Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100090634 | Method and apparatus for connecting a photovoltaic system to a power grid - An apparatus and a method for preparing connection of a photovoltaic system (Q | 04-15-2010 |
20100164302 | Method for operating a photovoltaic system and photovoltaic system for carrying out the method - A photovoltaic system having a plurality of photovoltaic modules producing electric energy and method for operating such photovoltaic system are disclosed. With the method, the photovoltaic modules are connected to a first DC motor having a motor shaft, and a generator shaft of a three-phase generator is coupled to the motor shaft. The three-phase generator can be connected to a power grid. The motor shaft of a second DC motor can be connected to the generator shaft, with only one of the two DC motors being initially driven with the electric energy produced by the photovoltaic modules. The electric energy is subsequently divided among both the first and the second DC motor. This process significantly shortens the startup process of the photovoltaic system compared to conventional systems. | 07-01-2010 |
20100314843 | CHARGING VEHICLE FOR AN AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLY MACHINE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES - A ground vehicle for feeding photovoltaic modules to an automatic assembly machine is disclosed, wherein the automatic assembly machine is movable on previously installed PV modules and the PV modules that still need to be installed are fed to the automatic assembly machine above a supporting structure. The ground vehicle has six vertically movable rams arranged in spaced-apart relationship in pairs in the direction of travel, with the PV modules to be installed located above the rams. Timing of the vertical ram motion is controlled so that a retracted ram of a ram pair is always extended before the other ram of the ram pair is lowered. | 12-16-2010 |
20110031815 | FUSE FOR DISCONNECTING AN INVERTER FROM A PHOTOVOLTAIC GENERATOR - A photovoltaic system includes an inverter, a photovoltaic generator with a plurality of serially connected photovoltaic modules, said photovoltaic generator connected to the inverter by an electrical supply line, a controllable fuse interconnected in the electrical supply line between the inverter and the photovoltaic generator and having a signal input, and a voltage-dependent resistor connected between the signal input of the controllable fuse and the electrical supply line and generating a control signal which triggers the controllable fuse responsive to the control signal and interrupts the electrical supply line. The controllable fuse can be used to disconnect the electrical connection of the photovoltaic system to the inverter when a switch short-circuiting one or more modules of the photovoltaic generator malfunctions. The arrangement permits operation of photovoltaic system at an operating voltage of close to 1000 V, thereby allowing use of thinner cables. | 02-10-2011 |
20110072742 | STEEL SUPPORT FRAME FOR A PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM USABLE AS A CARPORT - A base frame for a parking lot roof equipped with photovoltaic modules is proposed, wherein two mirror-symmetrically constructed halves are provided, with each half having an inner arc constructed of three inner struts and an outer arc constructed of three outer struts, which are connected with each other by cross struts. The structure is light-weight and can be easily manufactured. | 03-31-2011 |
20110089303 | LIGHTWEIGHT SUPPORT FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITIES - A lightweight support includes a corrugated base body having an elongated rectangular configuration defining an upper longitudinal rim and a lower longitudinal rim. The base body is composed of a first layer made of metal, a second layer which is made of rigid foam and applied onto the first layer, and a third layer which is made of metal and applied onto the second layer. Stabilization rails are attached to the base body in order to maintain integrity of the lightweight support when subject to stress. The stabilization rails can hereby be placed on or at or integrated in the upper and lower longitudinal rims, respectively. | 04-21-2011 |
20110203635 | PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS, IN PART HAVING SWITCHES FOR SHORT-CIRCUITING OF MODULES - A photovoltaic generator is provided that has at least one string of multiple series-connected photovoltaic modules, each of which has a plurality of series-connected photovoltaic cells. One quarter to one half of all photovoltaic modules of the at least one string can be short-circuited by means of a switch. Activation of the switch takes place when a predefined voltage value across the string is exceeded. The shorting switch is only present in some of the arrays making up the photovoltaic generator, which reduces cabling costs. Because of the parallel connection of the arrays, the voltage of the arrays without shorting switches is drawn down to a lower voltage that is safe for the inverter. | 08-25-2011 |
20110204900 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING UNDERPERFORMING PV MODULES IN A PV SYSTEM BY USING DISCONNECT SWITCHES - A measuring method for determining an output drop of a PV unit is provided. The PV unit is arranged within a photovoltaic system comprising a plurality of electrically parallel-connected PV units. Each PV unit can be removed from the parallel circuit by a switching device. Further, a total current measuring device for measuring the total current through all PV units of the parallel circuit is provided. The defective PV unit is determined in an evaluation unit by the connection and disconnection of a disconnect switch. | 08-25-2011 |
20110204916 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IDENTIFYING LOW-OUTPUT PV MODULES IN A PV SYSTEM - A method and a device for carrying out the method are disclosed in order to aid in the search for faulty photovoltaic modules. In a photovoltaic system comprising multiple PV units electrically connected in parallel, each PV unit is assigned its own fixed current sensor. Furthermore, each PV unit can be removed from the parallel circuit by a switching device. | 08-25-2011 |
20110227584 | INSULATION TEST METHOD FOR LARGE-SCALE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS - In large-scale photovoltaic systems, it is not appropriate to use a conventional insulation monitor, since its test pulse is damped too much by the number and length of the feed lines. According to an embodiment of the invention, a remedy is provided here in that the photovoltaic system is subdivided through circuit design into multiple subsystems that are electrically insulated from one another, and the test pulse is transmitted to the connecting line associated with the applicable subsystem in sequential order. According to a second embodiment, the behavior of the current of the test pulse through the connecting lines is sensed by current sensors and evaluated in an analysis unit. | 09-22-2011 |
20110234004 | PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM WITH POTENTIAL REDUCTION - A photovoltaic system comprises a plurality of photovoltaic modules which are electrically connected to a string or to multiple parallel-connected strings and form a PV generator. The first string end forms the negative pole of the photovoltaic generator, and the second string end forms the positive pole. A voltage reduction device is provided with the aid of which the potential of the negative pole is lowered to ground. Advantages with regard to the insulation class of the connecting cable used are also provided. | 09-29-2011 |
20110241720 | DC TEST POINT FOR LOCATING DEFECTIVE PV MODULES IN A PV SYSTEM - A method and an apparatus for carrying out the method are proposed for identifying defective photovoltaic modules. Two clamp-on ammeters are provided which are connected to a test data acquisition unit for simultaneous measurement of two DC currents. The position of the clamp-on ammeters at the time of the measurement is determined with a position registration means, and measured data and position data are transmitted via an antenna to a data processing center or recorded in a data memory element for further processing. | 10-06-2011 |
20110290700 | HOUSING, IN PARTICULAR FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING BOX - A housing having three side walls and a cover is provided, wherein an opening for introducing a pipe is formed in one of the side walls. The side walls are arranged in a U-shape, with the opening being provided in the side wall forming the first side thereof, and with a pipe section that aligns with the opening being connectable to the second side forming the opposite side wall thereof. The cross-section of the pipe section, in particular its diameter, is larger or smaller than the cross-section of the pipe. As a result, the pipe and the pipe section can be slid one inside the other. | 12-01-2011 |
20120091805 | METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ENERGY GENERATOR WITH INVERTER OPERATION DEPENDING ON A MAINS VOLTAGE AND CIRCUIT LAYOUT - A method for operating a first energy generator in an electric power supply system to which a plurality of electric consumers and at least the first energy generator, which is embodied as a regenerative energy generator, are connected via respectively one grid connection point each assigned thereto, wherein at least the first energy generator has an inverter of predetermined power rating, the AC voltage output of which is electrically connected to a first grid connection point assigned thereto, and wherein the operating control of the inverter regarding its reactive power feed and/or its reactive power draw into or out of the electric power supply system takes place depending on a continuously measured mains voltage value. The reactive power control in the energy grid is improved in that the mains voltage value is measured at a second grid connection point, which is different from the first grid connection point of the energy generator. | 04-19-2012 |
20120150358 | Operation of a power generator in a power supply network - During operation of at least one power generator (EE) in a power supply network, a reactive power transfer between the two upper voltage levels ( | 06-14-2012 |
20130009478 | PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRANGEMENT - An arrangement with a photovoltaic generator is provided that can be connected to the input of a power inverter, the output of which is connected to a supply network. The arrangement further comprises an asynchronous machine parallel to the output of the power inverter, which asynchronous machine is driven by an internal combustion engine. | 01-10-2013 |
20140109563 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING ENERGY USING A COMBINED HEAT AND PRESSURE STORAGE DEVICE - A method for storing energy using a combined heat and pressure storage device, includes mixing a gaseous first component and a liquid second component in an initial first step at a first pressure/temperature point to form a working medium. The working medium is compressed in a following step in such a way that the working medium has a second pressure/temperature point, at which the second component is at least partially gaseous. The compressed working medium is led into the combined heat and pressure storage device and stored there. In order to recover the energy, the working medium is expanded, whereupon the second component is at least partially liquefied. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided. | 04-24-2014 |
20140111240 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CHECKING THE OPERATION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE - A method for checking the operation of a photovoltaic module of a photovoltaic power station. The module has a positive terminal, a negative terminal and a number of solar cells, in particular thin-layer solar cells. An electric field emitted by the photovoltaic module as a result of solar radiation is measured at an exposed measurement location during the operation of the power station and the electrical voltage present between the positive terminal and the negative terminal is determined from the measured electric field. A corresponding measuring instrument has a sensor to be placed near the photovoltaic module so as to measure the electric field strength. A rod or wand may be used to position the sensor, or a robot may be configured for automatic travel on the photovoltaic module. | 04-24-2014 |