IP Library Granted Patent US 9,280,166
Granted Patent B2
US 9,280,166 · App. 13/140,628 · Granted Mar 8, 2016

Electronic management system for photovoltaic cells

Inventors: Marc Vermeersch (Le Vésinet, FR); Bruno Estibals (Saint Thomas, FR); Corinne Alonso (Ramonville Saint Agne, FR)
Assignee: TOTAL MARKETING SERVICES
G05F1/67Y02E10/58Y10T307/707
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,280,166
App. No.
13/140,628
Granted
Mar 8, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic management system for a photovoltaic generator is disclosed herein. The, the electronic management system comprises a plurality of static microconverters, each microconverter being electrically connected to one or more photovoltaic cells, the one or more photovoltaic cells forming a portion of a whole of the cells of the generator, a reconfiguration module adapted for transmitting energy flows from said microconverters towards a load, and a central electronic unit adapted for controlling a modification of the energy flows transmitted by said at least one reconfiguration module.

Claims (34)

1. An electronic management system for a photovoltaic generator, the system comprising:

a plurality of static DC/DC microconverters, each DC/DC microconverter being electrically connected to photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell forming a portion of the whole of the cells of the generator;

at least one reconfiguration module adapted for transmitting energy flows from said DC/DC microconverters towards a load via an output static converter;

a plurality of management electronics entities, wherein each of the plurality of DC/DC microconverters is associated with at least one of the plurality of the management electronics entities, the at least one of the management electronics entities for measuring electronic data from the at least one DC/DC microconverter; and

a central electronic unit communicating with the load and the plurality of management electronic entities, controlling a modification of the energy flows transmitted by said at least one reconfiguration module based at least on the measured electronic data, the central electronic unit adapted for a putting into series of at least two DC/DC microconverters, a putting into parallel of at least two DC/DC microconverters, or a bypassing of at least one microconverter based at least on information received from the plurality of management electronics entities and from the load.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management electronics measures electric data at the input and/or at the output of the DC/DC microconverter.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management electronics comprises a control for tracking the maximum power operating point (MPPT).

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management electronics comprises a clock.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the management electronics comprises a temperature sensor.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a microconverter is connected to each cell of a multi junction photovoltaic device.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the central electronic unit is adapted for communicating with an outer network.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the central electronic unit is adapted for controlling a short-circuiting of at least one DC/DC microconverter through the at least one reconfiguration module.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reconfiguration module comprises a plurality of switches.

10. A photovoltaic generator comprising:

at least one photovoltaic cell; and

an electronic management system comprising:

a plurality of static DC/DC microconverters, each DC/DC microconverter being electrically connected to the at least one photovoltaic cell, the at least one photovoltaic cell forming a portion of a whole of the cells of the generator;

a reconfiguration module adapted for transmitting energy flows from said DC/DC microconverters towards a load via an output static converter;

a plurality of management electronics entities, wherein each of the plurality of DC/DC microconverters is associated with at least one of the plurality of the management electronics entities, the at least one of the management electronics entities for measuring electronic data from the at least one DC/DC microconverter; and

a central electronic unit communicating with the load and the plurality of management electronic entities, controlling a modification of the energy flows transmitted by said at least one reconfiguration module based at least on the measured electronic data, the central electronic unit adapted for a putting into series of at least two DC/DC microconverters, a putting into parallel at least two DC/DC microconverters, or a bypassing of at least one microconverter based at least on information received from the management electronics entities and from the load.

11. An electronic management system for a photovoltaic generator comprising at least one multi-junction photovoltaic device, the system comprising:

a plurality of static DC/DC microconverters, one DC/DC microconverter being electrically connected to each cell of the at least one multi-junction photovoltaic device;

at least one reconfiguration module adapted for transmitting energy flows from said microconverters towards a load via an output static converter;

a plurality of management electronics entities, wherein each of the plurality of DC/DC microconverters is associated with at least one of the plurality of the management electronics entities, the at least one of the management electronics entities for measuring electronic data from the at least one DC/DC microconverter; and

a central electronic unit communicating with the load and the plurality of management electronic entities, controlling a modification of the energy flows transmitted by said at least one reconfiguration module based at least on the measured electronic data, the central electronic unit adapted for a putting into series of at least two DC/DC microconverters, a putting into parallel at least two DC/DC microconverters, or a bypassing of at least one microconverter based at least on information received from the management electronics entities and from the load.

12. A photovoltaic generator comprising:

at least one multi-junction photovoltaic device; and

an electronic management system comprising:

a plurality of static DC/DC microconverters, one DC/DC microconverter being electrically connected to each cell of the at least one multi-junction photovoltaic device,

a reconfiguration module adapted for transmitting energy flows from said DC/DC microconverters towards a load via an output static converter;

a plurality of management electronics entities, wherein each of the plurality of DC/DC microconverters is associated with at least one of the plurality of the management electronics entities, the at least one of the management electronics entities for measuring electronic data from the at least one DC/DC microconverter; and

a central electronic unit communicating with the load and the plurality of management electronic entities, controlling a modification of the energy flows transmitted by said at least one reconfiguration module based at least on the measured electronic data, the central electronic unit adapted for a putting into series of at least two DC/DC microconverters, a putting into parallel at least two DC/DC microconverters, or a bypassing of at least one microconverter based at least on information received from the management electronics entities and from the load.

13. The electronic management system of claim 11 , wherein each DC/DC microconverter is associated with management electronics adapted for communicating with the central electronic unit, the management electronics including a maximum power point tracker (MPPT).

14. The photovoltaic generator of claim 12 , one or more of the plurality of static DC/DC microconverters are adapted for communicating with the central electronic unit.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2013
From: TOTAL S.A.
To: TOTAL RAFFINAGE MARKETING
Reel/Frame 031657/0477 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 22, 2013
From: TOTAL RAFFINAGE MARKETING
To: TOTAL MARKETING SERVICES
Reel/Frame 031713/0509 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2012
From: VERMEERSCH, MARC; ESTIBALS, BRUNO; ALONSO, CORINNE
To: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS); TOTAL S.A.
Reel/Frame 027563/0090 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 08 07119 · Dec 18, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120068547A1 · Mar 22, 2012