Abstract: A cooling system is provided. The cooling system includes a condenser configured to condense a coolant from a vapor state to a liquid state and an evaporator configured to evaporate the coolant from the liquid state to the vapor state. The evaporator defines a reservoir configured to contain a volume of the coolant in the liquid state. The cooling system further includes a vapor channel fluidly coupled to the condenser and the evaporator and configured to convey the coolant in the vapor state from the evaporator to the condenser, a liquid channel coupled to the condenser and the evaporator and configured to convey the coolant in the liquid state from the condenser to the evaporator, and a heat generating component disposed in the reservoir and immersed in the volume of the coolant in the liquid state. The heat generating component is configured to dissipate heat into the coolant.

Abstract: A battery energy storage system (BESS) is provided. The BESS includes a plurality of battery strings, a plurality of battery switchgear units, an internal power supply configured to supply DC power from within the BESS, and a controller coupled in communication with the plurality of battery switchgear units and electrically coupled to the internal power supply. The controller is configured to receive DC power from the internal power supply, instruct at least one battery switchgear unit of the plurality of battery switchgear units to electrically couple at least one battery string of the plurality of battery strings to a DC bus, receive DC power from the at least one battery string via the DC bus, and instruct each battery switchgear unit of the plurality of battery switchgear units to electrically couple each battery string of the plurality of battery strings to the DC bus.

Abstract: A cooling system is provided. The cooling system includes a condenser configured to condense a coolant from a vapor state to a liquid state and an evaporator configured to evaporate the coolant from the liquid state to the vapor state. The evaporator defines a reservoir configured to contain a volume of the coolant in the liquid state. The cooling system further includes a vapor channel fluidly coupled to the condenser and the evaporator and configured to convey the coolant in the vapor state from the evaporator to the condenser, a liquid channel coupled to the condenser and the evaporator and configured to convey the coolant in the liquid state from the condenser to the evaporator, and a heat generating component disposed in the reservoir and immersed in the volume of the coolant in the liquid state. The heat generating component is configured to dissipate heat into the coolant.

Abstract: Systems and methods for regulating the voltage at a point of interconnection of a renewable energy plant, such as a solar plant, with a grid are provided. A voltage signal indicative of the voltage at the point of interconnection can be received and filtered with a high pass filter to generate a filtered error signal. The high pass filter can block components of the voltage signal at a frequency less than a threshold frequency. A reactive power command for the renewable energy plant can be generated based on the filtered error signal. One or more inverters of the renewable energy plant can be controlled to output reactive power based on the reactive power command. A rejection module can be implemented to prevent adverse interaction with other voltage control devices. In addition, a reset module can be implemented to preserve dynamic reactive power range of the inverters.

Abstract: A power quality management system includes a plurality of phase balancers, each phase balancer including single phase converters coupled between two phase lines and a plurality of controllers to control the plurality of phase balancers. Each controller includes a voltage unbalance detection module to detect amount of voltage unbalance in a plurality of phase lines and a voltage unbalance compensation module to generate reference current commands for each of the single phase converters to reduce the voltage unbalance.

Abstract: A power converter includes a plurality of switches electrically coupled to each other for converting input power to output power. Each of the switches is sufficiently isolated to protect adjacent switches upon failure of one or more switches. The power converter also includes a controller for reconfiguring operation of the switches to provide at least a partial operating mode upon a switch failure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for regulating the voltage at a point of interconnection of a renewable energy plant, such as a solar plant, with a grid are provided. A voltage signal indicative of the voltage at the point of interconnection can be received and filtered with a high pass filter to generate a filtered error signal. The high pass filter can block components of the voltage signal at a frequency less than a threshold frequency. A reactive power command for the renewable energy plant can be generated based on the filtered error signal. One or more inverters of the renewable energy plant can be controlled to output reactive power based on the reactive power command. A rejection module can be implemented to prevent adverse interaction with other voltage control devices. In addition, a reset module can be implemented to preserve dynamic reactive power range of the inverters.

Abstract: A power generation system including photovoltaic modules for generating DC power and power converters coupled to the photovoltaic modules for converting the DC power to AC power is provided. The power generation system also includes a central controller that executes the steps of determining a real time AC power generation capacity of the power converters, determining a difference between a required AC power generation capacity and the real time AC power generation capacity, identifying a real time AC voltage of each of the power converters, identifying a reserve AC current capacity of each of the power converters based on the real time AC voltage and an AC current rating of each of the power converters and using the reserve AC current capacity to generate reserve power for reducing the difference between the required AC power generation capacity and the real time AC power generation capacity.

Abstract: A power quality management system includes a plurality of phase balancers, each phase balancer including single phase converters coupled between two phase lines and a plurality of controllers to control the plurality of phase balancers. Each controller includes a voltage unbalance detection module to detect amount of voltage unbalance in a plurality of phase lines and a voltage unbalance compensation module to generate reference current commands for each of the single phase converters to reduce the voltage unbalance.

Abstract: A solar power conversion system is provided. The system includes photovoltaic modules for generating direct current (DC) power, The system also includes power converters for converting the DC power to alternating current (AC) power wherein each of the power converters comprises a local controller and at least some of the local controllers are individually operable as a central controller for providing central control signals to the remaining local controllers and exactly one of the local controllers from the at least some local controllers is operable as the central controller at a given point of time.

Abstract: A power converter includes a plurality of switches electrically coupled to each other for converting input power to output power. Each of the switches is sufficiently isolated to protect adjacent switches upon failure of one or more switches. The power converter also includes a controller for reconfiguring operation of the switches to provide at least a partial operating mode upon a switch failure.

Abstract: A power management system comprising a processor is provided. The power management system obtains maximum operating capacities of the power converters over time while in the curtailed mode and uses at least some of the maximum operating capacities for determining and commanding an adjusted operating capacity of at least one of the power converters to maintain a substantially constant level of output power.

Abstract: A solar power generation system includes a control system and a DC to AC converter coupled to a photovoltaic (PV) module and for supplying power to a power network. The control system includes a power point tracker to extract either maximum power available from the PV module or less than maximum power available from the PV module, a frequency monitor to obtain a network frequency from the power network, an internal reference frame element to provide an internal reference frequency of the solar power generation system, a frequency comparator to compare the network frequency and the internal reference frequency, and a command signal generator to use the frequency comparison to determine whether a transient increase or decrease in commanded output power is warranted and to provide a command signal.

Abstract: A switching array includes a plurality of switching elements electrically coupled to each other, each switching element being configured to be switched between conducting and non-conducting states. The switching array also includes at least one parasitic minimizing circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of switching elements and configured to provide near zero electrical voltage and current across and through each of the plurality of switching elements during switching of the plurality of switching elements between the conducting and non-conducting states.

Abstract: An apparatus, such as a switch module, is provided. The apparatus can include an electromechanical switch structure configured to move between an open configuration and a fully-closed configuration (associated with a minimum characteristic resistance) over a characteristic time. A commutation circuit can be connected in parallel with the electromechanical switch structure, and can include a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the electromechanical switch structure and a pulse circuit including a pulse capacitor configured to form a pulse signal (in connection with a switching event of the electromechanical switch structure) for causing flow of a pulse current through the balanced diode bridge. The electromechanical switch structure and the balanced diode bridge can be disposed such that a total inductance associated with the commutation circuit is less than or equal to a product of the characteristic time and the minimum characteristic resistance.

Abstract: A solar power generation system includes a control system and a DC to AC converter coupled to a photovoltaic (PV) module and for supplying power to a power network. The control system includes a power point tracker to extract either maximum power available from the PV module or less than maximum power available from the PV module, a frequency monitor to obtain a network frequency from the power network, an internal reference frame element to provide an internal reference frequency of the solar power generation system, a frequency comparator to compare the network frequency and the internal reference frequency, and a command signal generator to use the frequency comparison to determine whether a transient increase or decrease in commanded output power is warranted and to provide a command signal.

Abstract: An apparatus, such as a switch module, is provided. The apparatus can include an electromechanical switch structure configured to move between an open configuration and a fully-closed configuration (associated with a minimum characteristic resistance) over a characteristic time. A commutation circuit can be connected in parallel with the electromechanical switch structure, and can include a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the electromechanical switch structure and a pulse circuit including a pulse capacitor configured to form a pulse signal (in connection with a switching event of the electromechanical switch structure) for causing flow of a pulse current through the balanced diode bridge. The electromechanical switch structure and the balanced diode bridge can be disposed such that a total inductance associated with the commutation circuit is less than or equal to a product of the characteristic time and the minimum characteristic resistance.