US 12,394,988 B2
System and methods for controlling photovoltaic-powered hydrogen production plants
Anil Kumar Adapa, Tadepalligudem (IN); Gregory Kern, Arlington, CA (US); Rasool Aghatehrani, Redwood City, CA (US); Arne Ballantine, Incline Village, NV (US); and Vidya Rangaswamy, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Ohmium International, Inc., Newark, CA (US)
Filed by Ohmium International, Inc., Newark, CA (US)
Filed on May 16, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/666,241.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/466,951, filed on May 16, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0388101 A1, Nov. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02J 3/46 (2006.01); H02S 40/30 (2014.01)
CPC H02J 3/381 (2013.01) [H02J 3/46 (2013.01); H02S 40/30 (2014.12); H02J 2300/26 (2020.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling a photovoltaic (PV)-powered hydrogen production plant comprising:
a plurality of PV modules to receive sunlight and output DC power, wherein the at least two PV modules are combined in series as a PV string;
a plurality of PV combiners to receive DC power from at least two PV modules of the plurality of PV modules and output combined DC power;
at least one PV re-combiner to receive combined DC power from at least two PV combiners of the plurality of PV combiners and output re-combined DC power;
at least one PV converter comprising at least one DC-to-DC power converter to receive re-combined DC power and output regulated DC power, the regulated DC power having regulated output current and/or voltage;
at least one power cabinet comprising at least one additional DC-to-DC power converter to receive regulated DC power from the at least one PV converter and provide further regulated DC power to an electrolyzer stack, the further regulated DC power having further regulated output current and/or voltage; and
at least one controller to control the at least one PV converter and the at least one power cabinet to match the regulated DC power and further regulated DC power to requirements of the electrolyzer stack.