IP Library Granted Patent US 12689218
Granted Patent B2
US 12689218 · App. 18/129,273 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Photovoltaic grid-connected system and control method therefor

Inventors: Yuanze Zhang (Hefei, CN); Jun Xu (Hefei, CN); Wei Zhao (Hefei, CN)
Assignee: Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.
H02J3/1885H02J3/381H02J3/40H02J2101/25H02M1/36H02M7/53876Y02E10/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12689218
App. No.
18/129,273
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photovoltaic grid-connected system and a control method therefor. The photovoltaic inverter is connected to the grid through a synchronous motor back-to-back drive system including two synchronous motors. The photovoltaic inverter is controlled to operate in the current source mode after the photovoltaic grid-connected system is started, the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system is controlled to operate in the generator mode, and the excitation current of the first synchronous motor is controlled to maintain the voltage stability of the AC side of the photovoltaic inverter. Therefore, the stability and safety of the power grid is significantly improved and the impact of intermittent new energy on the power grid is reduced by virtue of the characteristics of the synchronous motor, and the maximum power point of the photovoltaic array can be tracked to avoid loss of power generation, and traditional photovoltaic inverters can be used without any modification.

Claims (42)

1 . A control method for a photovoltaic grid-connected system, wherein the photovoltaic grid-connected system comprises a photovoltaic array, a photovoltaic inverter, a synchronous motor back-to-back drive system and a transformer connected in series in sequence, the transformer is configured to connect to a power grid, and in the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system, a rotor shaft of a first synchronous motor and a rotor shaft of a second synchronous motor are connected through a mechanical shaft;

wherein the control method comprises:

controlling the photovoltaic inverter to operate in a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) current source mode after the photovoltaic grid-connected system is started; and

controlling the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system to operate in a generator mode; and

controlling, in response to changing of a stator current of the first synchronous motor, an excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor, to maintain voltage stability of an alternating current side of the photovoltaic inverter, wherein the voltage stability of the alternating current side of the photovoltaic inverter is related to the stator current of the first synchronous motor and the excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor.

2 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the photovoltaic inverter to operate in the current source mode further comprises:

controlling, when an active power dispatching command is received and an active power command value is less than a maximum power of the photovoltaic array, the photovoltaic inverter to operate in the current source mode according to the active power command value.

3 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein when controlling the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system to operate in the generator mode, the method further comprises:

controlling an excitation current of the second synchronous motor to achieve a corresponding power factor according to a reactive power command value in a received reactive power dispatching command.

4 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein before or after any step, the method further comprises:

controlling, when a stator winding of the first synchronous motor has no input power, the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system to operate in a synchronous condenser mode.

5 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic grid- connected system further comprises a black start system, a first switch, a second switch and a third switch, the first switch is arranged between an alternating current side of the photovoltaic inverter and a stator winding of the first synchronous motor, the black start system is connected to the stator winding of the first synchronous motor through the third switch, and the second switch is arranged between a stator winding of the second synchronous motor and the transformer;

wherein before the controlling the photovoltaic inverter to operate in the current source mode, the method further comprises:

controlling the black start system, the first switch, the second switch and the third switch to operate respectively to start the photovoltaic grid-connected system.

6 . The control method according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling the black start system, the first switch, the second switch and the third switch to operate respectively to start the photovoltaic grid-connected system comprises:

switching on the third switch to connect the black start system to the stator winding of the first synchronous motor to perform a black start process;

switching on the second switch and switching off the third switch when a stator speed of the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system reaches a power grid synchronous speed, so that the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system operates in a synchronous condenser mode;

controlling, when the photovoltaic array meets a power generation condition, the excitation current of the first synchronous motor to adjust a voltage at a stator winding side of the first synchronous motor to be within an operation range of a grid-connected voltage of the photovoltaic inverter; and

adjusting, when the photovoltaic inverter meets a start condition, an output at the alternating current side of the photovoltaic inverter to an alternating current synchronized with the voltage at the stator winding side of the first synchronous motor, and switching on the first switch.

7 . The control method according to claim 5 , wherein after the controlling the photovoltaic inverter to operate in the current source mode, the method further comprises:

controlling, when the photovoltaic inverter meets a shutdown condition, the photovoltaic inverter to stop operation, and switching off the first switch, so that the stator winding of the first synchronous motor has no input power.

8 . The control method according to claim 5 , wherein the excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor is controlled by changing an air gap main magnetic flux, and the air gap main magnetic flux is related to an excitation current of the first synchronous motor.

9 . A photovoltaic grid-connected system, comprising: a photovoltaic array, at least one photovoltaic inverter, a synchronous motor back-to-back drive system, a transformer and a control system; wherein

the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system comprises a first synchronous motor and a second synchronous motor, and a rotor shaft of the first synchronous motor and a rotor shaft of the second synchronous motor are connected through a mechanical shaft;

a direct current side of the at least one photovoltaic inverter is connected to a corresponding photovoltaic string in the photovoltaic array;

an alternating current side of the at least one photovoltaic inverter is connected to a stator winding of the first synchronous motor; and

a stator winding of the second synchronous motor is connected to a power grid through the transformer;

wherein the control system is configured to execute a control method, the control method comprising:

controlling the at least one photovoltaic inverter to operate in a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) current source mode after the photovoltaic grid-connected system is started;

controlling the synchronous motor back-to-back drive system to operate in a generator mode; and

controlling, in response to changing of a stator current of the first synchronous motor an excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor, to maintain voltage stability of the alternating current side of the at least one photovoltaic inverter, wherein the voltage stability of the alternating current side of the photovoltaic inverter is related to the stator current of the first synchronous motor and the excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor.

10 . The photovoltaic grid-connected system according to claim 9 , further comprising: a black start system, a first switch, a second switch and a third switch; wherein

the first switch is arranged between the alternating current side of the at least one photovoltaic inverter and the stator winding of the first synchronous motor;

the black start system is connected to the stator winding of the first synchronous motor through the third switch; and

the second switch is arranged between the stator winding of the second synchronous motor and the transformer.

11 . The photovoltaic grid-connected system according to claim 10 , wherein the control system comprises: a first controller, a second controller, a third controller, and a fourth controller; wherein

the first controller integrated in the at least one photovoltaic inverter is configured for controlling operation of the at least one photovoltaic inverter;

the second controller integrated in the first synchronous motor is configured for controlling the excitation current of the first synchronous motor;

the third controller integrated in the second synchronous motor is configured for controlling an excitation current of the second synchronous motor;

the fourth controller integrated in the black start system is configured for controlling the black start system to perform a black start process; and

the first controller is communicatively connected with the second controller, the third controller and the fourth controller, respectively.

12 . The photovoltaic grid-connected system according to claim 9 , wherein the excitation electromotive force of the first synchronous motor is controlled by changing an air gap main magnetic flux, and the air gap main magnetic flux is related to an excitation current of the first synchronous motor.