Patent ID: 9722425
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: H02J,H02M,Y02B,Y02E

Claim:
1. A method of operating an inverter comprising a plurality of input connectors, wherein a plurality of strings of photovoltaic cells are configured to connect respectively to the plurality of input connectors, wherein each of the plurality of input connectors is connected to a common DC voltage link via a respective DC/DC converter, and wherein the input connectors are bridgeable, the method comprising: determining partial powers flowing through the individual DC/DC converters; and at least for some time either operating at least two of the DC/DC converters with the aim of balancing partial currents flowing through these at least two DC/DC converters, or connecting through the at least two of the DC/DC converters between the respective input connectors and the DC voltage link, wherein, while operating the at least two DC/DC converters with the aim of balancing the partial currents flowing through them or connecting through the at least two DC/DC converters, the partial powers flowing through the at least two DC/DC converters are compared to each other, and wherein, if a difference between the partial powers of a first and a second of the at least two DC/DC converters exceeds a threshold value, the first and the second of the at least two DC/DC converters are subsequently operated in a way that is adjusted due to a conclusion that different strings are connected to the DC voltage link via the first and the second of the at least two DC/DC converters.