High voltage energy harvesting and conversion renewable energy utility size electric power systems and visual monitoring and control systems for said systems

1. A renewable energy, utility size electric power system comprising:

a high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network comprising:

a plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors having a DC output;

a plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters, each of the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters having at least one string power optimizer input connected to the string DC output of at least one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters having a high voltage DC output connected to a DC link, each of the plurality of renewable energy optimizers and transmitters having at least one DC-to-DC converter with a variable frequency controlled resonant inverter, the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter having a resonant inverter input connected to the string DC output and a resonant inverter output connected to an input of a rectifier by an isolation transformer, the rectifier having an output connected to a positive rectifier output and a negative rectifier output, the positive and negative rectifier outputs connected to the DC link; and

a centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system having a plurality of grid inverter package modules, each of the plurality of grid inverter package modules having an input connected to the DC link.

2. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of solar photovoltaic modules and the at least one DC-to-DC converter comprises:

at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters, the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters having a string inverter input connected to each of the at least one string power optimizer input and a DC link output connected to the DC link; and

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters to a maximum power point.

3. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of solar photovoltaic modules and the at least one DC-to-DC converter comprises:

four DC-to-DC converters, the four DC-to-DC converters comprising a separate first and second pairs of DC-to-DC converters, each of the four DC-to-DC converters having a string inverter input connected to each of the at least one string power optimizer input, and a positive and negative rectifier output, the first separate pair of DC-to-DC converters having the positive rectifier outputs connected in parallel to the DC link, and the second separate pair of DC-to-DC converters having the negative rectifier outputs connected in parallel to the DC link, the negative rectifier outputs of the first separate pair of DC-to-DC converters and the positive rectifier outputs of the second separate pair of DC-to-DC converters connected together commonly to the DC link;

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the four DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the four DC-to-DC converters to a maximum power point; and

a transceiver, the transceiver connected to an antenna for transmitting and receiving of a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data.

4. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 1 further comprising a central control system, the central control system comprising:

a means for communicating among the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters and the plurality of grid inverter package modules; and

a means for transmitting and receiving a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data.

5. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 3 wherein the processor controls each of the four DC-to-DC converters to the maximum power point by varying an operating frequency of the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter.

6. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of wind turbine driven AC generators having a rectified dc output and each of the plurality of the renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters further comprises

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the at least one DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the at least one DC-to-DC converters to a maximum power point.

7. A method of harvesting, converting, monitoring and controlling renewable energy from a utility scale renewable energy system comprising: a high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network comprising: a plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors having a DC output; and a centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system having a plurality of grid inverter package modules, the method comprising the steps of:

optimizing the collector DC outputs of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors to a maximum power point with a plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters distributed within the high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network, each of the plurality of renewable energy optimizers and transmitters having at least one DC-to-DC converter with a variable frequency controlled resonant inverter, the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter having a resonant inverter input connected to at least one of the collector DC outputs and a resonant inverter output connected to an input of a rectifier by an isolation transformer, the rectifier having an output connected to a positive rectifier output and a negative rectifier output, the positive and negative rectifier outputs connected to the DC link with an optimizer DC output; and

connecting the optimizer DC outputs of the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters to the centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system by a DC link.

8. A renewable energy, utility size electric power system comprising:

a high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network comprising:

a plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors having a string DC output;

a plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters, each of the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters having at least one string power optimizer input connected to the DC output of at least one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of plurality of renewable energy optimizers and transmitters having at least one DC-to-DC converter with a variable frequency controlled resonant inverter, the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter having a resonant inverter input connected to the string DC output and a resonant inverter output connected to an input of a rectifier by an isolation transformer, the rectifier having an output connected to a positive rectifier output and a negative rectifier output for a high voltage DC output connected to a DC link;

a centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system having a plurality of grid inverter package modules; and

a virtual immersion monitoring system and a central control system for monitoring and controlling the high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network and the centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system.

9. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 8 wherein each one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of solar photovoltaic modules and the at least one DC-to-DC converter comprises:

at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters, the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters having a string inverter input connected to the power optimizer input and a DC link output connected to the DC link; and

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the at least one pair of DC-to-DC converters to the maximum power point.

10. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 8 wherein each one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of solar photovoltaic modules and the at least one DC-to-DC converter comprises:

four DC-to-DC converters, the four DC-to-DC converters comprising a separate first and second pairs of DC-to-DC converters, each of the four DC-to-DC converters having a string inverter input connected to the power optimizer input, and a positive and negative rectifier output, the first separate pair of DC-to-DC converters having the positive rectifier outputs connected in parallel to the DC link, and the second separate pair of DC-to-DC converters having the negative rectifier outputs connected in parallel to the DC link, the negative rectifier outputs of the first separate pair of DC-to-DC converters and the positive rectifier outputs of the second separate pair of DC-to-DC converters connected together commonly to the DC link;

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the four DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the four DC-to-DC converters to the maximum power point; and

a transceiver, the transceiver connected to an antenna for transmitting and receiving of a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data to and from the virtual immersion monitoring system and the central control system.

11. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 8 wherein the central control system comprises a means for communicating among the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters and the plurality of grid inverter package modules; a means for transmitting and receiving a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data; and a means for communicating with the virtual immersion monitoring system.

12. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 8 wherein the virtual immersion monitoring system comprises a virtual immersion equipment watchdog computer system for collecting a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data; for visual display of the plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and the plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data in a three dimensional, visually-oriented virtual reality display environment; and for forecasting an electric power output from the high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network for injection into a high voltage electrical grid based on available irradiation of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors.

13. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 10 wherein the processor controls each of the four DC-to-DC converters to the maximum power point by varying the operating frequency of the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter.

14. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 8 wherein each one of the plurality of renewable energy collectors comprises a plurality of wind turbine driven ac generators having a rectified dc output and each of the plurality of the renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters further comprises

a processor for sensing and monitoring the voltage and current at the string inverter input of each of the at least one DC-to-DC converters and for controlling each of the at least one DC-to-DC converters to a maximum power point.

15. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 14 wherein the virtual immersion monitoring system comprises a virtual immersion equipment watchdog computer system for collecting a plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and a plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data; and for visual display of the plurality of high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network data and the plurality of centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system data in a three dimensional, visually-oriented virtual reality display environment.

16. The renewable energy, utility size electric power system of claim 12 wherein the processor controls each of the at least one DC-to-DC converters to the maximum power point by varying an operating frequency of the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter.

17. A method of harvesting, converting, monitoring and controlling renewable energy from a utility scale renewable energy system comprising: a high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network comprising: a plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of renewable energy collectors having a string DC output; and a plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters, each of the plurality of renewable energy power optimizers and transmitters having at least one string power optimizer input connected to the string DC output of at least one of the plurality of strings of renewable energy collectors, each of the plurality of renewable energy optimizers and transmitters having at least one DC-to-DC converter with a variable frequency controlled resonant inverter, the variable frequency controlled resonant inverter having a resonant inverter input connected to the string DC output and a resonant inverter output connected to an input of a rectifier by an isolation transformer, the rectifier having an output connected to a positive rectifier output and a negative rectifier output, the positive and negative rectifier outputs having a high voltage DC output connected to a DC link; and a centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system having a plurality of grid inverter package modules; the method comprising the steps of virtual immersion monitoring of the high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network in a three dimensional, visually-oriented virtual reality display environment and centrally controlling the high voltage, renewable energy harvesting network and the centralized grid synchronized multiphase regulated current source inverter system in communication with the three dimensional, visually-oriented virtual reality display environment.