Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The system may also include one or more DC power electronic accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters. The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of the configurable power supply.

Abstract: An electronics module docking system includes docking member removably coupled to a photovoltaic module. The docking system includes a first connector port electrically coupled to one or more photovoltaic cells of the photovoltaic module. The photovoltaic module is selectively coupleable to the docking member. The docking system includes a housing to enclose an electronics module. The housing may include second connector port that is selectively engageable to the power electronics module. The power electronics module and the photovoltaic cells are electrically coupled to one another upon selective engagement of the connector ports. The inverter housing is receivable by and removably coupleable to the docking member allowing the inverter housing to be removably coupleable to the photovoltaic module.

Abstract: An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The system may also include one or more DC power electronic accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters. The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of the configurable power supply.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An energy recovery circuit receives and stores energy associated with switching transitions in a power converter having a first switch and a second switch configured to be operated to selectively apply a voltage source to an output load. The energy recovery circuit includes an inductive element, a diode, and a capacitive element. The inductive element receives at least a portion of electrical current flowing through one of the first switch and the second switch. The at least a portion of the electrical current flows through the diode to charge the capacitive element with a voltage. The energy recovery circuit includes a recovery power converter to transfer the voltage from the capacitor.

Abstract: Systems, processes, and manufactures are provided that employ a casing associated with an electrical component to provide some, most, substantially all or all electrical insulative protection necessary for the electrical component. This casing may be further employed with potting or other materials to supplement and add additional or different protections for the component. These additional protections can include additional insulative resistance, thermal protection, moisture protection and other buffers to and from the environment.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing islanding of a power source connected to an electric AC grid via an interface. The method senses an output voltage waveform of the interface, controls an output current waveform of the interface to track a reference current waveform having a mathematical relationship with the sensed output voltage waveform, and discontinues the output current waveform when the output voltage waveform is sensed to be outside a predetermined waveform range.

Abstract: A device, system, and method for global maximum power point tracking comprises monitoring an output power of a DC power source while executing a maximum power point tracking algorithm and adjusting a maximum power point tracking command signal in response to the output power being less than a reference output power. The command signal is adjusted until the output power exceeds a previous output power by a reference amount. The command signal may be a voltage command signal, a current command signal, an impedance command signal, a duty ratio command signal, or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying energy to a load includes an energy recharge unit, an energy storage unit, an energy converter connected to the energy recharge unit, the energy converter being capable of transferring energy at a power level from the energy recharge unit to an output node, the power level being determined by a power transfer controller, and a bi-directional energy converter connected to the energy storage unit and to the output node. The bi-directional energy converter is capable of converting energy of varying voltages from the energy storage unit to energy of varying current levels to supplement the transferred energy with energy from the energy storage unit so as to maintain a constant voltage on the output node. The bi-directional energy converter is capable of converting the transferred energy to provide charging energy to the energy storage unit when the transferred energy exceeds a demand level of the load while maintaining the constant voltage at the output node.

Abstract: Processes, machines, and articles of manufacture that may management power conversion as provided. This may include circuit topology or management that serves to improve power conversion efficiency from a DC waveform to an AC waveform. This circuit topology or management may include considering and managing the voltage across a DC-link capacitive bus and the phase angle output of an AC waveform in order to influence or improve power conversion characteristics or efficiency.

Abstract: A method is provided for minimizing a double-frequency ripple power exchanged between a load and an energy source, the energy source delivering electrical power to the load through a single-phase power conditioner, and the power conditioner being coupled to an energy storage device. The method includes determining a phase shift of an AC output signal of the power condition and an average AC output power of the power conditioner. The average AC output power may be a predetermined value or a calculated value based on sensed or measured signals. The method further includes generating an AC signal at an energy storage device. The generated AC signal has an amplitude that is a function of the average AC output power and a phase shift substantially equal to 45 degrees minus an amount that is dependent on the determined phase shift. In some embodiments, the phase shift may be determined to be of a non-zero value.

Abstract: An inverter for converting an input direct current (DC) waveform from a DC source to an output alternating current (AC) waveform for delivery to an AC grid includes an input converter, an output converter, an input controller, and an output controller. The input controller is configured to control the operation of the input converter, and the output controller is configured to control the operation of the output controller. The input and output controllers are electrically isolated from each other and may be incapable of direct communications between each other. In some embodiments, the input and output controllers may communicate with each other via the input and output converters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an inverter includes operating the inverter in a one of a normal run mode or a pulse mode depending on one or more criteria. When operating in the pulse mode, the inverter generates a sinusoidal output pulse waveform including a plurality of pulses having a determined pulse width. The pulse width is less than a half-wave period of a full-cycle sinusoidal waveform and may be determined as function of, for example, the output power of the inverter, a grid voltage, and/or other criteria.

Abstract: An inverter for converting an input direct current (DC) waveform from a DC source to an output alternating current (AC) waveform for delivery to an AC grid includes an input converter, an output converter, and an active filter, each of which is electrically coupled to a bus. The bus may be a DC bus or an AC bus. The input converter is configured to convert the input DC waveform to a DC or AC bus waveform. The output converter is configured to convert the bus waveform to the output AC waveform at a grid frequency. The active filter is configured to reduce a double-frequency ripple power of the bus waveform by supplying power to and absorbing power from the power bus.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Processes, machines, and articles of manufacture that may serve to enable the detection or determination of alternating line voltages from an alternating power source, such as the power grid, are provided. This automatic sensing may be useful when connections are made to the power grid, such that when connections are made, the connections may be configured to be compatible with the available power source. This automatic sensing may also be useful if power sources change characteristics over time or if devices may be connected to different power sources over time.

Abstract: 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.