GEO-COOLED PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER CONVERTER

Abstract

The invention is a liquid cooled photovoltaic power converter with a liquid-to-earth heat exchanger. With the invention, removal of heat from primary power converter heat sources is accomplished without cooling fans or ambient air exchange in order to eliminate associated particulate contamination and maintenance issues.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior-art large scale photovoltaic power converters essentially use three types of heat removal systems, forced air convection, liquid cooling or a combination of the two. In the forced convection case, fans are required to move ambient air across power converter heat producing or heat-sinking components such as semiconductor devices coupled to heatsinks, magnetic components and power capacitors. In the case of prior-art liquid cooling, fans are used to remove heat from a liquid-to-air heat exchanger. In all cases, the ambient air carries particulate contamination that over time decreases the efficiency of the power converter heat-removal systems. Air filters are not a viable option because of maintenance costs as filters cannot be replaced after every dust storm. Cooling fans are typically the least reliable component in a power conversion system and fan replacement is categorically the highest maintenance cost item over the life of the power converter.

The present invention is a liquid cooled photovoltaic power converter with a liquid-to-earth heat exchanger. With the invention, removal of heat from primary power converter heat sources is accomplished without cooling fans or ambient air exchange in order to eliminate associated particulate contamination and maintenance issues.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the invention is a liquid cooled photovoltaic power converter with a liquid-to-earth heat exchanger. A number of closely related invention variants are disclosed including heat removal from heat producing components within the power converter using; liquid cooled chill plates for primary, conducted heat removal, liquid-to-air heat exchangers for secondary heat removal by forced convection and combinations of both. In the case of liquid-to-air heat exchangers, two sub-variants are disclosed, (i) an open system where a fan is used to draw ambient air through a geo-cooled, liquid-to-air heat exchanger to pre-cool ambient air before directing this air over secondary, less contaminate sensitive heat producing power converter components, like filter chokes and transformers and (ii) a closed system where a fan is used to circulate air inside the power converter enclosure through a geo-cooled, liquid-to-air heat exchanger and over secondary heat producing power converter components to reduce component and interior enclosure temperatures. In the case of the closed system, an opportunity exists to thermally insulate the skin of the power converter from radiant solar gain.

The preferred embodiment of the invention uses a large coolant reservoir to provide mass thermal storage wherein the temperature of the coolant is raised during the solar day when the power converter is producing power and then lowered during the night by heat exchange though a sub-grade heat exchanger.

The geo-cooling solution is a natural fit for large solar power plants where a large land area is available for the sub-grade heat exchanger and where piping for the heat exchanger can be place in the same trenches as the photovoltaic system wiring conduits. In addition, metallic heat exchanger piping can serve double-duty as the photovoltaic system ground grid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the most basic form of the invention as a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with two closed liquid cooling loops and a liquid coolant reservoir.

FIG. 3 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with three closed liquid cooling loops, a liquid coolant reservoir and a supplemental closed forced-convection cooling subsystem within the power converter enclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with three cooling liquid cooling loops, a liquid coolant reservoir where coolants in the three loops and the reservoir mix freely and a supplemental closed forced-convection cooling subsystem within the power converter enclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with three closed liquid cooling loops, a liquid coolant reservoir and a supplemental open forced-convection cooling subsystem within the power converter enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the most basic form of the invention as a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus comprising; power converter 50, sub-grade heat exchanger 20 and coolant loop 1. Power converter 50 comprises; enclosure 51, power converter heat producing components including but not limited to semiconductor devices, inductors, transformers, power capacitors and power supplies, referenced collectively as heat producing components 53, power converter heat exchanger 11 and coolant pump 14. Sub-grade heat exchanger 20 is essentially a network of manifolds and pipes, tubing or other conduits buried in earth 6 and thermally coupled to earth 6. Coolant loop 1 provides a path for coolant 23 through power converter heat exchanger 11 and sub-grade heat exchanger 20. Coolant pump 14 circulates liquid coolant 23 through coolant loop 1. Heat transfer from power converter heat producing components 53 to earth 6 is accomplished by transferring heat from heat producing components 53 to power converter heat exchanger 11, to liquid coolant 23, to sub-grade heat exchanger 20, to earth 6. All area below earth grade line 0 is sub-grade.

In FIG. 1 power converter heat exchanger 11 is shown schematically as a chill plate but could also be configured as a liquid-to-air heat exchanger or radiator with or without a fan wherein thermal coupling from heat producing components 53 to power converter heat exchanger 11 is accomplished with convection rather than conduction.

FIG. 2 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with two cooling loops, shown schematically as coolant loop 1 and coolant loop 2. Photovoltaic power converter 50 comprises; enclosure 51, heat producing components including but not limited to; semiconductor devices, inductors, transformers, power capacitors and power supplies, referenced collectively as heat producing components 53, power converter heat exchanger 11 and coolant pump 14. Coolant reservoir 40 comprises; tank 41 filled with liquid coolant 43, reservoir heat exchanger 12 and reservoir heat exchanger 22. Sub-grade heat exchanger 20 comprises a network of manifolds, pipes, tubing or other conduits buried in earth 6 and thermally coupled to earth 6. Power converter 50 essentially sits at earth grade 0 and all area below earth grade line 0 is sub-grade. Coolant loop 1 provides a path for coolant 13 through power converter heat exchanger 11 and reservoir heat exchanger 12. Coolant loop 2 provides a path for coolant 23 through reservoir heat exchanger 22 and sub-grade heat exchanger 20. Coolant pump 14 circulates liquid coolant 13 through coolant loop 1 and coolant pump 24 circulates liquid coolant 23 through coolant loop 2. Heat transfer from power converter heat producing components 53 to earth 6 is accomplished by transferring heat from heat producing components 53 to power converter heat exchanger 11, to liquid coolant 13, to reservoir heat exchanger 12, through liquid coolant 43, to coolant reservoir heat exchanger 22, to liquid coolant 23, to sub-grade heat exchanger 20, to earth 6. Coolant reservoir 40 provides bulk thermal storage for the cooling system. As shown in FIG. 2, coolant loops 1 and 2 are closed systems wherein liquid coolants 13 and 23 do not mix, and do not mix with liquid coolant 43. In a variant not shown in FIG. 2, reservoir heat exchangers 12 and 22 may be eliminated and coolants 13, 23 and 43 would mix in/as a single closed system.

FIG. 3 shows a geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus with three cooling loops, shown schematically as coolant loops 1, 2 and 3 and is the preferred embodiment of the invention. Photovoltaic power converter 50 comprises; enclosure 51, enclosure thermal insulation 52, primary heat producing components including but not limited to; semiconductor devices, inductors, transformers and power capacitors, referenced collectively as primary heat producing components 53, secondary heat producing components including but not limited to; inductors, transformers, power capacitors and power supplies, referenced collectively secondary heat producing components 54, power converter chill plate heat exchanger 11, power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31, cooling fan 35, air plenum 55, coolant pump 14 and coolant pump 34. Coolant reservoir 40 comprises; tank 41 filled with liquid coolant 43, and reservoir heat exchangers 12, 22 and 32. Sub-grade heat exchanger 20 comprises a network of manifolds, pipes, tubing or other conduits buried in earth 6 and thermally coupled to earth 6. Power converter 50 essentially sits at earth grade 0 and all area below earth grade line 0 is sub-grade. Coolant loop 1 provides a path for liquid coolant 13 through power converter heat exchanger 11 and reservoir heat exchanger 12. Coolant loop 2 provides a path for liquid coolant 23 through reservoir heat exchanger 22 and sub-grade heat exchanger 20. Coolant loop 3 provides a path for liquid coolant 33 through power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31 and reservoir heat exchanger 32. Coolant pump 14 circulates liquid coolant 13 through coolant loop 1, coolant pump 24 circulates liquid coolant 23 through coolant loop 2 and coolant pump 34 circulates liquid coolant 33 through coolant loop 3. Heat transfer from primary power converter heat producing components 53 to earth 6 is accomplished by transferring heat from primary heat producing components 53 to power converter heat exchanger 11, to liquid coolant 13, to reservoir heat exchanger 12, through liquid coolant 43, to coolant reservoir heat exchanger 22, to liquid coolant 23, to sub-grade heat exchanger 20, to earth 6. Heat transfer from secondary power converter heat producing components 54 to earth 6 is accomplished by transferring heat from secondary heat producing components 54 through air within power converter enclosure 51 circulated by fan 35 and directed as shown by arrows 7 by air plenum 55, to power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31, to liquid coolant 33, to reservoir heat exchanger 32, through liquid coolant 43, to coolant reservoir heat exchanger 22, to liquid coolant 23, to sub-grade heat exchanger 20, to earth 6. Coolant reservoir 40 provides bulk thermal storage for the cooling system. As shown in FIG. 3, coolant loops 1 2 and 3 are closed systems wherein liquid coolants 13, 23 and 33 do not mix, and do not mix with liquid coolant 43.

FIG. 4 is identical to FIG. 3 except that heat exchangers 12, 22 and 32 are removed from coolant reservoir 40 such that liquid coolants 13, 23, 33 and 43 are common and form one closed coolant system. In one additional variant, impeller 49 is added to coolant reservoir 40 to circulate liquid coolant 43 within tank 41.

FIG. 5 is essentially identical to FIG. 3 except that ambient air 8 external to enclosure 51 is pushed through power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31 by fan 35 and is directed over power converter secondary heat producing components 54 and then forced out of an exhaust port as shown by arrow 9. In normal power converter operation, external ambient air 8 is pre-cooled by power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31 before being used to convection-cool power converter secondary heat producing components 52. In a simple variant of the configuration shown in FIG. 5, power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31 by fan 35 positions may be transposed so that air 8 is pulled through power converter air-to-liquid heat exchanger 31 by fan 35.

The geo-cooling systems disclosed herein may also be used as geo-heating systems to heat power converter 50 to prevent condensation or frost within power converter enclosure 51 during the night or during periods of low or no photovoltaic power production.

The sub-grade heat exchangers (20) disclosed herein may share trenches with sub-grade photovoltaic system wiring conduits.

The sub-grade heat exchangers (20) disclosed herein may comprise metallic pipe, metallic tubing or other metallic conduits that may be bonded to the photovoltaic system ground grid to function as or to augment the photovoltaic system ground grid.

In FIGS. 2 through 5, coolant pump 24 is shown for clarity in a sub-grade location. In practice coolant pump 24 may be located above-grade to facilitate ease of maintenance and replacement.

In FIGS. 2 through 5, liquid coolant reservoir 40 is shown in a sub-grade location but may also be located above-grade to facilitate ease of maintenance and replacement.

In practice, the geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatuses disclose herein will comprise a means to control the speed of said liquid coolant pumps (14, 24, 34) as some function of at least one of the temperature of any said coolant, ambient air temperature, photovoltaic power converter temperature, the temperature of at least one heat producing component, the temperature of the earth or the power converter output power.

The liquid coolant reservoir disclosed herein (40) may provide enough thermal capacity to essentially absorb enough heat from all the power converter heat producing components to operate the heat producing components within their thermal capabilities during daylight hours to either reduce the heat removal demand of the sub-grade heat exchanger or eliminate it completely.

The invention is a novel way of cooling photovoltaic power converters which utilizes the large land area required for solar power plants and/or bulk liquid storage as heat sinks or a heat sink, respectively, for photovoltaic power converter waste heat. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is no air exchange between outside ambient air and air within the power converter enclosure in order to prevent particulate contamination of sensitive power converter components. In addition, prior-art, anti-condensation heaters interior to the power converter enclosure are eliminated by geo-heating the power converter at night.

Claims

1. A geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus comprising; a photovoltaic power converter, a power converter heat exchanger, a liquid coolant, a coolant pump and a sub-grade heat exchanger wherein the photovoltaic power converter comprises heat producing components and wherein these heat producing components are thermally coupled the to the power converter heat exchanger and wherein the power converter heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the liquid coolant and wherein the sub-grade heat exchanger comprises a means to carry the liquid coolant and a means to thermally couple the liquid coolant to the earth and wherein the coolant pump comprises a means to circulate the liquid coolant through the power converter heat exchanger and through the sub-grade heat exchanger.

2. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 comprising; a first coolant loop, a second coolant loop and a liquid coolant reservoir wherein the liquid coolant reservoir comprises a tank, a first reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank, a second reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank and a fourth liquid coolant interior to the tank and wherein fourth liquid coolant provides thermal coupling between the first reservoir heat exchanger and second reservoir heat exchanger and wherein the first coolant loop comprises said power converter heat exchanger, the first reservoir heat exchanger, a first liquid coolant and a first coolant pump, wherein the first coolant pump provides a means to circulate the first liquid coolant through said power converter heat exchanger and through the first reservoir heat exchanger and wherein the second coolant loop comprises said sub-grade heat exchanger, the second reservoir heat exchanger, a second liquid coolant and a second coolant pump, wherein the second coolant pump provides a means to circulate the second liquid coolant through the second reservoir heat exchanger and through said sub-grade heat exchanger.

3. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the power converter heat exchanger comprises a chill plate wherein said heat producing components are thermally coupled to the chill plate and wherein the chill plate comprises a means of channeling and thermally coupling said first liquid coolant through and to the chill plate, respectively.

4. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 comprising a third coolant loop wherein the third coolant loop comprises a power converter liquid-to-air heat exchanger, a means of thermally coupling air between the power converter liquid-to-air heat exchanger and said heat producing components, a third reservoir heat exchanger within said liquid coolant reservoir tank where said fourth liquid coolant provides a means to thermally couple said first, said second and the third reservoir heat exchangers and wherein the third coolant pump provides a means to circulate the third liquid coolant through the power converter liquid-to-air heat exchanger and the third reservoir heat exchanger.

5. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 4 comprising; a power converter enclosure, a fan, an intake port, an exhaust port, a means of enabling the fan to direct ambient air, external to the power converter enclosure, through the intake port, through the radiator, through the power converter enclosure, across heat producing components and through the exhaust port to the exterior of the enclosure.

6. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the power converter heat exchanger comprises a chill plate and a liquid-to-air heat exchanger wherein at least one of said heat producing components is thermally coupled to the chill plate and wherein the chill plate comprises a means of channeling and thermally coupling said first liquid coolant through and to the chill plate, respectively, and wherein at least one of said heat producing components is thermally coupled through air to the power converter liquid-to-air heat exchanger and wherein said first coolant loop also provides a path for the first liquid coolant through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger.

7. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sub-grade heat exchanger comprises pipes or conduits that are buried in the essentially same trenches with electrical photovoltaic system wiring.

8. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sub-grade heat exchanger comprises metallic pipes and a means to couple said metallic pipes to the photovoltaic electrical ground grid as an integral portion of the photovoltaic electrical ground grid.

9. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a means to continuously circulate the liquid coolant as a means of warming the photovoltaic power converter to prevent water condensation.

10. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 comprising a means of circulating said fourth liquid coolant in said coolant reservoir tank.

11. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 where said heat producing components comprise at least one of semiconductor devices, water-cooled magnet components, air-cooled magnetic components, water-cooled capacitors or air-cooled capacitors.

12. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a means to control said coolant pump as some function of at least one of the temperature of said coolant, ambient air temperature, photovoltaic power converter temperature, the temperature of at least one heat producing component, the temperature of the earth.

13. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 comprising a means to control said coolant pump as some function of at least one of the temperature of any said coolant, ambient air temperature, photovoltaic power converter temperature, the temperature of at least one heat producing component, the temperature of the earth.

14. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said liquid coolant reservoir comprises a means for providing enough thermal capacity to absorb the heat from said heat producing components during the daylight hours when the power converter is converting solar power.

15. A method of cooling a photovoltaic power converter by transferring heat from heat producing components within the power converter to a heat exchanger, then to a liquid coolant, then to a sub-grade heat exchanger, then to earth.

16. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank and said second reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank are eliminated such that said first, second and forth liquid coolants are common and mixed.

17. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank and said second reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank are eliminated such that said first, second and forth liquid coolants are common and mixed.

18. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said first reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank and said second reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank are eliminated such that said first, second and forth liquid coolants are common and mixed.

19. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said first, second and third reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank are eliminated such that said first, second, third and forth liquid coolants are common and mixed.

20. The geo-cooled solar photovoltaic power conversion apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first, second and third reservoir heat exchanger interior to the tank are eliminated such that said first, second, third and forth liquid coolants are common and mixed.