CHRISTOPHER S THOMPSON
Engineering in Wakefield, RI

2014000, Jan 2, 2014

Jun 29, 2012

13/538473

Prasanna S. Nirantare - Pune, IN
Vijay Bhavaraju - Germantown WI, US
Tiefu Zhao - Milwaukee WI, US
Jun Xu - Shanghai, CN
Christopher Scott Thompson - Kingston RI, US

H02J 1/10

307 71

A system and method for selectively connecting photovoltaic (PV) arrays of a PV power system in series and parallel arrangements is disclosed. A DC-to-AC power inverter in the PV power system is electrically coupled to a plurality of PV arrays to receive a DC output therefrom and invert the DC output to an AC output, with the DC-to-AC power inverter including a DC link that receives the DC output from the plurality of PV arrays. A contactor arrangement is positioned between the plurality of PV arrays and the DC-to-AC power inverter, with the contactor arrangement including a plurality of contactors that are switchable between an on state and an off state to selectively connect the plurality of PV arrays to the DC-to-AC power inverter in a specified arrangement, so as to control a level of DC voltage received by the DC-to-AC power inverter from the plurality of PV arrays.

2013003, Feb 7, 2013

Aug 4, 2011

13/198094

Christopher Scott Thompson - Kingston RI, US

H02J 1/00

307 71

A system and method for controlling the DC voltage provided to a PV inverter is disclosed. A PV system includes a pair of PV array group configured to generate a direct current (DC) output from received solar irradiation and a DC-to-AC power inverter electrically coupled to the pair of PV array groups to receive the DC output therefrom and invert the DC output to an AC output. The PV system also includes a switching element positioned between the pair of PV array groups and the DC-to-AC power inverter, with the switching element being configured to selectively connect the pair of PV array groups to the DC-to-AC power inverter in one of a series arrangement and a parallel arrangement, so as to control a level of DC voltage received by the DC-to-AC power inverter from the pair of PV array groups.

2014006, Mar 6, 2014

Apr 8, 2013

13/858420

CHARLES J. LUEBKE - HARTLAND WI, US
CHRISTOPHER S. THOMPSON - KINGSTON RI, US

EATON CORPORATION - CLEVELAND OH

H02J 1/10, G05F 5/00

307 82, 323299

A photovoltaic system includes a photovoltaic array and a DC/AC inverter. The photovoltaic array includes an output, a plurality of photovoltaic strings each including a plurality of photovoltaic modules electrically connected in series to form an output having a first direct current voltage, and a plurality of DC/DC converters each including a first maximum power point tracking mechanism for a corresponding one of the photovoltaic strings, an input of the output of the corresponding one of the photovoltaic strings, and an output having a second direct current voltage. Each output of the DC/DC converters is electrically connected in parallel or series to form the output of the photovoltaic array having a direct current voltage. The DC/AC inverter includes a second maximum power point tracking mechanism for the photovoltaic array, an input of the output of the photovoltaic array, and an output having an alternating current voltage.

2013006, Mar 21, 2013

Sep 21, 2011

13/238103

Yu Liu - Milwaukee WI, US
George W. Oughton - Raleigh NC, US
Christopher Scott Thompson - Kingston RI, US

H02J 1/00

307 82

A PV system includes a plurality of PV strings each having an optimal string voltage at which a string output power is maximized. The PV strings are connected to a DC link in a parallel arrangement such that each PV strings operates at a variable DC link voltage. A PV inverter is connected to the DC link to receive a DC output, with the PV inverter controlling the DC link voltage. Delta DC/DC converters are connected to the PV strings, with each DC/DC converter receiving the DC link voltage from the DC link and providing a tuning voltage to the DC link voltage at which its respective PV string operates in order to bring the string voltage for that PV string to its optimal string voltage. The tuning voltage of each delta DC/DC converter is the difference between the DC link voltage and a respective optimal string voltage.

2014007, Mar 13, 2014

Sep 10, 2012

13/607932

Yu Liu - Milwaukee WI, US
Charles John Luebke - Hartland WI, US
Christopher Scott Thompson - Kingston RI, US

G01R 31/14

324510

A PV system includes a plurality of PV strings configured to generate a string output power responsive to received solar irradiation, with a source conductor and a return conductor being provided from the PV strings. One or more DC voltage regulators are electrically connected to the PV strings on at least one of the source or return conductors, with the DC voltage regulator being configured to regulate the voltage of a respective PV string or group of strings. A controller selectively controls a voltage output by the DC voltage regulator and is programmed to periodically cause the DC voltage regulator to alter the voltage of a PV string or group of strings, detect a change in current in the respective PV string(s) responsive to the altering of the voltage, and perform at least one of a PV string degradation detection and causal diagnosis and a grounded conductor fault detection.

2012019, Aug 2, 2012

Jan 27, 2011

13/014768

YU LIU - Milwaukee WI, US
Christopher S. Thompson - Kingston RI, US
Vijay Bhavaraju - Germantown WI, US

H02J 1/10

307151

A power flow regulator includes a plurality of bi-directional DC-DC converters, each of said converters comprising a first input, a second input, a first output and a second output; and a capacitor electrically connected between the first and second inputs of each of said converters. Either the first output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a corresponding DC source and the second output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a common DC load, or the first output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a corresponding DC load and the second output of each of said converters is electrically connected to a common DC source.