IP Library Granted Patent US 10,536,001
Granted Patent B2
US 10,536,001 · App. 15/349,158 · Granted Jan 14, 2020

Photovoltaic system

Inventors: Yuji Matsuoka (Tokyo, JP); Tatsuaki Ambo (Tokyo, JP); Naoki Fujiwara (Tokyo, JP); Paul Bixel (Salem, VA); Ryuta Saka (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
H02J3/383H02J3/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,536,001
App. No.
15/349,158
Granted
Jan 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photovoltaic system includes photovoltaic cells, inverters, a reduced electricity output state determiner which determines whether each of the photovoltaic cells is in a reduced electricity output state, a first command value generator which generates a first command value for decreasing a first power factor of a first inverter determined as in the reduced electricity output state, a second command value generator which generates a second command value for increasing a second power factor of at least one of second inverters so as to compensate for output power of the first inverter, and a controller which controls the inverters.

Claims (39)

1. A photovoltaic system comprising:

photovoltaic cells capable of outputting different direct current (DC) power at the same time, respectively;

inverters corresponding to the photovoltaic cells, respectively;

a reduced electricity output state determiner which determines whether each of the photovoltaic cells corresponding to the inverters is in a reduced electricity output state where an electricity output is less than a predetermined standard;

a first command value generator which generates a first command value for decreasing a first power factor of a first inverter determined as in the reduced electricity output state by the reduced electricity output state determiner;

a second command value generator which generates a second command value for increasing a second power factor of at least one of second inverters so as to compensate for output power of the first inverter controlled based on the first command value generated by the first command value generator, the second inverters being not determined as in the reduced electricity output state by the reduced electricity output state determiner; and

a controller which controls the inverters based on the first command value generated by the first command value generator and the second command value generated by the second command value generator,

wherein,

the first command value generator generates the first command value which causes the first inverter to decrease the first power factor to maintain an electricity output which the first inverter is able to output at the moment, and

the second command value generator generates the second command value which causes the at least one of second inverters to increase the second power factor to maintain an electricity output which the at least one of second inverters is able to output.

2. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 , wherein

the controller controls the inverters with the same power factor when none of the inverters is determined as in the reduced electricity output state by the reduced electricity output state determiner.

3. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 , wherein

the second command value generator generates the second command values for increasing the second power factors of all of the second inverters which are not determined as in the reduced electricity output state.

4. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 , wherein

the second command value generator increases a third power factor which is one of the second power factors of the second inverters which are not determined as in the reduced electricity output state, and

when the increase in the third power factor is not enough to compensate for the output power of the first inverter, the second command value generator generates the second command value for increasing a fourth power factor other than the third power factor out of the second power factors.

5. The photovoltaic system of claim 1 , wherein:

the reduced electricity output state determiner determines the reduced electricity output state based on active power which the inverters output, respectively.

6. A controller of a photovoltaic system, the photovoltaic system including photovoltaic cells capable of outputting different DC power at the same time, respectively, and inverters corresponding to the photovoltaic cells, respectively, the controller comprising:

a reduced electricity output state determiner which determines whether each of the photovoltaic cells corresponding to the inverters, respectively, is in a reduced electricity output state where an electricity output is less than a predetermined standard;

a first command value generator which generates a first command value for decreasing a first power factor of a first inverter determined as in the reduced electricity output state by the reduced electricity output state determiner; and

a second command value generator which generates a second command value for increasing a second power factor of at least one of second inverters so as to compensate for output power of the first inverter controlled based on the first command value generated by the first command value generator, the second inverters being not determined as in the reduced electricity output state by the reduced electricity output state determination unit;

wherein,

the inverters are controlled based on the first command value generated by the first command value generator and the second command value generated by the second command value generator,

the first command value generator generates the first command value which causes the first inverter to decrease the first power factor to maintain an electricity output which the first inverter is able to output at the moment, and

the second command value generator generates the second command value which causes the at least one of second inverters to increase the second power factor to maintain an electricity output which the at least one of second inverters is able to output.

7. The controller of claim 6 , wherein:

the reduced electricity output state determiner determines the reduced electricity output state based on active power which the inverters output, respectively.

8. A control method of a photovoltaic system, the photovoltaic system including photovoltaic capable of outputting different DC power at the same time, respectively, and inverters corresponding to the photovoltaic cells, respectively, the method comprising:

determining whether each of the photovoltaic cells corresponding to the inverters, respectively, is in a reduced electricity output state where an electricity output is less than a predetermined standard;

generating a first command value for decreasing a first power factor of a first inverter determined as in the reduced electricity output state;

generating a second command value for increasing a second power factor of at least one of second inverters so as to compensate for output power of the first inverter controlled based on the first command value, the second inverters being not determined as in the reduced electricity output state; and

controlling the inverters based on the first command value and the second command value,

wherein,

the first command value generator generates the first command value which causes the first inverter to decrease the first power factor to maintain an electricity output which the first inverter is able to output at the moment, and

the second command value generator generates the second command value which causes the at least one of second inverters to increase the second power factor to maintain an electricity output which the at least one of second inverters is able to output.

9. The control method of claim 8 , wherein:

determining the reduced electricity output state is based on active power which the inverters output, respectively.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 26, 2024
From: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: TMEIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067244/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: MATSUOKA, YUJI; AMBO, TATSUAKI; FUJIWARA, NAOKI; BIXEL, PAUL; SAKA, RYUTA
To: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045514/0215 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180138713A1 · May 17, 2018