Three MPT Power System Architectures

Issue
 Date
Patent No.
6,433,522
Category
Device or Machine

A maximum power tracker maximizes the power deliverable from a power source, such as a solar array using increasing, decreasing and maintaining states controlled by a set point signal modulated by a dither signal for stabilized regular power tracking during under demand conditions and maximum power tracking during periods with over demand conditions of a load. For multiple power sources, respective multiple sets of parallel-connected converters and respectively maximum power trackers can be coupled in parallel using shared bus and control signals for fault tolerant equalized power conversion among the parallel-connected converters. Among multiple solar array sources that can have quite different characteristics, some maximum power trackers may actively regulate maximum power flows from respective array sources that have deficient power while the remaining maximum power trackers are inactive because respective remaining solar array sources provide sufficient power to allow respective DC-DC converters to regulate the load voltage to a regulated level.

Keywords: power tracking, tracking, solar, solar power
International Class: G05F1/67, H02J1/10, H02J3/38, H02J7/35, G05F1/40