Detection of arcing location on photovoltaic systems using filters
| DWPI Title: Photovoltaic system i.e. Roof-mounted photovoltaic system, has switch for connecting connector, probe for measuring electrical parameter, filter for receiving electrical signal from probe, where probe receives signal from connector |
| Abstract: The present invention relates to photovoltaic systems capable of identifying the location of an arc-fault. In particular, such systems include a unique filter connected to each photovoltaic (PV) string, thereby providing a unique filtered noise profile associated with a particular PV string. Also described herein are methods for identifying and isolating such arc-faults. |
| Use: PV system i.e. Roof-mounted PV system. |
| Advantage: The system utilizes an alternating current (AC) noise profile to provide information about a presence of an arc-fault and a location of the fault by a unique arcing noise cutoff frequency fan associated with a unique filter within a PV system. The system utilizes a current transformer of an analog front end to allow current from the PV module or string to flow through a primary coil, thus reacting to AC noise present in the string. The system utilizes an amplifier to receive a signal from a secondary coil of the transformer and the filter to receive the amplified signal from the amplifier. The system identifies the string that arc is on in a multi-string array with an arc-detector by inserting multiple filters prior to the detector. The system detects a location of break or fault by employing fault detection and locating key. |
| Novelty: The system (200) has a photovoltaic (PV) string (320) comprising a set of PV modules (321) and a connector (330) to connect the set of PV modules. A filter (360) receives an electrical signal from the connector, where the filter includes cutoff frequency or a range of cutoff frequencies low to high that is different than another cutoff frequency. A switch (350) connects or disconnects the connector. A probe (270) measures an electrical parameter, where the probe receives the electrical signal from another connector and another filter (260) receives the electrical signal from the probe. |
| Filed: 3/10/2015 |
| Application Number: US14643032A |
| Tech ID: SD 11973.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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