US 12,366,875 B2
Systems and methods for quick dissipation of stored energy from input capacitors of power inverters
Daniel Eizips, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Mordechay Avrutsky, Alfei Menashe (IL); and Sergey Kondrashov, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to Tigo Energy, Inc., Campbell, CA (US)
Filed by Tigo Energy, Inc., Campbell, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/360,583.
Application 18/360,583 is a continuation of application No. 17/886,338, filed on Aug. 11, 2022, granted, now 11,720,135.
Application 17/886,338 is a continuation of application No. 16/841,408, filed on Apr. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,437,820, issued on Sep. 6, 2022.
Application 16/841,408 is a continuation of application No. 15/159,699, filed on May 19, 2016, granted, now 10,615,607, issued on Apr. 7, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/165,672, filed on May 22, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0367349 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G05F 1/67 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/32 (2007.01)
CPC G05F 1/67 (2013.01) [H02J 3/38 (2013.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); H02M 3/1582 (2013.01); H02J 2300/26 (2020.01); H02M 1/322 (2021.05); Y02E 10/56 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photovoltaic system for connecting to an inverter, the photovoltaic system comprising:
at least one photovoltaic module; and
a controller coupled between the inverter and the at least one photovoltaic module, wherein the controller includes:
a microcontroller unit (MCU) configured to control a converter to allow the at least one photovoltaic module to operate at a maximum power point,
wherein the controller is configured to, based upon one or more triggers associated with a detected condition, automatically dissipate excess energy stored in an input capacitor in one or more photodiodes of the at least one photovoltaic module;
wherein the controller is configured to change a duty cycle of the converter until there is insufficient power on the inverter side to sustain a reverse mode.