Patents by Inventor Richard MacArthur

Richard MacArthur has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Apparatus for a microinverter particularly suited for use in solar power installations
    Patent number: 8422249
    Abstract: A microinverter is disclosed for use in a solar power installation. The microinverter incorporates a voltage-to-current control loop that initially converts output current produced by a photovoltaic panel into a pulse width modulated output synchronized and phase-locked to the utility grid voltage. The duty cycle of that modulated output is specified by output power internally requested from the microinverter. This modulated output is converted into a full-wave rectified unipolar waveform that is converted, through a Commutator, into a bipolar AC output that is also phase-locked and synchronized to the grid voltage. The commutator uses an H-bridge composed of four FETs, with each of two diagonally-oriented pairs of these FETs being advantageously switched on substantially at zero-crossing points in the grid voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Direct Grid Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frank G. Cooper, Eric J. Hoffman, Richard MacArthur
  • APPARATUS FOR A MICROINVERTER PARTICULARLY SUITED FOR USE IN SOLAR POWER INSTALLATIONS
    Publication number: 20130051092
    Abstract: A microinverter is disclosed for use in a solar power installation. The microinverter incorporates a voltage-to-current control loop that initially converts output current produced by a photovoltaic panel into a pulse width modulated output synchronized and phase-locked to the utility grid voltage. The duty cycle of that modulated output is specified by output power internally requested from the microinverter. This modulated output is converted into a full-wave rectified unipolar waveform that is converted, through a Commutator, into a bipolar AC output that is also phase-locked and synchronized to the grid voltage. The commutator uses an H-bridge composed of four FETs, with each of two diagonally-oriented pairs of these FETs being advantageously switched on substantially at zero-crossing points in the grid voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Direct Grid Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Frank G. Cooper, Eric J. Hoffman, Richard MacArthur