Patent ID: 8508074
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: H01L,H02J,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A solar power system for optimizing solar power conversion, comprising: a set of n solar power units connected in series, wherein each of the n solar power units generates a DC photovoltaic current and produces a DC photovoltaic voltage; a set of n-1 DC-DC converting units, each of the n-1 DC-DC converting units is coupled to at least one of the n solar power units, and wherein each of the n-1 DC-DC converting units is configured to control the correspondingly connected solar power units to operate at a target current generation; a DC-AC inverting unit for inverting a cumulative DC photovoltaic voltage of the n produced photovoltaic voltages to an AC power signal for distribution to one or more AC loads, wherein the DC-AC inverting unit is configured to control operation of any one of the n solar power units, which is not coupled to one of the n-1 DC-DC converting units; and a controlling unit coupled to the n-1 DC-DC converting units and to the DC-AC inverting unit, wherein the controlling unit monitors and compares the n currents generated by the n solar power units, wherein based on the current comparison the controlling unit determines a series current and controls the n solar power units, via the n-1 DC-DC converting units and the DC-AC inverting unit, so that each of the generated photovoltaic currents is substantially equal to the determined series current, and wherein when the controlling unit determines that one of the n-1 solar power units, coupled to one of the n-1 DC-DC converting units, generates a photovoltaic current that is less than a predetermined current threshold percentage of the determined series current, the controlling unit causes the correspondingly coupled DC-DC converting unit to operate as a current bypass unit.