Enphase Energy, Inc.

Eaton Industries Company

Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Michael John Harrison

Martin Fornage

Donald Richard Zimmanck

Huaqiang Li

Yakov Lvovich Familiant

Christopher Rowe

Patrick L Chapman

Luis R Pereira

Tony Olivo

Erik Weyker

Tomasz Kotula

Christiaan Johannes Van Antwerpen

Tony Joseph Olivo

A switched-mode neutral forming device is provided herein and comprises one or more windings coupled to (i) a plurality of line terminals via a plurality of switches and (ii) a neutral terminal, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is a native four quadrant bi-directional switch and a controller, coupled to the plurality of switches, for driving the switches at a frequency orders or magnitude greater than an AC mains frequency.

Gallium nitride bi-directional high electron mobility transistor in switched-mode neutral forming device applications

A method and apparatus for converting power comprising an input bridge having an input adapted for coupling to a DC source, a piezoelectric transformer having an input coupled to an output of the input bridge, and an output bridge having an input coupled to an output of the piezoelectric transformer and an output adapted to couple to a load. A trajectory controller, coupled to the input bridge and output bridge, (1) measures current and voltage in the input bridge, the output bridge or both, (2) measures a current into or out of the piezoelectric transformer, (3) determines switch timing for control signals for the input bridge and output bridge based upon the measured current and/or voltage, and (4) applies the control signals to the input bridge and output bridge.

Piezoelectric power converter with trajectory control

A microinverter is provided herein and comprises DC side MOSFETs connected to an input side of the microinverter, AC side MOSFETs connected to an output of the microinverter, and a plurality of gate drivers connected to the AC side MOSFETs and configured to automatically drive the microinverter without a DC voltage being applied to the input side of the microinverter.

Bootstrap start-up circuit for microinverter

Methods and apparatus which use a microinverter comprising integrated neutral forming function for off-grid facilities are provided herein. For example, a microinverter configured for use with an AC storage system comprises switching circuitry connected at an AC output of the microinverter, a three-line connector connected at the AC output and comprising a neutral line connected between two lines configured to connect to at least one of a single phase grid system or a split phase grid system, wherein the neutral line is connected to the microinverter at a point that maintains a mid-way voltage between the two lines voltage.

Microinverter for use with storage system

Methods and apparatus for active EMI cancellation in a switch mode power supply are provided herein. For example, an apparatus comprises an active EMI cancellation circuit coupled to a switch mode power supply circuit comprising an isolation transformer, wherein the active EMI cancellation circuit is positioned such that current flow through an EMI coupling capacitor substantially matches displacement current flow through a primary-to-secondary interwinding capacitance of the isolation transformer.

Active electromagnetic interference cancellation circuits

A switched mode power converter is provided herein and comprises a cycloconverter comprising a plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is a native four quadrant bi-directional switch with a common drift region configured to allow current flow in a first direction from a first source terminal to second source terminal and in a second direction from the second source terminal to the first direction.

Gallium nitride bi-directional high electron mobility transistor in switched mode power converter applications

A resonant parallel triple active bridge converter comprising a DC port configured to receive DC energy, an AC port configured to produce AC energy, and an AC line cycle energy storage port, coupled to both the DC port and the AC port, where the AC line cycle energy storage port comprises an energy storage device for storing energy during an energy conversion process.

Resonant parallel triple active bridge converter

A microinverter inverter is provided and comprises an output comprising a four-way connector comprising three power input/output connecters and a voltage monitoring and power line communications connector. The output is configured to connect to an AC cable comprising a rotatable four-way connector comprising three phase wires and a neutral wire which allows the microinverter to operate in at least one of a three-phase grid-tied mode of operation, a three-phase off-grid neutral-forming mode of operation, a two-phase grid-tied mode of operation, a two-phase off-grid neutral-forming mode of operation, or a split-phase and single-phase grid tied and off-grid neutral-forming mode of operation when the microinverter is connected to the AC cable.

Microinverter for use with renewable energy system

Methods and apparatus for producing helix windings used for a transformer are provided. For example, apparatus comprise an electrically conductive mandrel comprising an elongated body, a head comprising an eyelet detail, and a winding structure disposed along the elongated body.

Transformer helix winding production

Apparatus for performing substrate voltage management is provided herein and comprises an active substrate voltage management circuit configured to be coupled to a substrate of a bidirectional gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor comprising a first source and a second source. The active substrate voltage management circuit comprises a first circuit that is connected to the first source and a second circuit that is connected to a second source such that when the bidirectional gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor is operational one of the first circuit or the second circuit connects one of the first source to the substrate or the second source to the substrate, respectively, to control a bias voltage applied to the substrate.

Gallium nitride bi-directional high electron mobility transistor substrate voltage management circuit

Apparatus and method for controlling reactive power. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a bidirectional power converter comprising a switched mode cycloconverter for generating AC power having a desired amount of a reactive power component.

Apparatus and method for reactive power control

A method and apparatus for power converter current control. In one embodiment, the method comprises controlling an instantaneous current generated by a power converter that is part of an AC battery such that the power converter appears, from the perspective of an AC line coupled to the power converter, as a virtual AC voltage source in series with a virtual impedance, wherein real and reactive phasor currents for the power converter are indirectly controlled by modifying amplitude and phase of a virtual AC voltage waveform that defines the virtual AC voltage source.

Method and apparatus for increased energy harvest in a microgrid

A method and apparatus for voltage clamping including: measuring a DC voltage across the PV module at an input of a power converter, comparing the measured DC voltage to the overvoltage threshold, determining the measured DC voltage exceeds the overvoltage threshold, and operating a clamping circuit to clamp at least a portion of the DC voltage prior to input to the power converter.

Growing community of inventors

Petaluma, CA, United States of America

Michael John Harrison