JP2014045605A - Power conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power conditioner capable of stably operating a monitor device by operating the monitor device with system power as a power supply during a normal time and capable of notifying a user of a switching operation to an autonomous operation by operating the monitor device with generated power as a power supply during a power failure.SOLUTION: During a power failure, the power conditioner 1 transmits an autonomous operation switching notification command signal from a control section 10 of the power conditioner 1 to a monitor device 12 and performs a notification for urging a user to promote a switching operation of an interconnection/autonomous operation switching switch 14 with the monitor device 12.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power conditioner used in a photovoltaic power generation system or the like.

  A conventional power conditioner for a solar power generation system includes a monitor device for displaying the amount of generated power, the amount of power sold, and the like, and the monitor device is connected to a control unit of the power conditioner by communication. The monitor device may be provided on the main body of the power conditioner, or may be provided separately from the main body and installed on the wall surface of the living room.

  In paragraph No. 0004 of Patent Document 1 below, power is supplied to operate the monitor device by a first power supply circuit that converts and outputs the generated power. There is disclosed a power conditioner that supplies power for operating a monitor device by a second power supply circuit that converts and outputs the power.

  In addition, the power conditioner of the photovoltaic power generation system is configured to be disconnected from the system at the time of a power failure, and is also provided with a self-sustained operation outlet for supplying power with generated power at the time of a power failure, It is common to provide an operation mode changeover switch for switching between.

Japanese Patent No. 3581093

  In the above conventional power conditioner, when the power supply circuit for supplying power to the monitor device is switched from the first power supply circuit to the second power supply circuit, the power supply of the monitor device may be instantaneously turned off, so that the stable operation of the monitor device is possible. There is a problem in terms of.

  On the other hand, if the monitor device is always operated with commercial grid power, if the power failure occurs, the monitor device cannot display information, and it is self-supporting when a power failure occurs even though it has a self-sustaining operation function. There was no means for notifying the user that there was an appropriate response method such as switching to driving.

  In view of this, the present invention performs a stable operation of the monitor device by operating the monitor device with the system power as a power source during normal times, while operating the monitor device with the generated power as a power source in the event of a power failure. It aims at providing the power conditioner which can alert | report a switching operation to a user.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  That is, the present invention includes a power supply circuit that uses the generated power supplied from the power generation unit as a power source, a control unit that operates based on the output power of the power supply circuit, and an inverter that outputs the generated power in a grid-connected manner. , A monitoring device that operates with the grid power as a power source and is connected to the control unit, a self-sustained operation outlet, and an interconnection / independence for switching to a self-sustained operation that outputs generated power from the inverter via the self-sustained operation outlet An operation switching means and an auxiliary power supply line for supplying power for operating the monitor device using the generated power as a power source, the control unit is a power conditioner configured to be able to detect a power failure of the system power, The control unit is configured to transmit a self-sustained operation switching notification command signal to the monitor device when detecting a power failure of the system power. The monitoring device is configured to notify the user of information for prompting the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching means when receiving the independent operation switching notification command signal. (Claim 1).

  According to the power conditioner of the present invention, since the monitor device operates with the grid power as a power source in normal times, the operation stability of the monitor device is improved, and the monitor device is frequently turned off due to fluctuations in the amount of generated power. It is possible to avoid being reset. On the other hand, in the event of a power failure, by supplying power to the monitor device using the generated power as a power source, the monitor device can be operated even during a power failure, and various information displays can be notified to the user. Since it is possible to notify the user of information for prompting the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching means to the user, it is appropriate to switch to the independent operation even for a user who does not know that there is an independent operation function. Information can be provided.

  The power conditioner according to the present invention includes a relay that opens and closes the power supply line, and the relay is controlled by the control unit so that the auxiliary power supply line is opened during a power outage and the auxiliary power supply line is closed during a power outage. (Claim 2). According to this, at the time of non-power failure (normal time), the monitor device can be operated only by the system power by opening the auxiliary power supply line.

  Furthermore, the control unit can be configured to detect a power failure when communication with the monitoring device is interrupted. According to this, a power failure can be detected with a simple configuration, and the system configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, the said monitoring apparatus can further alert | report the information for prompting | connecting the power plug of an electric load to the said autonomous operation outlet, if the said independent operation switching notification command signal is received. According to this, even if the user does not know that the power supply to the normal outlet is not performed even if the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching means is performed, the power plug of the electric load is connected to the independent operation outlet It is possible to make a notification prompting the user to do so.

  As described above, according to the power conditioner of the first aspect of the present invention, since the monitor device operates with the grid power as a power source during normal operation, the operation stability of the monitor device is improved, and fluctuations in the amount of generated power Therefore, it can be avoided that the power of the monitor apparatus is frequently turned off and reset. On the other hand, in the event of a power failure, by supplying power to the monitor device using the generated power as a power source, the monitor device can be operated even during a power failure, and various information displays can be notified to the user. Since it is possible to notify the user of information for prompting the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching means to the user, it is appropriate to switch to the independent operation even for a user who does not know that there is an independent operation function. Information can be provided.

  Further, according to the power conditioner according to claim 2 of the present invention, the monitor device can be operated only by the system power by opening the auxiliary power supply line at the time of non-power failure (normal time).

  Moreover, according to the power conditioner which concerns on Claim 3 of this invention, a power failure detection can be performed by simple structure, and simplification of a system structure and cost reduction can be aimed at.

  Further, according to the power conditioner according to claim 4 of the present invention, even for a user who does not know that power supply to a normal outlet is not performed even when the interconnection / independent operation switching means is switched. It is possible to make a notification prompting the user to connect the power plug of the electric load to the self-sustained operation outlet.

It is a schematic block diagram of a solar cell power generation system provided with the power conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the effect | action of the power generation system. It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the effect | action of the power generation system. It is a flowchart which shows the control flow of the notification function at the time of a power failure of the power conditioner. It is a schematic block diagram of a solar cell power generation system provided with the power conditioner which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a solar cell power generation system including a power conditioner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The power generation system includes a power generation unit 2 mainly composed of a solar cell panel, and the power generation It is mainly composed of a power conditioner 1 that converts the DC generated power obtained by the unit 2 into AC power linked to the system power and outputs the AC power to the single-phase three-wire local wiring 3. The on-site load 4 (home load) is connected to the on-site wiring 3 that receives power supply from the commercial power system 5 and the power conditioner 1, and if the consumed power amount of the on-site load 4 is less than the generated power amount, the generated power is consumed by the generated power. And the surplus power is allowed to flow back to the commercial power system 5 so that the power can be sold. On the other hand, if the power consumption of the on-site load 4 exceeds the generated power amount 5, the shortage will be reduced to the commercial power system 5 It is configured to compensate by the grid power flowing from Although not shown, in general, a lead-in line from the commercial power system 5 is connected to the premises wiring 4 via an ampere breaker and a main breaker (earth leakage breaker), and for each installation area of the outlet. A branch breaker (safety breaker) is further provided, and a local load 4 is connected to each outlet.

  The power conditioner 1 includes a DC / DC converter 6 that rectifies and boosts the generated power supplied from the power generation unit 2 and outputs it, and AC power that connects the output of the converter 6 to commercial power during grid connection operation. Inverter 7 for converting and outputting to premises wiring 4 and outputting AC power for autonomous operation to autonomous operation outlet 13 during independent operation, circuit breaker 8 for disconnecting power conditioner 1 from the system, inverter A drive circuit 9 for driving 7, a control unit 10 mainly composed of a high-performance microcomputer, a power supply circuit 11 for outputting DC power necessary for each of the above circuits using the power generated by the power generation unit 2 as a power source, and a user Monitor device 12 for displaying various information such as the amount of generated power and the amount of power sold, and for switching between grid-connected operation and independent operation And interconnection / autonomous operation switch 14, and a auxiliary power supply line 15 for supplying the output power of the power supply circuit 11 to the monitor device 12 in the event of a power failure, a relay 16 for opening and closing the fed-wire 15.

  Components other than the monitor device 12 are built in the main body, and the monitor device 12 is configured separately from the main body and installed on the wall surface of the living room. The monitor device 12 is connected to the premises wiring 3 and operates using system power as a power source. The monitor device 12 includes a power supply circuit 12a that converts AC system power into low-voltage DC power, a control unit 12b, and a liquid crystal display device. The control unit 12b and the display unit 12c are operated by receiving power supply from the power supply circuit 12a, and the display unit 12c is controlled by the control unit 12b. Moreover, although not shown in figure, the monitor apparatus 12 can be provided with audio | voice output parts, such as a speaker, and can alert | report an alarm sound and various audio guidance from an audio | voice output part by the control part 12b.

  The auxiliary power supply line 15 is used to supply power to the monitor device 12 using generated power in the event of a power failure. In this embodiment, the low-voltage output power of the power supply circuit 11 is used as the output of the power supply circuit 12a of the monitor device 12. The control unit 12b and the display unit 12c of the monitor device 12 are configured to be operable by electric power supplied in parallel and supplied from the power supply circuit 11 of the power conditioner 1.

  The control unit 10 controls the inverter 7 through the drive circuit 9 by controlling the inverter 7 through an output suppression control function that suppresses the active power of the AC power output from the inverter 7 mainly by controlling the output of the converter 6. Reactive power control function for performing power factor control of AC power output from the power supply, and disconnection control function for disconnecting the power conditioner 1 from the system by operating the circuit breaker 8 when a predetermined disconnection condition is satisfied It has. The control unit 10 calculates various types of information such as the amount of generated power and the amount of purchased electric power based on information from various sensors, and is connected to the control unit 12b of the monitor device 12 for appropriate communication such as packet communication. Various types of information are transmitted to the monitor device 12 by a method.

  In addition, the control unit 10 prompts the user to perform a switching operation to a self-sustained operation via the monitor device 12 when the power failure detection function determines that a power failure has occurred due to the communication with the monitor device 12 being interrupted. And a power failure notification function for reporting information. When the power failure is not detected by the control unit 10, the relay 16 is controlled to open the auxiliary power supply line 15. When the power failure occurs when the monitor device 12 is operated only by the grid power. The monitor device 12 is temporarily turned off, and communication with the power conditioner 1 is interrupted.

  FIG. 4 shows a control flow of the power failure notification function. When the control unit 10 detects a power failure, first, the power conditioner 1 is disconnected from the system by opening the circuit breaker 8 as shown in FIG. By controlling the relay 16 so as to close the auxiliary power supply line 15, power supply based on the generated power to the monitor device 12 is performed, and the monitor device 12 is activated (step S <b> 1).

  Next, a predetermined autonomous operation switching notification command signal is transmitted from the control unit 10 of the power conditioner 1 to the control unit 12b of the monitor device 12 (step S2). When the monitoring device 12 receives the independent operation switching notification command signal, the information for prompting the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching switch 14 and the information for prompting to connect the power plug of the electric load to the independent operation outlet Is notified to the user via the display unit 12c and / or the sound generator. Specifically, for example, the screen display and voice guidance such as “Operate the independent operation changeover switch to switch to independent operation and connect the connection plug of the electrical device you are using to the autonomous operation outlet.” In addition, it can also be notified by a diagram showing a state of switching a switch or a diagram showing a state of inserting an outlet.

  The controller 10 issues the above notification command until it detects that the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation changeover switch 14 has been performed, and starts autonomous operation control when it detects that the switching operation has been performed (step S3: Yes → Step S4), as shown in FIG. 3, the generated power output from the inverter 7 is supplied to the electric load via the connection plug 17 connected to the self-sustained operation outlet 13. Further, even during the autonomous operation, various types of information are transmitted from the control unit 10 to the monitor device 12, and the monitor device 12 can be configured to display the autonomous operation status to the user.

  The monitoring device 12 detects that the power failure has been resolved by monitoring the system voltage in the premises wiring 3, and notifies the user to return the power conditioner 1 to the grid connection operation when the power failure is resolved. It is preferable to configure as described above.

  According to the power conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment described above, since the monitor device 12 operates with the grid power as a power source during normal operation, the operation stability of the monitor device 12 is improved, and every evening due to fluctuations in the amount of generated power. In addition, there is no problem that the power of the monitor device 12 is once reset and reset. On the other hand, at the time of a power failure, by supplying power to the monitor device 12 using the generated power as a power source via the auxiliary power supply line 15, the monitor device 12 is operated even at the time of a power failure to notify the user such as various information displays. In particular, it is possible to notify the user of information for prompting the switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching switch and information for prompting the user to connect the connection plug to the independent operation outlet. Appropriate information for switching to the autonomous operation can be provided even to a user who does not know the existence of the function or the existence of the autonomous operation outlet.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the design can be changed as appropriate. For example, as the power generation unit, a fuel cell, a gas engine generator, or the like can be used in addition to a solar cell. Further, the power supply circuit may be incorporated on the same substrate as the control unit. In addition, the interconnection / independent operation switching means can be an electronic switch whose setting can be switched by operating an operation panel provided in the monitor device, instead of a mechanical switch. A relay device controlled by the control unit is provided between the operation outlet and the relay device is controlled in accordance with the switching of the electronic switch so as to start / stop power supply to the independent operation outlet. You can also. Instead of a configuration in which the user directly operates the interconnection / independent operation switching switch 14, the power conditioner 1 further includes an operation switch for independent operation switching, and an input signal based on an operation on the operation switch is sent to the control unit 10. The interconnection / independent operation changeover switch 14 may be opened and closed under the control of the control unit 10.

  Further, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the power supply circuit 11 of the power conditioner 1 may be configured to acquire the generated power from the upstream side (the power generation unit 2 side) of the converter 6. Further, although not shown, a second power supply circuit that converts and outputs DC power for operating the control unit 10 using the system power as a power source when there is no power generated by the power generation unit 2 such as at night is provided. Good.

  In addition, the converter is not necessarily built in the power conditioner, and a rectifier / boost device corresponding to the converter may be separately provided between the power generation unit and the power conditioner.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power conditioner 2 Electric power generation part 5 Commercial electric power system 7 Inverter 8 Circuit breaker 10 Control part 11 Power supply circuit 12 Monitor apparatus 13 Self-sustained operation outlet 14 Linkage / independent operation switching means 15 Auxiliary power supply line 16 Relay 17 Connection plug

Claims (4)

A power supply circuit that uses the generated power supplied from the power generation unit as a power source, a control unit that operates by the output power of the power supply circuit, an inverter that outputs the generated power connected to the grid power, and the grid power as a power source A monitoring device that operates and is connected in communication with the control unit, a self-sustained operation outlet, and a connected / independent operation switching means for switching to a self-sustained operation that outputs generated power from the inverter via the self-sustained operation outlet; An auxiliary power supply line that supplies power for operating the monitor device using generated power as a power source, and the control unit is a power conditioner configured to be able to detect a power failure of the system power,
The control unit is configured to transmit a self-sustained operation switching notification command signal to the monitor device when detecting a power failure of the system power, and the monitor device receives a self-sustained operation switch notification command signal to the user. A power conditioner configured to notify information for prompting a switching operation of the interconnection / independent operation switching means.   The power conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a relay that opens and closes the power supply line, and the relay is controlled by the control unit so that the auxiliary power supply line is opened during a power outage and the auxiliary power supply line is closed during a power outage. Power conditioner characterized by that.   The power conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a power failure when communication with the monitor device is interrupted.   4. The power conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the monitor device receives information for prompting to connect a power plug of an electric load to the independent operation outlet when receiving the independent operation switching notification command signal. 5. In addition, a power conditioner characterized by notification.

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