Transcript Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations

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Chapter 4
System Components and
Configurations
Components • Electricity Sources •
System Configurations
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
PV modules are
connected together to
form an array, which is
the primary powergenerating source and
principal component in
any PV system.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Since the supply of
energy from a PV array
rarely matches the
energy demand at a
given time, some type
of energy storage is
usually required.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
PV systems with battery
storage usually require
more than one battery.
A battery bank is a
group of batteries
connected together to
provide a specific
voltage and capacity.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Flywheel energy storage
systems convert and
store electrical energy as
kinetic (motion) energy in
the rotation of a heavy
rotor.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Supercapacitors store
energy by accumulating
a charge on pairs of thin
foil plates. The plates are
usually wrapped into a
cylinder shape.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Inverters convert DC
power from batteries or
arrays into utility-grade
AC power.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Charge controllers protect
batteries in PV systems
from overcharge or
excessive discharge.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Rectifiers and chargers make AC power from sources
such as the utility or engine generators available for
charging batteries or other DC loads.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Balance-of-system (BOS)
components include all the
mechanical and electrical
parts to connect and secure
the major components.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Engines use reciprocating pistons to create
mechanical power, which is then converted to
electrical power in the generator.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Engine generators are
usually installed as a
complete, integrated
package.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Gas turbines have separate compressor and turbine
sections that work together to send mechanical
power to a generator.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Wind turbines convert the
power of the wind into
electrical energy.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Fuel cells use hydrogen
and oxygen in a process
that transfers electrons
from hydrogen to an
anode and from a
cathode to oxygen. The
byproducts are water and
heat.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
The simplest type of PV
system is the directcoupled system, consisting
of only an array and a DC
load.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Self-regulating systems
avoid the complexity of
adding charge control
components by precisely
sizing the battery and
array.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Systems with charge
control regulate the
charging current into the
battery. Regulation may
involve disconnecting or
dissipating the current
inside the controller or
diverting the excess
current into an auxiliary
load.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Stand-alone systems for AC loads must include an
inverter, which draws DC power from the battery bank
and changes it to AC power for distribution.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
A utility-interactive system is controlled by the
inverter, which adds AC power converted from DC
power to the utility grid power at the main AC power
distribution panel.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Utility-interactive systems have either net-metering or
dual-metering arrangements for exporting electricity
to the utility grid.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Bimodal systems can act
like either a utilityinteractive or a stand-alone
system.
Chapter 4 — System Components and Configurations
Hybrid systems include
power sources other than
the PV array and do not
interact with the utility
grid.