US 11,886,217 B2
Control device and solar power generation system
Ryo Ogura, Osaka (JP); Tomoko Endo, Arlington Heights, IL (US); Erica Martin, Village of Lakewood, IL (US); and Tsuyoshi Uchida, Bartlett, IL (US)
Assigned to OMRON CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/435,038
Filed by OMRON Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 14, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/010540
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 31, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/183700, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0137657 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. G05F 1/06 (2006.01); H02J 3/00 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01); G05F 1/67 (2006.01)
CPC G05F 1/67 (2013.01) [H02J 3/007 (2020.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); H02J 2300/26 (2020.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar power generation system, comprising:
a plurality of solar cell module groups connected in series with each other, each of the plurality of solar cell module groups including, respectively, a plurality of solar cell modules;
an inverter connected to the plurality of solar cell module groups, the inverter configured to convert DC power generated by the plurality of solar cell modules included in the solar cell module groups into AC power; and
control devices respectively installed in the plurality of solar cell module groups, each of the control devices configured to control a respective one of the plurality of solar cell module groups by MPPT control, the control devices each including
an opening/closing unit comprising a semiconductor relay and a mechanical relay and being configured to open and close a connection between the respective one of the plurality of solar cell module groups and the inverter, and
a control unit configured to control opening and closing of the opening/closing unit in response to a control signal from the inverter, wherein
in a case of connecting a given one of the plurality of solar cell module groups and the inverter, the respective control unit turns ON the respective semiconductor relay to turn ON the respective mechanical relay, and then turns OFF the respective semiconductor relay while the respective mechanical relay is in an ON state, and in a case of cutting off the connection between the plurality of solar cell module groups and the inverter, the control unit turns ON the respective semiconductor relay to turn OFF the respective mechanical relay, and then turns OFF the respective semiconductor relay while the respective mechanical relay is in an OFF state.