Morningstar Corporation

Stephen Dubovsky

William Mellema

A maximum power point tracking charge controller for photovoltaic systems includes a buck converter for receiving the maximum power voltage from a PV array as input and for supplying voltage output to charge a battery bank while converting the voltage input to a voltage output that matches the voltage required by the battery bank for charging. The buck converter includes an inductor, a first switch, and a second switch comprised of a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET connected in series with a parallel diode, wherein the configuration of the second MOSFET is reversed from the configuration of the first MOSFET.

Photovoltaic system charge controller having buck converter with reversed MOSFETS

A maximum power point tracking charge controller for photovoltaic systems tracks the maximum power point voltage of a PV array, and employs a coupled inductor multi-phase buck converter for converting the maximum power voltage to the voltage required to charge one or more batteries. The phase configurations are phase shifted from one another. One of the phase configurations is intentionally temporarily shut down when the output power is low. A first switch or a second switch of the phase configuration that is shut down is turned on to conduct electrical current when predetermined conditions are satisfied. A method of controlling battery charging in a photovoltaic system involves operating a coupled inductor multi-phase buck converter so that one of the phase configurations is intentionally temporarily shut down when the power output is below a predetermined value.

Maximum power point tracking charge controller with coupled inductor multi-phase converter

A grid-connected power system includes a primary power source, a back-up power source, a DC/AC inverter and a DC/DC converter. Direct current from the primary power source is supplied to the DC/AC inverter to obtain an alternating current output supplied to a utility grid when power from the utility grid is available to power a load. The output of the inverter is supplied to a selected portion of the load when power from the utility grid is unavailable to the load. Direct current from the back-up power source is supplied to the inverter through a DC/DC converter when power from the utility grid is unavailable to the load. The DC/DC converter converts the voltage of direct current from the back-up power source to direct current having a voltage compatible with the voltage of the primary power source and the inverter. The back-up power source may be charged by the primary power source or by the utility grid. Methods of providing back-up power include converting the voltage of direct current from a back-up power source to direct current of converted voltage and supplying the direct current of converted voltage to a DC/AC inverter.

Grid-connected power systems having back-up power sources and methods of providing back-up power in grid-connected power systems

A spring spacer assembly maintains thermal contact between a thermal transfer surface of a heat sink and a heat-generating electrical component mounted on a printed circuit board between the printed circuit board and the thermal transfer surface. The spring spacer assembly comprises a face defining a fixation segment and a deflectible finger extending from the fixation segment, and a fixation element for securing the face to the heat sink. A spacer extends from the fixation segment for passage through the printed circuit board into abutment with the thermal transfer surface. A protrusion extends from the finger for passage through the printed circuit board into contact with the heat-generating electrical component. The finger is biased toward the thermal transfer surface and urges the heat-generating electrical component into thermal contact with the thermal transfer surface. The fixation element secures the face to the heat sink with the spacer secured in abutment with the thermal transfer surface. The spring spacer assembly is assembled with a printed circuit board and a heat sink to form a thermally protected electrical component system.

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Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Stephen Dubovsky