摘要 |
A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller for photovoltaic (PV) systems employs a maximum power point tracking algorithm for tracking the maximum power point voltage of a PV array at which the PV array produces maximum power voltage, and a buck converter for converting the maximum power voltage to the voltage required to charge one or more batteries. The buck converter includes multiple buck converter phase configurations phase shifted from one another. Each of the buck converter phase configurations has a phase inductor, and the phase inductors are combined on a single core to form a coupled inductor. One of the buck converter phase configurations is intentionally temporarily shut down when the output power is low. A first switch or a second switch of the buck converter phase configuration that is intentionally temporarily shut down is turned on to conduct electrical current when predetermined conditions are satisfied. A method of controlling battery charging in a photovoltaic system involves operating a coupled inductor multi-phase buck converter of a charge controller so that one of the buck converter phase configurations is intentionally temporarily shut down when the power output is below a predetermined value.
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