General Electric Company

Charles S Korman

Neil A Johnson

Bantval J Baliga

Raymond Albert Fillion

Waseem A Roshen

Krishna Shenai

Donald Michael Doherty

Robert Louis Steigerwald

Wolfgang Daum

Richard Alfred Beaupre

Philip Michael Cioffi

Maja Harfman Todorovic

Michael Scott Herzog

Robert J Wojnarowski

Paul Alan McConnelee

Ahmed Elasser

Sayed-Amr A El-Hamamsy

Eladio Clemente Delgado

Hsueh-Rong Chang

Mustansir Hussainy Kheraluwala

Patricia A Piacente

Burhan Ozmat

Anil Raj Duggal

Michael Andrew De Rooij

Kenneth Gordon Herd

James William Bray

Steven Marc Gasworth

William Hullinger Huber

William Edward Burdick, Jr

Bernard Gorowitz

Constantine A Neugebauer

Alexander J Yerman

Eric J Wildi

Manjin J Kim

David A Bates

William Hull Bicknell

James F Burgess

Khai D Ngo

Tat-Sing P Chow

Clive W Reed

John P Walden

John Andrew Mallick

Israel S Jacobs

Antonio A Mogro-Campero

Donald Seton Farquhar

Michael W DeVre

Barry Scott Whitmore

Guanzhong Gao

Sriram Ramakrishnan

Jian Mi

Constantine A Neugebauer, Deceased

Albert Andreas Maria Esser

Ali Esat Iz

A micro-inverter assembly for use in a photovoltaic system includes a housing, a direct current (DC)-to-alternating current (AC) micro-inverter disposed within the housing, and a DC connector electrically coupled to the DC-to-AC micro-inverter. The DC connector is positioned within a recess formed in a bottom surface of the housing such that at least one electrical contact of the DC connector is accessible from outside the housing. According to alternative embodiments, the DC connector comprises a plug-and-play connector constructed for one of a rotational engagement and a translational engagement with a DC connector of a photovoltaic (PV) panel.

Micro-inverter assembly for use in a photovoltaic system and method of making same

An alternating current (AC) harness for a photovoltaic (PV) system includes a wire assembly having a first end and a second end, the wire assembly having a plurality of lead wires, and at least one AC connection module positioned at a location along a length of the wire assembly between the first end and the second end. Further, the at least one AC connection module includes a first connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a first PV module of the PV system. The at least one AC connection module also includes a second connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a second PV module of the PV system.

Photovoltaic system with improved AC connections and method of making same

A micro-inverter assembly includes a housing having an opening formed in a bottom surface thereof, and a direct current (DC)-to-alternating current (AC) micro-inverter disposed within the housing at a position adjacent to the opening. The micro-inverter assembly further includes a micro-inverter DC connector electrically coupled to the DC-to-AC micro-inverter and positioned within the opening of the housing, the micro-inverter DC connector having a plurality of exposed electrical contacts.

Photovoltaic system with improved DC connections and method of making same

An integral solar module power conditioning system includes one or more solar module support frames. Each frame includes a plurality of plug-and-play electrical connectors integrated therewith. A microinverter or microinverter connector is also integrated with each frame. Each frame is configured to receive a respective solar electric module and to carry electrical power through a plurality of solar electric modules and corresponding microinverters connected together via a plurality of solar module support frames connected together via the plurality of integrated plug-and-play electrical connectors.

Integral module power conditioning system

An assembly is provided and includes at least one solar cell comprising a photovoltaic element having an upper surface for receiving and absorbing radiation, a lower surface for coupling to an article, a first end and a second end. The solar cell further includes at least one magnet attached to the first end of the photovoltaic element. The assembly further includes an article comprising a substrate, and a magnetic film disposed on the substrate and defining at least one receptor site. Each solar cell is disposed at a respective receptor site.

Solar cell and magnetically self-assembled solar cell assembly

A photovoltaic framed module array apparatus for mounting a first framed photovoltaic (PV) module and a second framed PV module is provided. The photovoltaic framed module array apparatus comprises a first rail. The first rail includes an insert slot for accommodating an insert edge of the first framed PV module, and a capture slot for accommodating a capture edge of the second framed PV module. The capture slot is positioned substantively parallel to the insert slot.

Photovoltaic framed module array mount utilizing asymmetric rail

A photovoltaic (PV) ac-module grounding system includes a plurality of PV dc-voltage modules. Each PV dc-voltage module is integrated with a corresponding dc-ac micro-inverter to provide a corresponding PV ac-voltage module. Each PV ac-voltage module includes an ac-voltage plug and play connector that includes a dc ground conductor. Each dc-ac micro-inverter is internally electrically connected to its own chassis ground or metal enclosure which in turn is electrically connected to a corresponding dc ground conductor. A dc ground path is carried through an ac power bus from ac-voltage module to ac-voltage module through the plug and play connectors via the dc ground conductors.

Integral ac module grounding system

A photovoltaic roofing system and a method of installing the photovoltaic ridge cap structure have been provided. The photovoltaic roofing system includes a ridge cap adapted to cover a ridge of a roof structure. The system also includes at least one photovoltaic cell disposed within the ridge cap. The method of installing a photovoltaic ridge cap structure includes mounting the ridge cap over multiple photovoltaic cells along a ridge of a roof structure. The method further includes routing electrical leads from each photovoltaic cell through one or more openings along the ridge of the roof structure.

Photovoltaic roof ridge cap and installation method

The solar cell comprises a front side comprising a first doped layer, a backside comprising formations defining channels therebetween, the backside further comprising a second doped layer situated on at least some of the surfaces of the channels facing the front side, and an electrically conductive layer situated on at least some surfaces of the channels facing the front side. The first and second doped layers comprise opposite polarity types.

Solar cell including cooling channels and method for fabrication

A semiconductor chip packaging structure is fabricated by using a dielectric film with two surfaces, and a power semiconductor chip with an active surface having contact pads. An adhesive layer is used to connect the first surface of the dielectric film and the active surface of the power semiconductor chip. A patterned electrically conductive layer is formed adjacent to the second surface of the film, extending through holes in the film to the contact pads.

Power semiconductor packaging method and structure

A structural building component for a residential or light commercial building includes a PV laminate and a plastic frame disposed at least around the PV laminate. The plastic frame includes a first electrical connector for communication with the PV laminate and receptive to electrical connection with a contiguous PV laminate. The first electrical connector is configured to facilitate electrical and mechanical connection with the contiguous PV laminate and the frame includes a means for facilitating attachment to the building structure.

Photovoltaic integrated building component

A semiconductor chip packaging structure comprising a dielectric film having one or more through holes aligned with the one or more contact pads of at least one power semiconductor chip. A patterned electrically conductive layer adjacent to the dielectric film has one or more electrically conductive posts which extend through the one or more though holes aligned with the contact pads to electrically couple the conductive layer to the contact pads. In certain embodiments, one or more air gaps may be formed between the dielectric film and the active surface of the at least one power semiconductor chip. Methods for fabricating the semiconductor chip packaging structure are also disclosed.

A monitoring system includes at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor. The PD sensor is configured to monitor a component of an aircraft wiring system and to acquire a monitoring signal. A method embodiment for monitoring an aircraft wiring system includes acquiring a number of monitoring signals for a number of components of the aircraft wiring system using a number of partial discharge PD sensors. The method further includes conveying the monitoring signals from at least one of the PD sensors to a data acquisition system.

Monitoring system and method for wiring systems

A method of power electronic packaging includes a practicable and reliable method of fabricating power circuit modules and associated connections that are compatible with the standard top layer metalization of commercially available power devices. A planar single- or multi-layer membrane structure is attached to a carrier frame, and a via pattern is formed in the membrane. Power devices are aligned and attached to the planar membrane structure; a top layer interconnect structure is formed by metalizing the vias and the film; and a circuit is formed by patterning a deposited metal layer. The carrier frame is removed, and upper and lower thermal base plate sub-assemblies are attached to the power device-on-membrane structure. The planar device-on-membrane structure accommodates different types of power devices having variations in thickness. The thermal base plate sub-assemblies may include integral, high-performance heat exchangers for providing a low thermal resistance path to the ambient.

Power electronic module packaging

A power semiconductor device package includes at least one power semiconductor device mounted onto at least one electrically and thermally conductive spacer having an upper end surface bonded to a back surface of the device; a substrate of hardened substrate molding material surrounding the semiconductor device and the spacer except for an active major surface of the device and an lower end surface of the spacer, a dielectric film overlying the device active major surface and a top side of the substrate, the dielectric layer having a plurality of holes aligned with predetermined ones of the contact pads; a top side patterned metal layer on the dielectric film including portions extending into the holes electrically and thermally connected to contact pads of the device; and a backside metal layer on a substrate bottom side electrically and thermally connected to the spacer lower end surface. Optional through-post structures can be employed to bring all electrical connections either to the top side of the device package or the bottom side. Optional heat sinks can be mounted to the top side, the bottom side, or both sides.

Power overlay chip scale packages for discrete power devices

Growing community of inventors

Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Charles S Korman