Operating point control circuit device for series-connected photovoltaic cells or other electric sources

摘要

In a circuit device controlling an operating point of each of two or more series-connected photovoltaic cells or other power supply cells in a module, the output voltage of the module can be boosted without reducing the generated electric power. The operating point control circuit device includes capacitors connected in parallel to the respective series-connected cells, switching elements connected in parallel to the respective series-connected cells through an inductor, an additional capacitor connected in series to the capacitor row, and an additional switching element connected in series to the switching element row. The switching elements are controlled to shut off electrical conduction between the corresponding terminals connected thereto in the same predetermined cycle and in mutually different periods so as to always establish a condition that one switching element is in the non-conductive state and the others are is in the conductive state.

主权项

1. An electric power generation operating point control circuit device for two or more series-connected photovoltaic cells, comprising:
a pair of output terminals, two or more electrode connecting terminals connected to respective electrode terminals of two or more photovoltaic cells connected in series between the pair of the output terminals, a capacitor connected in parallel to each of the two or more photovoltaic cells through the corresponding electrode connecting terminals between the pair of the output terminals; a switching element connected in parallel to each of the two or more photovoltaic cells through a pair of the corresponding electrode connecting terminals and an inductor between the pair of the output terminals, and the switching element selectively making the pair of the corresponding electrode connecting terminals connected thereto electrically conductive with each other; an additional capacitor connected in series to the capacitors between the pair of the output terminals, the additional capacitor being connected between one of the electrode connecting terminals at one side end of the two or more series-connected photovoltaic cells and one of the output terminals, or between two of the electrode connecting terminals between two adjoined photovoltaic cells of the two or more series-connected photovoltaic cells; and an additional switching element connected in parallel to the additional capacitor and connected in series to the switching elements between the pair of the output terminals; wherein the switching elements and the additional switching elements are controlled to operate such that the switching elements and the additional switching elements shut off electrical conduction between the corresponding terminals connected thereto among between the pairs of the electrode connecting terminals, between the one of the electrode connecting terminal and the one of the output terminals and between the two of the electrode connecting terminals in a same predetermined cycle time and in mutually different periods to always establish a condition that either one of the switching elements and the additional switching elements shuts off the electrical conduction between the corresponding terminals connected thereto while the others of the switching elements and the additional switching elements make the corresponding terminals connected thereto electrically conductive with each other.