 21 is a simplified flowchart of one embodiment of a
method for controlling a configurable power supply;
[0042] FIG. 22 is a simplified illustration of a typical
photovoltaic (PV) module; and
[0043] FIG. 23 is a simplified block of a back side of the typical
PV module of FIG. 22.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible
to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary
embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the
drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be
understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts
of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on
the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0045] References in the specification to "one embodiment", "an
embodiment", "an example embodiment", etc., indicate that the
embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure,
or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include
the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover,
such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.
Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is
described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it
is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such
feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other
embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
[0046] Some embodiments of the disclosure, or portions thereof, may
be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination
thereof. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be implemented as
instructions stored on a tangible, machine-readable medium, which
may be read and executed by one or more processors. A
machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or
transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a
computing device). For example, a machine-readable medium may
include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM);
magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory
devices; and others.
[0047] Referring now to FIG. 1, a modular photovoltaic (PV) power
supply assembly 100 includes a PV module 102 having a housing 104
and a junction box 106 attached to the housing 104. Illustratively,
the junction box 106 is attached to a rear side 108 of the housing
104 but may be attached to other areas of the housing 104 in other
embodiments. The PV power supply assembly 100 also includes a
configurable power supply circuit 110 located in the junction box
106. Unlike the passive circuits located in junction boxes of
typical photovoltaic modules, the configurable power supply circuit
110 is an active circuit configurable to generate a DC or AC power
output as discussed in more detail below.
[0048] In some embodiments, the modular PV power supply assembly
100 may also include one or more electronic accessory devices 120,
which may be embodied as a DC electronic accessory devices 122
(i.e., an electronic accessory configured to receive a DC power
output from the configurable power supply circuit 110), an AC
electronic accessory device 124 (i.e., an electronic accessory
configured to receive a AC power output from the configurable power
supply circuit 110), or other electronic devices. As discussed in
more detail below, the accessory devices 120 are configured to
connect or otherwise couple with the junction box 106 to receive a
DC and/or AC power output therefrom. The accessory devices 120
include internal circuitry that becomes electrically or inductively
coupled to the configurable power supply circuit 110 when the
accessory device is connected to the junction box 106. In this way,
a new or complete electronic circuit may be formed by electrically
coupling of the configurable power supply circuit 110 and the
internal circuitry of the accessory device 120. The DC electronic
accessory device 122 may be embodied as any type of electronic
device couplable to the junction box 106 and configured to receive
a DC power output therefrom such as, for example, a low voltage
DC-to-DC power converter, a high voltage DC-to-DC power converter,
a DC power optimizer, or the like. Similarly, the AC electronic
accessory device 124 may be embodied as any type of electronic
device couplable to the junction box 106 and configured to
inductively couple to the configurable power supply circuit 110 to
receive an AC power output therefrom such as, for example, a single
phase AC-to-AC power converter (e.g., to form a single phase
DC-to-AC converter when coupled with the configurable power supply
to circuit 110), a three phase AC-to-AC power converter (e.g., to
form a single phase DC-to-AC converter when coupled with the
configurable power supply to circuit 110), an AC-to-DC converter
(e.g., to form a DC-to-DC converter when coupled with the
configurable power supply circuit 110), or the like. Of course, in
some embodiments, the modular PV power supply assembly 100 may not
include any electronic accessory devices 120 as discussed in more
detail below.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the configurable
power supply circuit 110 includes an input converter 202 and an
input controller 204 electrically coupled to the input converter
202 and configured to control the operation of the input converter
202 as discussed below. The input converter 202 includes a DC input
206 electrically coupled to the DC source 200 of the PV module 102
(i.e., to the output of the solar cells of the PV module 102) to
receive a DC power input signal therefrom and generate a power
output based on an internal circuit topology of the input converter
202. That is, as discussed in more detail below, the input
converter 202 is configurable to one of a plurality of circuit
topologies or configurations based on, for example, the desired
type of output of the input converter 202 or the type of electronic
accessory device 120 to be used with the configurable power supply
circuit 110. In some embodiments, the circuit topology of the input
converter 202 is manually configurable (e.g., via a manually
selectable switch). Alternatively, in other embodiments, the input
controller 204 is configured to control the circuit topology of the
input converter 202 via use of one or more control signals as
discussed in more detail below.
[0050] Depending on the particular circuit topology selected for
the input converter 202, the input converter 202 may generate a DC
power "pass through" output in which the DC power input signal
generated by the DC source 200 is passed through the input
converter 202 with minimal or no processing, a processed (e.g.,
boosted) DC power output for supplying power to one of the DC
electronic accessory devices 122, or an "AC power output" for
inductively coupling to and supplying power to one of the AC
electronic accessory devices 124. It should be appreciated, as
discussed in more detail below, the "AC power output" of the input
converter may be embodied as or otherwise produce an
electromagnetic field for inductively coupling a secondary coil of
the corresponding AC electronic accessory device 124.
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the input
converter 202 includes a boost converter and filtering circuit 302,
which is electrically coupled to the DC source 200. The input
converter 202 also includes a circuit topology switch 304. Based on
the state or position of the circuit topology switch 304, the
circuit topology of the input converter 202 may be modified. The
circuit topology switch 304 may be embodied as a physical switch,
which may be manually controlled, or as a semiconductor switch such
as a transistor (e.g., a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect
transistor (MOSFET)). Depending on the state of the circuit
topology switch 304 (i.e., whether the switch 304 is in an "on"
state or an "off" state), the input converter 202 may be configured
to include a buck-boost converter circuit 306 that supplies a DC
power output to a DC power bus 308, a bridge pass-through circuit
310 that supplies a minimally processed DC power output to the DC
power bus 308, or an inverter circuit 312 that supplies an AC power
signal to a transformer primary 314.
[0052] One illustrative embodiment of the input converter 202 is
illustrated in FIG. 4. In the illustrative embodiment, the boost
converter and filtering circuit 302 is embodied as a resonant
circuit 400 including a capacitor 402, an inductor 404, and a
capacitor 406. Of course, in other embodiments, other boosting
and/or filtering circuits may be used. The circuit topology switch
304 is embodied as a semiconductor switch 408, such as a
transistor. Additionally, the buck-boost converter circuit
306/inverter circuit 312 are formed from an H-bridge circuit 410.
The H-bridge circuit 410 includes four semiconductor switches 412,
414, 416, and 418, which form individual "legs" of the H-bridge.
The inductor/transformer primary 314 is coupled between a bridge
node 420 (the connection point between the switches 412, 414) and a
bridge node 422 (the connection point between the switches 416,
418). The states (on/off) of each of the semiconductor switches
412, 414, 416, 418, and 408 is controlled by corresponding control
signals, q1, q2, q3, q4, and q5, which may be generated by the
input controller 204.
[0053] The DC power bus 308 is illustratively embodied as a
capacitor 430. In the illustrative embodiment, the capacitor 430 is
embodied as a filter capacitor having a relatively small
capacitance. However, in other embodiments, the capacitor 430 may
be embodied as one or more capacitors having a large capacitance
value and providing an amount of energy storage for the DC output
of the configurable power supply circuit 110. In one illustrative
embodiment, the capacitor 430 is embodied as one or more
non-electrolytic capacitors such as one or more film capacitors.
The illustrative transformer primary 314 includes a primary coil
432 and an associated core 434 (e.g., a ferrite core).
[0054] As discussed above, the state of the semiconductor switches
412, 414, 416, 418, and 408 controls the circuit topology of the
input converter 202. For example, if the circuit topology switch
304 (i.e., semiconductor switch 408 in FIG. 4) is in the off state
(i.e., opened), the semiconductor switches 412, 414, 416, 418 are
configured as a buck-boost converter 500 as shown in FIG. 5 to
provide a boosted or otherwise processed DC power to the DC power
bus 308. In such a circuit topology, the transformer primary 314
forms a simple inductor.
[0055] Alternatively, when the circuit topology switch 304 (i.e.,
semiconductor switch 408 in FIG. 4) is in the on state (i.e.,
closed), the semiconductor switches 412, 414, 416, and 418 are
configured as a full bridge inverter circuit 600 as shown in FIG. 6
to provide an AC power signal to the transformer primary 314. In
such a circuit topology, the transformer primary 314 generates an
electromagnetic field that may be received by a secondary coil to
inductively couple the transformer primary 314 to the secondary
coil to generate AC power in the secondary coil as discussed in
more detail below.
[0056] Additionally, when the circuit topology switch 304 (i.e.,
semiconductor switch 408 in FIG. 4) is in the on state and the
switches 412, 416 and/or 414, 418 are in the off or open state, the
semiconductor switches 410, 412, 414, and 416 are configured as a
DC pass-through circuit 700 as shown in FIG. 7 to provide a DC
power output with minimal or no processing. That is, in such a
circuit topology, the DC power input from the DC source 200 is
passed over the H-bridge circuit and supplied to the DC power bus
308 without being boosted or otherwise processed.
[0057] Referring now to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the junction box
106 includes a power supply housing 800, which houses the
configurable power supply circuit 110. The power supply housing 800
illustratively includes a plurality of sidewalls 802, a top or
upper wall 804, and a bottom wall 806. In some embodiments, the
power supply housing 800 may also include a plurality mounting
flanges 808 extending outwardly from the bottom wall 806 to
facilitate the attachment or securing of the power supply housing
800 to the rear side 108 of the housing 104 of the PV module 102.
To do so, the mounting flanges 808 may include a plurality of
mounting holes 810.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the DC output of
the configurable power supply circuit 110 is embodied as a pair of
DC output wires 820, which extend from one of the sidewalls 802 of
the power supply housing 800 of the junction box 106. In such
embodiments, the DC output wires 820 may be used to electrically
couple multiple modular photovoltaic (PV) power supply assemblies
100 together (e.g., when the configurable power supply circuit 110
is configured in DC "pass through" mode). Alternatively, a DC
electronic accessory device 122, such as a DC-to-DC converter, may
be electrically coupled to the configurable power supply circuit
110 via the DC output wires 820. The power supply housing 800 may
also include one or more attachment connectors 822 for attaching or
securing a DC electronic accessory device 122 or an AC electronic
accessory device 124 to the junction box 106 as discussed in more
detail below.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 9, the DC output of the configurable power
supply circuit 110 may alternatively or additionally be embodied as
a pair of DC receptacles 900 secured to or otherwise defined in one
of the sidewalls 802 of the power supply housing 800 of the
junction box 106. Of course, in other embodiments, a single dual
polarity DC receptacle may be used in place of the pair of signal
polarity receptacles 900 illustrated in FIG. 9. The DC receptacles
900 provide an access point to the DC power output of the
configurable power supply circuit 110. When not in use, a plug 902
may be inserted into the DC receptacles 900 to environmentally seal
the DC receptacles 900 from the surrounding environment. The plugs
902 may be formed from any material capable of being inserted into
the DC receptacles 900 and providing a sufficient environmental
seal. Alternatively, if the DC receptacles 900 are not to be used,
the DC receptacles 900 may simply be sealed using a suitable
sealant such as epoxy, silicone, or other non-conductive
sealant.
[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, a pair of DC power
electrical wires 1000 may be used with the DC receptacles 900. Each
DC power wire 1000 includes a plug 1002 located at one end and
configured to mate with the corresponding DC receptacle 900. Once
mated, the DC power wires 1000 may be used in a manner similar to
the DC output wires 820 discussed above in regard to FIG. 8. For
example, the DC power wires 1000 may be used to electrically couple
multiple modular photovoltaic (PV) power supply assemblies 100
together or couple a DC electronic accessory device 122, such as a
DC-to-DC converter, to the configurable power supply circuit
110.
[0061] In some embodiments, the DC electronic accessory devices 122
may include DC connectors for interconnecting with the DC
receptacles 900. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the DC
electronic accessory device 122 may include an accessory housing
1100 having a plurality of sidewalls 1102 and an upper or top wall
1104. A pair of DC connectors 1110 may extend from one of the
sidewalls 1102 of the accessory housing 1100. The DC connectors
1110 are sized and position to be received in the corresponding DC
receptacles 900 of the power supply housing 800. Additionally, the
accessory housing 1110 may include one or more attachment
connectors 1112 sized and position to be received in the attachment
connectors 822 of the power supply housing 800 to secure the DC
electronic accessory device 122 to the junction box 106 as
discussed above. The attachment connectors 1112 and/or the
attachment connectors 822 may include suitable securing structures
1114 to secure the DC electronic accessory device 122 to the
junction box 106 such as springs, clips, catch-pins, and/or the
other securing devices. After the DC electronic accessory device
122 has been secured to the junction box 106, the DC output of the
junction box 106 is supplied to an internal electronic circuit 1130
of the DC electronic accessory device 122 via the interface between
the DC receptacles 900 and the DC connectors 1110. As discussed
above, the internal electronic circuit 1130 may be embodied as or
otherwise include a low voltage DC-to-DC power converter, a high
voltage DC-to-DC power converter, a DC power optimizer, or the
like.
[0062] Referring now to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, the AC
electronic accessory device 124 may also be configured to connect
to the power supply housing 800 of the PV module junction box 106.
Similar to the DC electronic accessory device 122, the AC
electronic accessory device 124 may include an accessory housing
1200 having a plurality of sidewalls 1202 and an upper or top wall
1204. The accessory housing 1200 includes the one or more
attachment connectors 1112 sized and position to be received in the
attachment connectors 822 of the power supply housing 800 to secure
the AC electronic accessory device 124 to the junction box 106 as
discussed above. Again, the attachment connectors 1112 and/or the
attachment connectors 822 may include suitable securing structures
1114 to secure the AC electronic accessory device 124 to the
junction box 106 such as springs, clips, catch-pins, and/or the
other securing devices.
[0063] Additionally, the accessory housing 1200 includes an
inductive coupling connector 1210 extending from one of the
sidewalls 1202 of the accessory housing 1200. In such embodiments,
the inductive coupling connector 1210 is sized and positioned to be
received in a corresponding inductive coupling receptacle 1212 of
the power supply housing 800 of the junction box 106. As discussed
in more detail below, the inductive coupling connector 1210
includes an internal chamber 1214 in which a secondary coil, or a
portion thereof, of an internal electronic circuit 1216 of the AC
electronic accessory device is positioned. The secondary coil
inductively couples with the transformer primary 314 of the
configurable power supply circuit 110 when the inductive coupling
connector 1210 is received in the inductive coupling receptacle
1212. In the illustrative embodiment, each of the inductive
coupling connector 1210 and the inductive coupling receptacle 1212
has a substantially rectangular cross-section. The cross-sectional
area of the inductive coupling receptacle 1212 may be slightly
larger than the cross-sectional area of the inductive coupling
connector 1210 to allow the male inductive coupling connector 1210
to be received in the female inductive coupling receptacle
1212.
[0064] Additionally, in some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG.
13, the accessory housing 1200 of the AC electronic accessory
device 124 may also include one or more DC plugs 1300 extending
from the sidewall 1202 of the accessory housing 1200. The DC plugs
1300 are sized and positioned to be received in the DC receptacles
900 when the AC electronic accessory device 124 is coupled to the
junction box 106. When so received, the DC plugs 1300
environmentally seal the DC receptacles 900. The DC plugs 1300 may
be formed from any suitable material capable of sealing the DC
receptacles 900 such as a polymer, rubber, or plastic material.
[0065] Referring now to FIG. 14, in one embodiment, the AC
electronic accessory device 124 is configured as an AC-to-AC
converter 1400. As such, when the AC-to-AC converter 1400 is
coupled to the configurable power supply 110, the converter 1400
and the configurable power supply 110 form a DC-to-AC inverter. The
converter 1400 includes an output converter 1402 and an output
controller 1404. The output controller 1404 is electrically coupled
to the output converter 1402 and configured to control the
operation of the output converter 1402 to convert an AC waveform
induced by the input converter 202 to an output AC waveform
suitable for delivery to an AC grid 1406. For example, the output
controller 1404 may be configured to use a pulse width modulation
algorithm to control the output converter 1402 such that the output
AC waveform is pulse width modulated. To do so, the output
controller 1404 may provide a plurality of switching and/or control
signals to various circuits of the output converter 1402 as
described in more detail below.
[0066] Additionally, in some embodiments, the converter 1400 may
include communication circuitry 1408. The communication circuitry
1408 may be communicatively coupled to the output controller 1404
or may be incorporated therein in some embodiments. The output
controller 1404 may utilize the communication circuitry 1408 to
communicate with remote devices, such as remote controllers or
servers. In one particular embodiment, the communication circuitry
1408 is embodied as a power line communication circuit configured
to communicate with remote devices over an AC power line, such as
the AC power line interconnects coupled to the output of the output
converter 1402. However, in other embodiments, other communication
technologies and/or protocols may be used. For example, in some
embodiments, the communication circuitry 1408 may be embodied as a
wireless or wired communication circuit configured to communicate
with remote devices utilizing one or more wireless or wired
communication technologies and/or protocols such as Wi-Fi.TM.,
Zigbee.RTM., ModBus.RTM., WiMAX, Wireless USB, Bluetooth.RTM.,
TCP/IP, USB, CAN-bus, HomePNA.TM., and/or other wired or wireless
communication technology and/or protocol.
[0067] Referring now to FIG. 15, one embodiment of an output
converter 1402 that may be inductively coupled to the input
converter 202 of the configurable power supply circuit 110 is
shown. The output converter 1402 includes a transformer secondary
1500, which is configured to inductively couple with the
transformer primary 314 of the input converter 202 when the AC
electronic accessory device 124 is coupled to the junction box 106
as discussed in more detail below. When so coupled, the transformer
secondary coil 1500 generates an AC power signal which is rectified
by a rectifier circuit 1502 of the output converter 1402. The
rectifier circuit 1502 is configured to rectify the AC waveform to
a DC waveform, which is supplied to a DC power bus 1504 of the
output converter 1402. As discussed below, the DC power bus 1504
may be embodied as one or more capacitors configured to store and
release energy. The output converter 1402 also includes an inverter
circuit 1506, which is electrically coupled to the DC power bus
1504. The inverter circuit 1506 is configured to convert the DC bus
power waveform to an output AC waveform, which is filtered by a
filter 1508 prior to being supplied to the AC grid 1406.
[0068] One embodiment of the output converter 1402 is schematically
illustrated in FIG. 16. The transformer secondary 1500 is embodied
as a secondary coil 1600. The secondary coil 1500 includes a
plurality of coil turns based on the desired voltage level of the
AC output of the output converter 1502. In addition, it should be
appreciated that the use of the primary coil 1704 and secondary
coil 1600 provides an amount of isolation between the configurable
power supply circuit 110 and the output converter 1402. The
rectifier circuit 1502 is electrically coupled to the secondary
coil 1600 and is configured to convert the AC waveform generated in
the secondary coil 1600 to a DC bus waveform supplied to the DC
power bus 1504. In the illustrative embodiment, the rectifier
circuit 1502 is embodied as a full-bridge rectifier formed from a
plurality of diodes 1602, 1604, 1606, 1608. Again, in other
embodiments, other circuit topologies may be used in the rectifier
circuit 1502.
[0069] The DC power bus 1504 is also shown in FIG. 16. The DC power
bus 1504 illustratively includes a bus capacitor 1610, which may be
embodied as one or more individual capacitive devices. For example,
the bus capacitor 1610 may be embodied as one or more film
capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, or other capacitive devices.
Additionally, in the illustrative embodiment, the power bus 1504 is
a DC power bus and receives the DC bus waveform from the rectifier
circuit 1502.
[0070] The inverter circuit 1506 is illustrative embodied as a
bridge circuit formed by a plurality of switches 1620, 1622, 1624,
1626. Each of the switches 1620, 1622, 1624, 1626 are configured to
receive a corresponding control signal, q.sub.OC1, q.sub.OC2,
q.sub.OC3, q.sub.OC4, from the output controller 1404 to control
operation of the inverter circuit 1506. The output controller 1404
may use PWM to control the switches 1620, 1622, 1624, 1626 to
generate a pulse width modulated AC waveform. Of course, it should
be appreciated that although the illustrative inverter circuit 1506
is a embodied as a full-bridge circuit, other circuit topologies
such as a half-bridge circuit may be used in other embodiments.
[0071] The filter 1508 is configured to filter the output voltage
by reducing the conducted interference, reducing current ripple,
and satisfying regulatory requirements. In the illustrative
embodiment, the filter 1508 includes differential-mode inductors
1630, 1632 and a line filter capacitor 1634.
[0072] Referring now to FIG. 17, as discussed above, the
transformer secondary 1500 of the output converter 1402 is
configured to inductively couple with the transformer primary 314
of the input converter 202 when the AC electronic accessory device
124 is connected to the PV module junction box 106. To do so, the
AC electronic accessory device 124 may include an inductive
coupling connector 1210, which is sized and positioned to be
received in a corresponding inductive coupling receptacle 1212 of
the junction box 106. As discussed above, the inductive coupling
connector 1210 includes an internal chamber 1214 in which an end of
a transformer core 1700 is positioned. The secondary coil 1600 of
the transformer secondary 1500 is wound around an internal end 1702
of the transformer core 1700 extending from the internal chamber
1214. Of course, in some embodiments the secondary coil 1600, or a
portion thereof, may also be located in the internal chamber 1214.
As discussed above, the transformer secondary 1500 is electrically
connected to rectifier circuit 1502 of the output converter
1402.
[0073] Similarly, a primary coil 1704 of the transformer primary
314 is wound around a plurality of sidewalls the form the inductive
coupling receptacle 1202. The primary coil 1704 is electrically
coupled to other circuitry of the input converter 202 as discussed
above. Such positioning of the primary coil 1704 allows the primary
coil 1704 and the secondary 1600 to inductively couple when the
inductive coupling connector 1210 is received in the corresponding
inductive coupling receptacle 1212 even though the configurable
power supply circuit 110 and the internal electronic circuit 1204
are physically isolated form each other via the housings 800, 1200.
Such inductive coupling allows the input converter 202 to transfer
energy to the output converter 1402 via the coils 1704, 1600. Of
course, it should be appreciated that the inductive coupling
connector 1210 and the inductive coupling receptacle 1212 may be
embodied as different connectors and receptacle in other
embodiments. Additionally, it should be appreciated that in some
embodiments, the AC electronic accessory device 124 may not include
the transformer core 1700. In such embodiments, the AC electronic
accessory device 124 may also not include the inductive coupling
connector 1210 and the PV module junction box 106 may not include
the corresponding inductive coupling receptacle 1212. In such
embodiments, the primary coil 1704 and the secondary 1600 may be
configured to inductively couple across a substantially planar
interface (i.e., the interfacing walls of the AC electronic
accessory device 124 and the PV module junction box 106 may be void
of the inductive coupling connector 1210 and the inductive coupling
receptacle 1212).
[0074] It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the AC
electronic accessory device 124 may be configured to generate a DC
power output. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the AC
electronic accessory device 124 may be embodied as an AC-to-DC
converter 1800. Similar to the converter 1400, the converter 1800
includes an output converter 1802 and an output controller 1804.
The output controller 1804 is electrically coupled to the output
converter 1802 and configured to control the operation of the
output converter 1802 to convert an AC waveform induced by the
input converter 202 to a DC power output for delivery to a DC load
1806.
[0075] Additionally, similar to the converter 1400, the converter
1800 may include communication circuitry 1808 in some embodiments.
The communication circuitry 1808 may be communicatively coupled to
the output controller 1804 or may be incorporated therein in some
embodiments. The output controller 1804 may utilize the
communication circuitry 1808 to communicate with remote devices,
such as remote controllers or servers. For example, the
communication circuitry 1808 may be embodied as a wireless or wired
communication circuit configured to communicate with remote devices
utilizing one or more wireless or wired communication technologies
and/or protocols such as Wi-Fi.TM., Zigbee.RTM., ModBus.RTM.,
WiMAX, Wireless USB, Bluetooth.RTM., TCP/IP, USB, CAN-bus,
HomePNA.TM., and/or other wired or wireless communication
technology and/or protocol.
[0076] On illustrative embodiment of a AC-to-DC converter 1802 that
may be inductively coupled to the input converter 202 of the
configurable power supply circuit 110 is illustrated in FIG. 19.
The output converter 1802 includes a transformer secondary 1900,
which is configured to inductively couple with the transformer
primary 314 of the input converter 202 when the AC electronic
accessory device 124 is coupled to the junction box 106 as
discussed above. When so coupled, the transformer secondary coil
1900 generates an AC power signal which is rectified by a rectifier
circuit 1902 of the output converter 1802. The rectifier circuit
1902 is configured to rectify the AC waveform to a DC waveform,
which is supplied to a DC power bus 1904 of the output converter
1402. Similar to the DC power bus 1504, the DC power bus 1804 may
be embodied as one or more capacitors configured to store and
release energy.
[0077] One embodiment of the output converter 1802 is schematically
illustrated in FIG. 20. The transformer secondary 1900 is embodied
as a secondary coil 2000. The secondary coil 2000 includes a
plurality of coil turns based on the desired voltage level of the
DC power output of the output converter 1802. That is, the
transformer formed from the primary coil 1704 of the configurable
power supply 110 and the secondary coil 2000 may be embodied as a
step-up transformer (i.e., have a relatively low
primary-to-secondary turns ratio) or a step-down transformer (i.e.,
have a relatively high primary-to-secondary turns ratio). As such,
the resultant voltage level of the DC power output of the output
converter 1802 can be selected based on the coil turns of the
secondary coil. In addition, it should be appreciated that the use
of the primary coil 1704 and secondary coil 2000 provides an amount
of isolation between the configurable power supply circuit 110 and
the output converter 1802.
[0078] The rectifier circuit 1902 is electrically coupled to the
secondary coil 2000 and is configured to convert the AC waveform
generated in the secondary coil 2000 to a DC bus waveform supplied
to the DC power bus 2010. In the illustrative embodiment, the
rectifier circuit 1902 is embodied as a full-bridge rectifier
formed from a plurality of diodes 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008. Again, in
other embodiments, other circuit topologies may be used in the
rectifier circuit 1902.
[0079] The illustrative power bus 1904 includes as a bus capacitor
2010, which may be embodied as one or more individual capacitive
devices. For example, similar to the bus capacitor 1610 of the
power bus 1504 described above, the bus capacitor 2010 may be
embodied as one or more film capacitors, electrolytic capacitors,
or other capacitive devices. Additionally, in the illustrative
embodiment, the power bus 1904 is a DC power bus and receives a DC
bus waveform from the rectifier circuit 1902. The power bus 1904
delivers a DC power output signal to the outputs 2012 of the
converter 1802.
[0080] Referring now to FIG. 21, in some embodiments, the input
controller 204 of the configurable power supply 110 may execute a
method 2100 for controlling the input converter 202. The method
2100 begins with block 2102 in which it is determined whether a DC
electronic accessory device 122 has been coupled to the PV module
junction box 106. The input controller 204 may determine the
presence of the DC electronic accessory device 122 based on
predetermined information (e.g., a software setting, a physical
switch, etc.) or based on sensed signals of the input converter 202
(e.g., based on a sensed DC current output being greater than a
predetermined threshold). If the input controller 204 determines
that a DC electronic accessory device 122 has been coupled to the
PV module junction box 106, the method 2100 advances to block 2104
in which the input controller 204 determines whether DC
pass-through has been selected. Again, the input controller 204 may
determine the DC pass-through based on predetermined information
(e.g., a software setting, a physical switch, etc.) or based on
sensed signals of the input converter 202 (e.g., based on a
magnitude of a DC output current or on a signal received from the
DC electronic accessory device 122).
[0081] If the input controller 204 determines that DC pass-through
has been selected, the method 2100 advances to block 2106 in which
the circuit topology switch 304 is placed in the "on" state. When
the switch 304 is closed, the circuit topology of the input
converter 202 is modified to a DC pass-through circuit 700 (see
FIG. 7) in which the DC output of the DC source 200 is supplied to
the DC output of the input converter 202 with minimal or no
processing as discussed above.
[0082] Referring back to block 2104, if the input controller 204
determines that DC pass-through has not been selected, the method
2100 advances to block 2108 in which the circuit topology switch
304 is opened (i.e., placed in the "off" state). When the switch
304 is opened, the circuit topology of the input converter 202 is
modified to a buck-boost converter 500 (see FIG. 5) in which a
boosted or otherwise processed DC power output is supplied to the
DC output of the input converter 202. Subsequently, in block 2110,
the input converter 202 generates the DC output.
[0083] Referring back to block 2102, if the input controller 204
determines that a DC electronic accessory device 122 has not been
coupled to the PV module junction box 106, the method 2100 advances
to block 2112. In block 2112, the input controller 204 determines
whether an AC electronic accessory device 124 has been coupled to
the PV module junction box 106. The input controller 204 may
determine whether the AC electronic accessory device 124 has been
coupled to the PV module junction box 106 using any suitable
methodology. For example, in some embodiments, the input controller
204 may determine whether a sensed AC output current of an AC
output of the configurable power supply circuit 110 is above a
predetermined threshold or whether the primary coil 1704 is
inductively coupled to the secondary coil 1600, 2000 of the AC
electronic accessory device 124. If not, the method 2100 loops back
to block 2102. However, if the input controller 204 determines that
an AC electronic accessory device 124 has been coupled to the PV
module junction box 106 (e.g., based on predetermined data such as
a physical switch or based on sensed data such as a sensed current
of the transformer primary 314), the method 2100 advances to block
2114. In block 2114, the circuit topology switch 304 is closed
(i.e., placed in the "on" state). When the switch 304 is closed,
the input converter 202 is configured as a full bridge DC-AC
inverter circuit configured to generate an AC waveform across the
transformer primary 314. As discussed above, the transformer
primary 314 may be inductively coupled with a corresponding
transformer secondary 1500, 1900 of an output converter 1402, 1802
to generate an AC power output.
[0084] There is a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure
arising from the various features of the apparatuses, circuits, and
methods described herein. It will be noted that alternative
embodiments of the apparatuses, circuits, and methods of the
present disclosure may not include all of the features described
yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such
features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise
their own implementations of the apparatuses, circuits, and methods
that incorporate one or more of the features of the present
disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *