IP Library Granted Patent US 9,614,375
Granted Patent B2
US 9,614,375 · App. 14/479,133 · Granted Apr 4, 2017

Power conversion apparatus and photovoltaic module including the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,614,375
App. No.
14/479,133
Granted
Apr 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Discussed are a power conversion apparatus and a photovoltaic module including the power conversion apparatus. The power conversion apparatus includes a converter unit to convert DC voltage from a solar cell module, the converter unit including a plurality of interleaving converters, and a controller to control the converter unit, wherein the controller changes switching periods of the interleaving converters and changes phase differences between the interleaving converters during operation sections of the interleaving converters, in response to a change of the switching periods of the interleaving converters. Consequently, it is possible to prevent instantaneous reduction of output power due to change of switching frequencies of the interleaving converters.

Claims (45)

1. A power conversion apparatus comprising:

a converter unit to convert a direct current (DC) voltage from a solar cell module, the converter unit comprising a plurality of interleaving converters;

an input voltage detection unit to detect a voltage input to the converter unit;

an input current detection unit to detect a current input to the converter unit;

a DC end voltage detection unit to detect a voltage output from the converter unit; and

a controller to control the converter unit,

wherein the controller changes switching periods of the interleaving converters and changes phase differences between the interleaving converters during operation sections of the interleaving converters, in response to a change of the switching periods of the interleaving converters, and

wherein, when the switching periods of the interleaving converters are increased, the controller increases an overlapping region between the operation sections of the interleaving converters.

2. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the switching periods of the interleaving converters are increased, the controller changes the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, such that the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, are less than the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, before the increase of the switching periods of the interleaving converters.

3. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller changes the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, such that the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters are sequentially approximate to a reference phase difference after the change of the switching periods of the interleaving converters.

4. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a capacitor to store the voltage output from the converter unit;

an inverter unit to output an alternating current (AC) voltage using the voltage stored in the capacitor; and

a filter unit to filter the AC voltage from the inverter unit and to output the filtered AC voltage,

wherein the controller controls the converter unit and the inverter unit.

5. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one bypass diode to receive the DC voltage from the solar cell module,

wherein the converter unit power-converts the DC voltage from the bypass diode, and

the power conversion apparatus is provided in a junction box attached to a rear surface of the solar cell module.

6. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one bypass diode to receive the DC voltage from the solar cell module,

wherein the converter unit power-converts the DC voltage from the bypass diode to output a pseudo DC voltage.

7. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the interleaving converters comprises a tap inductor converter.

8. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the interleaving converters comprises a flyback converter.

9. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the converter unit comprises at least three interleaving converters.

10. A photovoltaic module comprising:

a solar cell module comprising a plurality of solar cells; and

a junction box attached to a rear surface of the solar cell module, the junction box comprising a power conversion module to power-convert a direct current (DC) voltage supplied from the solar cell module and to output the power-converted DC voltage,

wherein the power conversion module comprises:

at least one bypass diode to receive the DC voltage from the solar cell module;

a converter unit to convert the DC voltage from the bypass diode, the converter unit comprising a plurality of interleaving converters;

an input voltage detection unit to detect a voltage input to the converter unit;

an input current detection unit to detect a current input to the converter unit;

a DC end voltage detection unit to detect a voltage output from the converter unit; and

a controller to control the converter unit, wherein the controller changes switching periods of the interleaving converters and changes phase differences between the interleaving converters during operation sections of the interleaving converters, in response to a change of the switching periods of the interleaving converters, and

wherein, when the switching periods of the interleaving converters are increased, the controller increases an overlapping region between the operation sections of the interleaving converters.

11. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein, when the switching periods of the interleaving converters are increased, the controller changes the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, such that the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters are less than the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters before the increase of the switching periods of the interleaving converters.

12. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein the controller changes the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters, such that the phase differences between the interleaving converters during the operation sections of the interleaving converters are sequentially approximate to a reference phase difference after the change of the switching periods of the interleaving converters.

13. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein the power conversion module further comprises:

a capacitor to store the voltage output from the converter unit;

an inverter unit to output an alternating current (AC) voltage using the voltage stored in the capacitor; and

a filter unit to filter the AC voltage from the inverter unit and to output the filtered AC voltage,

wherein the controller controls the converter unit and the inverter unit.

14. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein the converter unit power-converts the DC voltage from the bypass diode to output a pseudo DC voltage.

15. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein each of the interleaving converters comprises a tap inductor converter.

16. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10 , wherein each of the interleaving converters comprises a flyback converter.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2024
From: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
To: JINGAO SOLAR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067330/0415 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 30, 2023
From: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
To: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
Reel/Frame 065725/0706 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061571/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2017
From: KANG, YOUNJONG; KIM, MYOUNGHWAN; HAM, MYUNGSOO; JUNG, KYUNGSOO
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 041320/0480 →