IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,734,944
Granted Patent B2
US 10,734,944 · App. 16/014,181 · Granted Aug 4, 2020

Inverter having grid disconnection point and insulation resistance measurement and method for measuring an insulation resistance

Inventors: Jens Friebe (Vellmar, DE); Burkard Mueller (Kassel, DE); Martin Putz (Kassel, DE)
Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
H02S50/10G01R27/025G01R27/18G01R31/42G01R31/44G01R31/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,734,944
App. No.
16/014,181
Granted
Aug 4, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An inverter including a circuit arrangement configured to measure an insulation resistance is disclosed. The inverter includes at least one half-bridge including at least two switching elements extending between respective end points, and a grid disconnection point comprising a series circuit comprised of two disconnection devices. The series circuit is arranged between a center point of the half-bridge and an AC voltage terminal of the inverter, which AC voltage terminal is configured to connect to a phase conductor or a neutral conductor of an AC voltage grid. The circuit arrangement includes a resistor and a voltage measurement apparatus. The resistor is arranged electrically in parallel with one of the disconnection devices and the voltage measurement apparatus is arranged electrically between the output-side terminal of the resistor and one of the end points of the half-bridge.

Claims (17)

1. An inverter comprising a circuit arrangement configured to measure an insulation resistance, wherein the inverter comprises:

at least one half-bridge comprising at least two switching elements extending between respective end points; and

a grid disconnection point comprising a series circuit comprised of two disconnection devices,

wherein the series circuit is arranged between a center point of the half-bridge and an AC voltage terminal of the inverter, which AC voltage terminal is configured to connect to a phase conductor or a neutral conductor of an AC voltage grid, and

wherein the circuit arrangement comprises a resistor and a voltage measurement apparatus, and wherein the resistor is arranged electrically in parallel with one of the disconnection devices and the voltage measurement apparatus is arranged electrically between the output-side terminal of the resistor and one of the end points of the half-bridge.

2. The inverter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the disconnection devices comprise relays.

3. The inverter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resistor is arranged in parallel with a first disconnection device or in parallel with a second disconnection device of the series circuit between the center point of the half-bridge and the AC voltage terminal.

4. The inverter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the voltage measurement apparatus is arranged between the output-side terminal of the resistor and the end point of the half-bridge associated with a positive terminal of a DC link circuit or the end point of the half-bridge associated with a negative terminal of the DC link circuit.

5. The inverter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inverter is configured to feed electrical power from an energy source that is configured to connect to the end points of the half-bridge into an AC voltage grid that is configured to connect to the AC voltage terminal of the inverter.

6. A method for identifying an insulation resistance of an inverter comprising at least one half-bridge, which comprises at least two switching elements,

a DC link circuit arranged in parallel with the half-bridge and comprising a first and a second pole at first and second end points, respectively, a grid disconnection point, which comprises a series circuit composed of two disconnection devices, wherein the series circuit is arranged between a center point of the half-bridge and an AC voltage terminal of the inverter, which AC voltage terminal is configured to connect to a phase conductor or a neutral conductor of an AC voltage grid, and a circuit arrangement configured to identify an insulation resistance, which circuit arrangement comprises a resistor arranged electrically in parallel with one of the disconnection devices, the method comprising:

switching a one of the disconnection devices that is in parallel with the resistor to a non-conducting state, and an other of the disconnection devices to a conducting state;

measuring a first voltage value of a voltage dropped between an output-side terminal of the resistor and the first pole of the DC link circuit while the first pole of the DC link circuit is connected to the AC voltage terminal;

measuring a second voltage value of the voltage dropped between the output-side terminal of the resistor and the first pole of the DC link circuit while the second pole of the DC link circuit is connected to the AC voltage terminal; and

identifying the insulation resistance depending on the measured voltage values.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first pole and the second pole of the DC link circuit are each connected to the AC voltage terminal by virtue of a first and a second of the switching elements of the half-bridge being switched to a conducting state, respectively.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first pole and the second pole of the DC link circuit are connected to the AC voltage terminal in alternating fashion at a frequency below the grid frequency by at least a factor of 10, thereby filtering out grid-frequency components during the measurement of the first and the second voltage value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2018
From: FRIEBE, JENS; MUELLER, BURKARD; PUTZ, MARTIN
To: SMA SOLAR TECHNOLOGY AG
Reel/Frame 046162/0260 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2015 122 636 · Dec 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2016081568 · Dec 16, 2016
Related Publication 20180302030A1 · Oct 18, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,382,520