Nextracker Inc.

Chewie Labs LLC

Chen Li

Yang Liu

Jonathan Kenzo Kamei

Sandeep Sanjiva Lele

Mohammad Salmaan Khan

Matthew Lee Rogers

Adam Duckworth Mittleman

Alexander W Au

Pinida Jan Moolsintong

Harry E Tannenbaum

Jaideep Singh Chavan

Geoffrey Becker Hill

Kelly Joan Veit

Tom Ayotte

Ismail Uluturk

Karthik Kumsi Vadiraja

Nikhil Ramish

Mohammed Salmaan Khan

Embodiments disclosed herein provide an organic matter processing apparatus and method for the use thereof to convert organic matter into a ground and desiccated product. This can be accomplished using a bucket assembly that can grind, paddle, and heat organic matter contained therein. An air treatment system is provided to treat the air interacting with the organic matter. The processing apparatus is outfitted with sensors and switches that provide feedback data to a processing unit and a safety monitor. The feedback data is used to monitor the operating conditions and the status of various components, as well as control the operation of the processing apparatus. In addition, the feedback data is used to enforce a safety protocol.

Integrating intelligent sensing and safety assurance into organic matter processing apparatus

Systems and methods for managing flow batteries utilize a battery management controller (BMC) coupled between a flow battery and a DC/DC converter, which is coupled to an electrical grid or a photovoltaic device via an inverter. The inverter converts an AC voltage to a first DC voltage and the DC/DC converter steps down the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage. The BMC includes a first power route, a second power route, and a current source converter coupled to the second power route. The BMC initializes the flow battery with a third DC voltage using the current source converter until a sensing circuit senses that the voltage of the flow battery has reached a predetermined voltage. The sensing circuit may include a capacitor, which has a small capacitance and is coupled across each cell of the flow battery, coupled in series between two resistors having very large resistances.

Battery management architectures for flow batteries

A solar tracker system including a tracker apparatus including a plurality of solar modules, each of the solar modules being spatially configured to face in a normal manner in an on sun position in an incident direction of electromagnetic radiation derived from the sun, wherein the solar modules include a plurality of PV strings, and a tracker controller. The tracker controller includes a processor, a memory, a power supply configured to provide power to the tracker controller, a plurality of power inputs configured to receive a plurality of currents from the plurality of PV strings, a current sensing unit configured to individually monitor the plurality of currents, a DC-DC power converter configured to receive the plurality of power inputs powered from the plurality of PV strings to supply power to the power supply, and a motor controller, wherein the tracker controller is configured to track the sun position.

Methods and systems for detecting shading for solar trackers

A multi-power source system including a first power source, a second power source in a parallel with the first power source, and a diode preventing power from the second power source to drive the first power source, but permitting the first power source to charge the second power source. The system also includes a controller operably coupled to both the first and second power sources, and a plurality of field effect transistor (FETs) arranged in series with one or more of the first power source, the second power source, and the load, wherein controller can switch the plurality of FETs to enable the first power source to drive the load or the second power source to drive the load.

Multi-power source systems for photovoltaic battery control

A solar tracking system includes a solar array, a support structure configured to support the solar array, a driveshaft coupled to the support structure, a base configured to rotatably support the driveshaft, and an articulation system coupled to the driveshaft and configured to articulate the driveshaft relative to the base. The articulation system includes a gearbox coupled to the driveshaft. The solar tracking system also includes a motor mechanically operably coupled to the gearbox to cause the driveshaft to rotate, and a controller that determines a fault caused by the winding up of the driveshaft, and, in response to determining the fault, shorting the windings of the motor and/or providing power, which is generated by the motor when the unwinding driveshaft drives the rotation of the motor, to a load, such as an energy storage device, a resistive load, and/or a heating element.

Systems and methods for tracker-level protection

A power converter converts a medium-voltage output from a solar module to an appropriate voltage to power a solar tracker system. The power converter includes a voltage divider having at least two legs, a first semiconductor switch subassembly coupled in parallel with a first leg of the voltage divider, and a second semiconductor switch subassembly coupled in parallel with a second leg of the voltage divider. The power converter may be a unidirectional or a bidirectional power converter. In implementations, the signals for driving the semiconductor switches of the first and second semiconductor switch subassemblies may be shifted out of phase from each other. In implementations, if the bus voltages to the semiconductor switches are not balanced, the pulse width of the driving signal of the semiconductor switch supplied with the higher bus voltage is decreased for at least one cycle.

Power converters and methods of controlling same

A multi-power source system including a first power source, a second power source in a parallel with the first power source, and a diode preventing power from the second power source to drive the first power source but permitting the first power source to charge the second power source. The system also includes a controller operably coupled to both the first and second power sources, and a plurality of field effect transistor (FETs) arranged in series with one or more of the first power source, the second power source, and the load, wherein controller can switch the plurality of FETs to enable the first power source to drive the load or the second power source to drive the load.

Multi power source systems for photovoltaic battery control

A power converter converts a medium-voltage output from a solar module to an appropriate voltage to power a solar tracker system. The power converter includes a voltage divider having at least two legs, a first semiconductor switch subassembly coupled in parallel with a first leg of the voltage divider, and a second semiconductor switch subassembly coupled in parallel with a second leg of the voltage divider. In implementations, the signals for driving the semiconductor switches of the first and second semiconductor switch subassemblies may be shifted out of phase from each other. In implementations, if the bus voltages to the semiconductor switches are not balanced, the pulse width of the driving signal of the semiconductor switch supplied with the higher bus voltage is decreased for at least one cycle.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Chen Li