IP Library Granted Patent US 11,962,144
Granted Patent B2
US 11,962,144 · App. 17/958,847 · Granted Apr 16, 2024

System and method for a photovoltaic system programmable dynamic circuit breaker

Inventor: John Bradford Janik (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Electronic Power Design, Inc.
H02H7/20H01L31/0547H01L31/055H02H1/0007H02H1/0092H02S40/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,962,144
App. No.
17/958,847
Granted
Apr 16, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photovoltaic array of photovoltaic solar cells; a smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker for electrically providing a pulsed 100 microseconds duration short circuit to the photovoltaic array electrical outputs, wherein a response time for the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker is more than 1 millisecond when responding to a short circuit; a computer program comprising instructions that when executed by the processor perform functions that control the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker, the computer program comprising: instructions to command the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker to initiate the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; instructions to measure a current magnitude and current rise time of the smart photovoltaic system outputs during the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; and instructions to select a behavior curve from a plurality of smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker behavior curves 10% above the current magnitude and current rise time during the pulsed short circuit.

Claims (18)

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

a computer program containing instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program further comprising,

instructions to command a smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker to initiate a 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit on electrical outputs of a smart photovoltaic system;

instructions to measure a current magnitude and current rise time of the smart photovoltaic system that outputs during the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; and

instructions to select a behavior curve from a plurality of smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker behavior curves 10% above the current magnitude and current rise time during the pulsed short circuit, that most closely matches the measured magnitude and current rise time of the photovoltaic system during the pulsed short circuit.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the photo reactive back plane is reflective so that sunlight that passes by the photovoltaic array is reflected back onto the photovoltaic cells for generating additional voltage from the photovoltaic array.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the photo reactive back plane is phosphorescent so that sunlight that passed by the photovoltaic array generates additional light back onto the photovoltaic cells for generating additional voltage from the photovoltaic array.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the pulsed short circuit duration is 100 microseconds and a minimum reaction time the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker is 500 microseconds so that the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker cannot react to the pulsed short circuit duration.

5. A system, the system comprising:

a smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker for electrically providing a pulsed 100 microseconds duration short circuit to a set of photovoltaic system electrical outputs,

wherein a response time for the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker is more than 1 millisecond when responding to a short circuit; and

a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium containing a computer program comprising instructions that when executed by the processor perform functions that control the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker, the computer program comprising:

instructions to command the smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker to initiate the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit on electrical outputs of the smart photovoltaic system;

instructions to measure a current magnitude and current rise time of the smart photovoltaic system outputs during the 100 microsecond pulsed short circuit; and

instructions to select a behavior curve from a plurality of smart dynamic programmable circuit breaker behavior curves 10% above the current magnitude and current rise time during the pulsed short circuit, that most closely matches the measured magnitude and current rise time of the photovoltaic system during the pulsed short circuit.

6. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a photo reactive back plane, wherein photovoltaic solar cells are mounted onto the photo reactive back plane, wherein the photo reactive back plane is reflective so that sunlight that passes by the photovoltaic array is reflected back onto the photovoltaic cells for generating additional voltage from the photovoltaic array.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the photo reactive back plane is phosphorescent so that sunlight that passed by the photovoltaic array generates additional light back onto the photovoltaic cells for generating additional voltage from the photovoltaic array.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: ELECTRONIC POWER DESIGN, INC.
To: CADENCE BANK
Reel/Frame 072435/0850 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2023
From: JANIK, JOHN BRADFORD
To: ELECTRONIC POWER DESIGN, IN
Reel/Frame 064193/0541 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17156795 · Jan 25, 2021
Provisional Application 62964765 · Jan 23, 2020
Related Publication 20230163589A1 · May 25, 2023