PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTER

Abstract

A photovoltaic converter for electric power generating panels includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules (5), each comprising a substrate (14), extending along a main direction (D) from a first end to a second end, and a plurality of photovoltaic devices (15), arranged on the substrate (14) in succession along the main direction (D). The photovoltaic converter further includes at least a bridge module (10, 11) insertion-connecting a respective upstream photovoltaic module (5) and a respective downstream photovoltaic module (5).

Claims

1. A photovoltaic converter for electric power generating panels comprising: a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each comprising a substrate, extending along a main direction from a first end to a second end, and a plurality of photovoltaic devices , arranged on the substrate in succession along the main direction; and at least a bridge module insertion-connecting a respective upstream photovoltaic module and a respective downstream photovoltaic module.

2. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic modules are arranged in succession and aligned in a longitudinal direction, according to the respective main directions.

3. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 1, wherein each photovoltaic module comprises an anode connector at the first end of the substrate and a cathode connector at the second end of the substrate and wherein the bridge module is configured to couple to the cathode connector of the respective upstream photovoltaic module and to the anode connector of the respective downstream photovoltaic module.

4. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 3, wherein, in each photovoltaic module, the anode connector comprises a module anode terminal and the cathode connector comprises a module cathode terminal and wherein the photovoltaic devices are series-connected between the module anode terminal and the module cathode terminal

5. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 4, wherein, in each photovoltaic module, the anode connector comprises a first line terminal and a second line terminal and the cathode connector comprises a third line terminal and a fourth line terminal, and wherein each photovoltaic module comprises a first conductive line, extending on substrate between the first line terminal and the third line terminal, and a second conductive line, extending on the substrate between the second line terminal and the fourth line terminal.

6. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 5, wherein the bridge module comprises a first bridge connector and a second bridge connector, each having a respective first bridge terminal, a respective second bridge terminal and a respective third bridge terminal; and wherein the first bridge terminal, the second bridge terminal and the third bridge terminal of the first bridge connector are respectively connected to the first line terminal to the second line terminal and to the module cathode terminal of the upstream photovoltaic module and the first bridge terminal, the second bridge terminal and the third bridge terminal of the second bridge connector are respectively connected to the third line terminal, to the fourth line terminal and to the module anode terminal of the downstream photovoltaic module.

7. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 6, wherein the first bridge terminal and the second bridge terminal of the first bridge connector are respectively connected to the first bridge terminal and to the second bridge terminal of the second bridge connector.

8. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 7, comprising a plurality of bridge modules each connecting a respective upstream photovoltaic module and a respective downstream photovoltaic module.

9. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 8, wherein the bridge modules comprise at least a series bridge module, connecting the respective upstream photovoltaic module and the respective downstream photovoltaic module by a series-type connection.

10. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 9, wherein, in the series bridge module, the third bridge terminal of the first bridge connector is connected to the third bridge terminal of the second bridge connector.

11. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 8, wherein the bridge modules comprise at least a parallel bridge module, connecting the respective upstream photovoltaic module and the respective downstream photovoltaic module by a parallel-type connection.

12. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 11, wherein, in the parallel bridge module, in the first bridge connector the third bridge terminal is connected to the first bridge terminal and in the second bridge connector the third bridge terminal is connected to the second bridge terminal.

13. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 9, wherein the photovoltaic modules comprise at least a first photovoltaic module, a second photovoltaic module and a third photovoltaic module consecutively arranged and wherein the second photovoltaic module is connected to the first photovoltaic module and to the third photovoltaic module through a respective series bridge module and a respective parallel bridge module.

14. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 5, comprising: at least a string defined by a plurality of photovoltaic modules consecutively arranged and connected through at least one of the bridge modules; a string beginning module, connected to the photovoltaic module at a beginning end of the string and having a first distribution connector and a string beginning connector; and a string finishing module, connected to the photovoltaic module at a finishing end of the string and having a second distribution connector and a string finishing connector.

15. The photovoltaic converter according to claim 14, wherein: the first distribution connector and the second distribution connector have a respective first distribution terminal and a respective second distribution terminal, configured for the connection to a grid and/or to user devices; the string beginning connector of the string beginning module has a respective first line terminal connected to the first distribution terminal of the first distribution connector and to the first line terminal of the anode connector of the photovoltaic module at the beginning end of the string, a respective second line terminal connected to the second distribution terminal of the first distribution connector and to the second line terminal of the anode connector of the photovoltaic module at the beginning end of the string and a string anode terminal connected to the module anode terminal of the anode connector of the photovoltaic module at the beginning end of the string; the string finishing connector has a respective first line terminal connected to the first distribution terminal of the second distribution connector and to the third line terminal of the cathode connector of the photovoltaic module at the finishing end of the string, a respective second line terminal connected to the second distribution terminal of the second distribution connector and to the fourth line terminal of the cathode connector of the photovoltaic module at the finishing end of the string and a string cathode terminal connected to the module cathode terminal of the cathode connector of the photovoltaic module at the finishing end of the string.

16. The photovoltaic converter according claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic modules comprise a protection device in parallel to at least one of the photovoltaic devices.

17. An electric power generating panel comprising: a luminescent solar concentrator having a first face, a second face and a perimeter side around the first face and to the second face; the photovoltaic converter according to claim 1 fitted to at least a portion of the perimeter side of the luminescent solar concentrator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] For a better understanding of the invention, some embodiments thereof will now be disclosed, for merely illustrative and non-limiting purposes and with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a solar concentrator comprising a photovoltaic converter;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic view of a photovoltaic converter string of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view from above of a first component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view from above of a variant of the first component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view from below of a second component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0043] FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view from below of a third component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view from below of two samples of the first component and second component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1, during the assembly step;

[0045] FIG. 8 is a side view of two samples of the first component and second component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1 been assembled;

[0046] FIG. 9 is a side view of two samples of a further variant of the first component and second component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1 being been assembled;

[0047] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view from below of a fourth component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view from below of a fifth component of the photovoltaic converter of FIG. 1;

[0049] FIG. 12 is a simplified schematic view of a photovoltaic converter string of FIG. 1 in accordance with a different embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 13 is a simplified schematic view of a photovoltaic converter string of FIG. 1 in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 14 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the string of FIG. 2;

[0052] FIG. 15 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the string of FIG. 12; and

[0053] FIG. 16 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the string of FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0054] With reference to FIG. 1, an electric power generating panel is indicated as a whole by reference number 1 denotes and comprises a luminescent solar concentrator 2 and a photovoltaic converter 3 made according to an embodiment of the present invention. The luminescent solar concentrator 2 is in the form of a slab comprising a matrix made of a material that is transparent or semitransparent to the concerned radiations (such as transparent glass or a transparent polymer material), and one or more photo-luminescent compounds generally selected, for instance, from organic compounds, metal complexes, inorganic compounds (such as, rare-earth elements), quantum dots (QDs). The luminescent solar concentrator 2 has for instance square or rectangular shape, with sides non-limitedly ranging from 50 cm to 100 cm, and has a first face 2a, a second face 2b and perimetral (or lateral) side 2c around the first face 2a and the second face 2b.

[0055] The photovoltaic converter 3 is attached to a portion of the perimeter side of the luminescent solar concentrator 2, for instance two longer sides, so as to receive the luminescence radiation conveyed through the luminescent solar concentrator 2 by total reflection between the first face 2a and the second face 2b until the perimeter side 2c. The photovoltaic converter 3 may be for instance glued, possibly with an interposed optic impedance adapter layer, not shown.

[0056] The photovoltaic converter 3 comprises a plurality of photovoltaic modules 5, which are aligned and arranged in succession along the perimeter side 2c of the luminescent solar concentrator 2. Even though the photovoltaic converter 3 may include even only two photovoltaic modules 5, there is advantageously a higher number thereof. Groups of consecutive photovoltaic modules 5 connected between each other are organised in one or more strings 6, for instance one for each side greater than the perimeter side 2c.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows an example of one of the strings 6 of the photovoltaic converter 3. In addition to photovoltaic modules 5, the string 6 comprises a string beginning module 7, a string finishing module 8 and a plurality of bridge modules, which include series bridge modules 10 and parallel bridge modules 11.

[0058] The string beginning module 7 is connected to a distribution line 12 and is coupled to one of the photovoltaic modules 5 arranged at a beginning end of the string 6. The string finishing module 8 is connected to a distribution line 12 and is coupled to one of the photovoltaic modules 5 arranged at a finishing end of the string 6. The distribution line 12 is used to convey the current generated by the photovoltaic modules 5 towards users and/or a power grid distribution network.

[0059] Each of the series bridge modules 10 and parallel bridge modules 11 connects between each other a respective upstream photovoltaic module 5 (relative to the direction from the string beginning to the string finishing) and a respective downstream photovoltaic module 5.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows one of the photovoltaic modules 5, which will be hereinafter referred to considering that all the photovoltaic modules 5 of the photovoltaic converter 3 have identical structure. The photovoltaic module 5 comprises a substrate 14 extending along a main direction D from a first end to a second end, and a plurality of photovoltaic devices 15, housed on the substrate 14 in succession along the main direction D. The photovoltaic modules 5 of the string 6 are aligned in a longitudinal direction according to the respective main directions D, that are common. For instance, the substrate 14 may be a printed circuit board and the photovoltaic modules 15 may be photovoltaic cells. For merely exemplary and non-limiting purposes, a photovoltaic module 5 may be for instance 25 cm long and its photovoltaic devices 15 may generate as a whole a maximum voltage of 14 V.

[0061] Furthermore, the photovoltaic module 5 comprises an anode connector 17 and a cathode connector 18 respectively at the first end and at the second end of the substrate 14. The anode connector 17 comprises a first line terminal 17a, a second line terminal 17b and a module anode terminal 17c. The cathode connector 18 comprises a third line terminal 18a, a fourth line terminal 18b and a module cathode terminal 18c.

[0062] A first conductive line 20 and a second conductive line 21 extend on the substrate 14 respectively between the first line terminal 17a and the third line terminal 18a and between the second line terminal 17b and the fourth line terminal 18b.

[0063] The photovoltaic devices 15 are connected in series between the module anode terminal 17c and the module cathode terminal 18c. Conductive lines 20, 21 extend in parallel to the succession of the photovoltaic devices 15 on opposite sides thereof, as in FIG. 3, or adjacent one another, as in FIG. 4. Conductive lines 20, 21 may consist also of several conductive layers within the substrate 14 (if the substrate is multilayer) and the connections between terminals and devices may be made by pass-through metallisation or vertical contacts.

[0064] Protection devices 19, such as diodes or thyristors, may be connected in parallel to devices 15, to allow the functioning of the photovoltaic converter 3 even in case of breakdown of the single photovoltaic module 5 or in case of total or partial shading of the photovoltaic module 5 or of the string 6. Each photovoltaic module 5 may comprise a plurality of protection devices 19, each protection device 19 may be connected in parallel to different groups of photovoltaic devices 15.

[0065] The anode connector 17 and the cathode connector 18 are insertion- or interlock-type connectors, in this case of female-type.

[0066] One of the series bridge modules 10, all identical between each other, is shown in FIG. 5. The series bridge module 10 comprises a substrate 22, for instance a printed circuit board, a first bridge connector 23 and a second bridge connector 24, having each a respective first bridge terminal 23a, 24a, a respective second bridge terminal 23b, 24b and a respective third bridge terminal 23c, 24c. The homologous terminals of the first bridge connector 23 and of the second bridge connector 24 are directly connected between each other. Therefore the first bridge terminal 23a, the second bridge terminal 23b and the third bridge terminal 23c of the first bridge connector 23 are directly connected respectively to the first bridge terminal 24a, second bridge terminal 24b, third bridge terminal 24c of the second bridge connector 24. Furthermore, the first bridge connector 23 and the second bridge connector 24 are configured to connect respectively to the cathode connector 18 of the upstream photovoltaic module 5 and to the anode connector 17 of the downstream photovoltaic module 5. Each series bridge module 10 connects the respective upstream photovoltaic module 5 and the respective downstream photovoltaic module 5 with a series-type connection, as shown in FIG. 2. In detail, the first bridge terminal 23a, the second bridge terminal 23b and the third bridge terminal 23c of the first bridge connector 23 are respectively connected to the third line terminal 18a, the fourth line terminal 18b and to the module cathode terminal 18c of the upstream photovoltaic module 5 and the first bridge terminal 24a, the second bridge terminal 24b and the third bridge terminal 24c of the second bridge connector 24 are respectively connected to the first line terminal 17a, the second line terminal 17b and the module anode terminal 17c of the downstream photovoltaic module 5.

[0067] In an embodiment, the series bridge module 10 is electrically and structurally symmetrical (for 180° rotations relative to the centre) and the first bridge connector 23 and the second bridge connector 24 may be equally connected to a respective anode connector 17 or to a respective cathode connector 18. By contrast, if for instance the conductive lines 20, 21 of the photovoltaic modules 5 are not arranged on opposite sides of the photovoltaic devices 15, but are adjacent one another as in FIG. 4, the photovoltaic modules 5 and the series bridge module 10 may be provided with a safety device (not shown) preventing the connection between the first bridge connector 23 and the anode connector 17 and between the second bridge connector 24 and the cathode connector 18.

[0068] One of the parallel bridge modules 11, all identical between each other, is shown in FIG. 6. The parallel bridge module 11 comprises a substrate 25, for instance a printed circuit board, a first bridge connector 27 and a second bridge connector 28, having each a respective first bridge terminal 27a, 28a, a respective second bridge terminal 27b, 28b and a respective third bridge terminal 27c, 28c. The first bridge terminal 27a and the second bridge terminal 27b of the first bridge connector 27 are directly connected respectively to the first bridge terminal 28a and to the second bridge terminal 28b of the second bridge connector 28. Furthermore, in the first bridge connector 27 the third bridge terminal 27c is connected to the first bridge terminal 27a and in the second bridge connector 28 the third bridge terminal 28c is connected to the second bridge terminal 28b.

[0069] The first bridge connector 27 and the second bridge connector 28 are configured to connect respectively to the cathode connector 18 of the upstream photovoltaic module 5 and to the anode connector 17 of the downstream photovoltaic module 5. Each parallel bridge module 11 connects the respective upstream photovoltaic module 5 and the respective downstream photovoltaic module 5 with a parallel-type connection, as shown in FIG. 2. In detail, the first bridge terminal 27a, the second bridge terminal 27b and the third bridge terminal 27c of the first bridge connector 27 are respectively connected to the third line terminal 18a, the fourth line terminal 18b and the module cathode terminal 18c of the upstream photovoltaic module 5 and the first bridge terminal 28a, the second bridge terminal 28b and the third bridge terminal 28c of the second bridge connector 28 are respectively connected to the first line terminal 17a, the second line terminal 17b and the module anode terminal 17c of the downstream photovoltaic module 5.

[0070] In practise, the series bridge modules 10 and the parallel bridge modules 11 connect the first conductive lines 20 of all the photovoltaic modules 5 between each other and all the second conductive lines 21 between each other. Therefore, electrically, the first conductive lines 20 and the second conductive lines 21 are common to the photovoltaic modules 5 of the string 6.

[0071] Each series bridge module 10 connects the photovoltaic devices 15 (module cathode terminal 18c) of the respective upstream photovoltaic module 5 in series to photovoltaic devices 15 (module anode terminal 17c) of the respective downstream module 5.

[0072] Each parallel bridge module 11 connects the module cathode terminal 18c of the upstream photovoltaic module 5 to the second conductive lines 21 (electrically common to all the photovoltaic modules 5 of the string 6) and the module anode terminal 17c of the downstream photovoltaic module 5 to the first conductive lines 20 (electrically common to all the photovoltaic modules 5 of the string 6). In practice, each parallel bridge module 11 defines, in a parallel connection, the connection to the higher potential line of the anode terminal of a photovoltaic module 5 and the connection to the lower potential line of the cathode terminal of an adjacent photovoltaic module 5.

[0073] In the herein described embodiment, the first bridge connector 23 and the second bridge connector 24 of the series bridge modules 10 and of the parallel bridge modules 11 are of the male type and connect to respective female connectors (cathode connector 18 and anode connector 17 respectively) by insertion in parallel to the respective substrate 22 and substrate 14 of the respective photovoltaic modules 5, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The first bridge connector 23 and the second bridge connector 24 may also be of a different type, arranged in a comb-like manner (FIG. 9) by insertion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 22 and substrate 14 of the respective photovoltaic modules 5 into correspondingly oriented female connectors. The connection of the first bridge connector 23 and of the second bridge connector 24 of the series bridge modules 10 and of the parallel bridge modules 11 with the cathode connectors 18 and anode connectors 17 of the photovoltaic modules 5 is in any case obtained without welding.

[0074] The string beginning module 7 (FIG. 10) has a first distribution connector 30, connected to the distribution line 12, and a string beginning connector 31.

[0075] The string beginning connector 31 is coupled to the anode connector 17 of the photovoltaic module 5 at the beginning end of the string 6. With reference to such anode connector 17, the string beginning connector 31 has a respective first line terminal 31a connected to the first line terminal 17a; a respective second line terminal 31b connected to the second line terminal 17b; and a string anode terminal 31c connected to the module anode terminal 17c. Furthermore, the first line terminal 31a and the second line terminal 31b of the string beginning module 7 are respectively connected to a first distribution terminal 30a and a second distribution terminal 30b of the first distribution connector 30.

[0076] The string finishing module 8 (FIG. 11) has a second distribution connector 32, connected to the distribution line 12, and a string finishing connector 33.

[0077] The string finishing connector 33 is coupled to the cathode connector 18 of the photovoltaic module 5 at the finishing end of the string 6. With reference to such cathode connector 18, the string finishing connector 33 has a respective first line terminal 33a connected to the third line terminal 18a; a respective second line terminal 33b connected to the fourth line terminal 18b; and a string cathode terminal 33c connected to the module cathode terminal 18c. Furthermore, the first line terminal 33a and the second line terminal 33b of the string finishing module 8 are respectively connected to a first distribution terminal 32a and a second distribution terminal 32b of the second distribution connector 32.

[0078] Thanks to bridge modules 10, 11, it is possible to combine three or more identical photovoltaic modules 5 between each other when being assembled in an extremely flexible way to obtain voltages and currents required by the specific application. In particular, the photovoltaic module 5 of a same string 6 may be connected in series-parallel combinations (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 14), all in series (FIGS. 12 and 15) or all in parallel (FIGS. 13 and 16) between the first conductive line 20 and the second conductive line 21. In particular, in the configuration of FIGS. 2 and 12 the photovoltaic modules 5 are connected in series in pairs by series bridge modules 10. Furthermore, the consecutive photovoltaic module pairs 5 are connected in parallel between the first conductive line 20 and the second conductive line 21 by parallel bridge modules 11 connected at the beginning and at the finishing of each series of photovoltaic modules 5. It must also be understood that the series may contain any number of photovoltaic modules 5. The number of photovoltaic modules 5 in each series and the number of series of photovoltaic modules 5 respectively determine the maximum voltage and maximum current which the photovoltaic converter 3 is able to supply.

[0079] It is finally clear that modifications and variants can be made to the disclosed photovoltaic converter, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the enclosed claims.