Bentek Corporation

Douglas Eugene McCracken

John Herbert Buckley

Mitchell Schoch

Robert Joseph Hannum

Louis David Marzano

An enclosure has one or more panels produced by extruding and cut to desired length. An extruded panel of the enclosure may integrate heat sinks, threaded rod locations, and internal grooves to attach adjacent panels. Top and bottom plates may be joined to the panels by threaded rods passing from the top plate through to the bottom plate via the threaded rod locations engineered into the extrusion, enabling the panels and plates to be pulled together by turning the threaded rods. Once assembled, the enclosure may accommodate a variety of electrical equipment at time of assembly and/or at the enclosure installation site. The enclosure has applicability in electrical power distribution, for example as a combiner box in a solar power distribution system.

Enclosure

A system and method for providing a rapid disconnect safety system (RDSS) are disclosed. In a first aspect, the system comprises a rapid shutdown module (RSM) located within a predetermined distance to a photovoltaic (PV) array system and a rapid shutdown controller (RSC) coupled to the RSM, wherein the RSM is remotely located relative to the RSC. When activated, the RSC opens at least one contactor of the RSM to disconnect a PV source circuit of the PV array system. In a second aspect, the method comprises providing a rapid shutdown module (RSM) located within a predetermined distance to a PV array system, coupling a rapid shutdown controller (RSC) to the RSM wherein the RSM is remotely located relative to the RSC, activating the RSC to open at least one contactor of the RSM, and disconnecting a PV source circuit of the PV array system.

Rapid disconnect safety system for photovoltaic (PV) systems

The present invention provides for a photovoltaic system and circuit having array shedding functionality. The system and circuit, in general, have at least two photovoltaic strings, at least one inverter; and, an array shedding and harvesting functionality configured to monitor the inverter and either disconnect or connect inputs of the at least two photovoltaic strings as needed to produce power for the at least one inverter or to produce power for storage. The array shedding and harvesting functionality is preferably integrated between photovoltaic (PV) strings and the output of the inverter. Various embodiments provide for sensors integrated on each of the inputs of a power assembly combiner, current sensors used to sense current provided on each of multiple inputs from power sources (PV arrays or combiners), and direct current (DC) contactors used to control connection of power source inputs.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Douglas Eugene McCracken