Systems and Methods for Increasing Output Current Quality, Output Power, and Reliability of Grid-Interactive Inverters

• Main Authors: Kral, Alexandre Rudolph, Jones, Christopher Richard
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.07.2019
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTINGELECTRIC POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

Various enhancements to grid-interactive inverters in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes input terminals configured to receive a direct current, output terminals configured to provide an alternating output current to the utility grid, a controller, an output current sensor, and a DC-AC inverter stage comprising a plurality of switches controlled by control signals generated by the controller. In addition, the controller is configured to: generate control signals that cause the switches in the DC-AC inverter stage to switch a direct current in a bidirectional manner; measure the alternating output current; perform frequency decomposition of the output current; and generate control signals that cause the switches in the DC-AC inverter stage to switch current in a way that the magnitude of a plurality of unwanted current components is subtracted from the resulting output current.