Solarbridge Technologies, Inc.

Sunpower Corporation

Trishan Esram

Patrick L Chapman

Robert S Balog, Jr

Alexander Gray

Brian T Kuhn

Philip T Krein

Jonathan W Kimball

Eric Martina

Marco A Marroquin

Stephen P Wurmlinger

Thomas Paul Parker

Jeremiah Noel Foley

An apparatus and method for controlling the delivery of power from a DC source to an AC grid includes an inverter configured to deliver power from the unipolar input source to the AC grid and an inverter controller. The inverter includes an input converter, an active filter, and an output converter. The inverter controller includes an input converter controller, an active filter controller and an output converter controller. The input converter controller is configured to control a current delivered by the input converter to a galvanically isolated unipolar bus of the inverter. The output converter is configured to control the output converter to deliver power to the AC grid. Additionally, the active filter controller is configured to control the active filter to supply substantially all the power that is deliver by the output controller to the AC grid at a grid frequency.

Apparatus and method for controlling DC-AC power conversion

An apparatus and method for controlling a DC-to-AC inverter is disclosed. The DC-to-AC inverter may be configured to convert DC power received from an alternative energy source to AC power for supplying an AC grid or load. The inverter may determine whether the power presently supplied by the alternative energy source is less than a predetermined amount of power and, if so, disable an output converter of the inverter. Additionally, the inverter may predict the voltage of a DC bus of the inverter at a future point in time and, if the predicted DC bus voltage is greater than a predetermined maximum DC bus voltage, enable the output converter to transfer energy from the DC bus to the AC grid to reduce the DC bus voltage.

Apparatus and method for controlling a power inverter

An apparatus and method for controlling the delivery of a pre-determined amount of power from a DC source to an AC grid includes an inverter and an inverter controller. The inverter includes an input converter, an energy storage capacitor, and an output converter. The inverter controller includes an input converter controller and an output converter controller. The input converter controller includes feedforward controller configured to perform a calculation to determine a value for the duty cycle for the input converter such that: (1) the input converter delivers the pre-determined amount of power and (2) the magnitude of a ripple signal reflected into the input source is attenuated toward zero. The input converter controller may also include a quadrature corrector configured to determine the effectiveness of the calculation in attenuating the ripple and to adaptively alter the calculation to improve the effectiveness.

Quadrature-corrected feedforward control apparatus and method for DC-AC power conversion

Reverse recovery avoidance when converting power is provided. A first switch and second switch may be operated to supply an AC load with positive current, respective to the AC load, from a DC power source. A third and fourth switch may be operated to supply the AC load with negative current, respective to the AC load, from the DC power source. Four diodes may be employed with the switches. One diode may conduct the positive current when the first switch is off and the second switch is on. Another diode may conduct the negative current when the third switch is off and the fourth switch is on.

Power converter with reverse recovery avoidance

A system and apparatus for interconnecting an array of power generating assemblies includes a cable assembly having a plurality of continuous conductors and a plurality of cable connectors electrically coupled to the continuous conductors. The continuous conductors are configured to receive inverter AC power generated by inverters and deliver the combined AC power to an AC grid or other power sink. The cable connectors are configured to mate with corresponding connectors of the inventers to deliver the AC power to the continuous conductors.

System and apparatus for interconnecting an array of power generating assemblies

A power converter includes a reverse-recovery avoidance scheme. The power converter may include deliver current from a direct current (DC) power source to an alternating current (AC) load. A first switch and second switch of the power converter may be operated to supply the AC load with positive current respective to the AC load from the DC power source. A third and fourth switch of the power converter may be operated to supply the AC load with negative current respective to the AC load from the DC power source. A first diode may be electrically coupled in series with the second switch and second diode may be electrically coupled in parallel with the first diode and the second switch. The second diode may conduct the positive current when the first switch is off and the second switch is on. A third diode may be electrically coupled in series with the fourth switch and a fourth diode may be electrically coupled in parallel with the third diode and the fourth switch. The fourth diode may conduct the negative current when the third switch is off and the fourth switch is on.

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Urbana, IL, United States of America

Trishan Esram