- #1
Bhend449
- 5
- 2
I'm curious if anyone can validate the efficiency of a multilevel inverter. I've been thinking about them as a better solution for PV conversion. They seem to have many advantages, but when I look at it, a single phase output can seemingly only draw power from, on average, around half of the panels at a time. (Note, I've seen this circuit both with and without the cap. I suppose it could be implied though.)
I keep looking, and I've found a ton of papers describing these things for grid tie systems. Just as a thought experiment, let's say you have 6 panels that have an output voltage (after MPPT and DC-DC boost phases) of 30 V and each can provide 5 amps. So, I've got a peak voltage of 180V which gives me ~120Vrms. Now, the total available power from the panels is 180V*5A = 900W. But, my output power is 120V*5(?)A = 600W. I know that PVs are current limited devices, so I feel like I'm missing something critical. It seems like most of the time you're not providing all of the available power. Someone please tell me exactly how I'm being an idiot.
I keep looking, and I've found a ton of papers describing these things for grid tie systems. Just as a thought experiment, let's say you have 6 panels that have an output voltage (after MPPT and DC-DC boost phases) of 30 V and each can provide 5 amps. So, I've got a peak voltage of 180V which gives me ~120Vrms. Now, the total available power from the panels is 180V*5A = 900W. But, my output power is 120V*5(?)A = 600W. I know that PVs are current limited devices, so I feel like I'm missing something critical. It seems like most of the time you're not providing all of the available power. Someone please tell me exactly how I'm being an idiot.