SERIALLY CONNECTED MICRO-INVERTER SYSTEM WITH TRUNK AND DROP CABLING
A system and apparatus for serially coupling a plurality of inverters. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a cable assembly for (i) coupling the plurality of inverters in series to form a string, and (ii) coupling AC power generated by the plurality of inverters to the AC grid, wherein the cable assembly comprises (A) a trunk cable comprising at least one phase conductor and a neutral conductor, wherein the neutral conductor is conductively continuous throughout the trunk cable; and (B) a plurality of junction boxes, positioned at locations along the trunk cable, for coupling the plurality of inverters to the trunk cable, wherein at each junction box of the plurality of junction boxes the at least one phase conductor is discontinuous for being coupled to a corresponding inverter of the plurality of inverters.
1 . An apparatus for serially coupling a plurality of inverters, comprising:
a cable assembly for (i) coupling the plurality of inverters in series to form a string, and (ii) coupling AC power generated by the plurality of inverters to an AC grid, wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a trunk cable comprising at least one phase conductor and a neutral conductor, wherein the neutral conductor is conductively continuous throughout the trunk cable; and
a plurality of junction boxes, positioned at locations along the trunk cable, for coupling the plurality of inverters to the trunk cable, wherein at each junction box of the plurality of junction boxes the at least one phase conductor is discontinuous for being coupled to a corresponding inverter of the plurality of inverters.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inverters is coupled in parallel to the neutral conductor.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the trunk cable further comprises a line conductor that is conductively continuous throughout the trunk cable, and wherein the plurality of inverters is coupled in parallel to the line conductor.
4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cable assembly further comprises:
a plurality of drop cables for coupling the plurality of inverters to the plurality of junction boxes in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein each drop cable comprises first and second conductive lines for coupling power from the corresponding inverter across a discontinuous portion of the at least one conductor.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one phase conductor and the line conductor are coupled to a same AC phase line of the AC grid.
6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the line conductor couples communication signals with the plurality of inverters.
7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the trunk cable couples a single-phase AC power to the power grid.
8 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the trunk cable couples a multi-phase AC power to the power grid.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a first set of junction boxes in the plurality of junction boxes couples single-phase AC power from corresponding inverters to a first AC phase line of the AC grid, and wherein a second set of junction boxes in the plurality of junction boxes couples single-phase AC power from corresponding inverters to a second AC phase line of the AC grid.
10 . A serially connected micro-inverter (SCMI) system with trunk and drop cabling, comprising:
a plurality of inverters for converting DC power into AC power;
a cable assembly for (i) coupling the plurality of inverters in series to form a string, and (ii) coupling AC power generated by the plurality of inverters to an AC grid, wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a trunk cable comprising at least one phase conductor and a neutral conductor, wherein the neutral conductor is conductively continuous throughout the trunk cable; and
a plurality of junction boxes, positioned at locations along the trunk cable, for coupling the plurality of inverters to the trunk cable, wherein at each junction box of the plurality of junction boxes the at least one phase conductor is discontinuous for being coupled to a corresponding inverter of the plurality of inverters; and
a controller, coupled to the string, for controlling the plurality of inverters.
11 . The SCMI system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of inverters is coupled in parallel to the neutral conductor.
12 . The SCMI system of claim 11 , wherein the trunk cable further comprises a line conductor that is conductively continuous throughout the trunk cable, and wherein the plurality of inverters is coupled in parallel to the line conductor.
13 . The SCMI system of claim 11 , wherein the cable assembly further comprises:
a plurality of drop cables for coupling the plurality of inverters to the plurality of junction boxes in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein each drop cable comprises first and second conductive lines for coupling power from the corresponding inverter across a discontinuous portion of the at least one conductor.
14 . The SCMI system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one phase conductor and the line conductor are coupled to a same AC phase line of the AC grid.
15 . The SCMI system of claim 12 , wherein the line conductor couples communication signals between the plurality of inverters and the controller.
16 . The SCMI system of claim 11 , wherein the trunk cable couples a single-phase AC power to the power grid.
17 . The SCMI system of claim 11 , wherein the trunk cable couples a multi-phase AC power to the power grid.
18 . The SCMI system of claim 17 , wherein a first set of junction boxes in the plurality of junction boxes couples single-phase AC power from corresponding inverters to a first AC phase line of the AC grid, and wherein a second set of junction boxes in the plurality of junction boxes couples single-phase AC power from corresponding inverters to a second AC phase line of the AC grid.
19 . The SCMI system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules for providing the DC power to the plurality of inverters.
20 . The SCMI system of claim 10 , wherein the controller synchronizes the plurality of inverters to the AC grid.