The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 22, 2015
Filed:
Feb. 03, 2011
Bertrand J. Williams, Austin, TX (US);
Sam B. Sandbote, Austin, TX (US);
Bertrand J. Williams, Austin, TX (US);
Sam B. Sandbote, Austin, TX (US);
Draker, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A converter unit to improve overall recovered power in a photovoltaic array configuration. Each photovoltaic panel in the photovoltaic array may be coupled to a respective converter unit, which may include a controller to sense an output voltage and output current produced by the solar panel, and manage the output voltage of a corresponding power converter to optimize and regulate the resultant bus voltage to a point which reduces overall system losses, maintains a low loss condition, and removes series-string non-idealities when the panels are series connected. The controller may also adapt to output condition constraints. Instead of single-port regulation, a combination of input voltage and output voltage management and regulation may be performed within the converter. The source voltage and current characteristic may be shaped to correspond to an optimized power curve at the desired bus voltage to allow MPPT tracking according to the DC voltage bus. The optimized power curve may be tracked to hold the DC-bus voltage at the desired operating point.