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EP-4742475-A1 - UNIVERSAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM

EP4742475A1EP 4742475 A1EP4742475 A1EP 4742475A1EP-4742475-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multiport power electronics (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) conversion module comprising: - a plurality of sub-modules or elements (2), each sub-module or element (2) comprising a local or conversion controller (5); - a protective structure in which the sub-modules (2) are arranged; said conversion module (1) comprising a central controller or module (6) configured to exchange control data with the corresponding local controllers (5), said central controller (6) also being arranged in the protective structure; each sub-module (2) comprising a converter (7), at least one external AC or DC port (3) and one internal DC connector, said port (3) and said internal DC connector being connected to the converter (7); said conversion module (1) comprising a common DC or pseudo-DC network (4, 8) to which at least two of, preferably all of, the sub-modules (2) are connected via their internal DC connector.

Inventors

  • Joannes, Thierry
  • FREBEL, FABRICE
  • VANEUKEM, Romain
  • THIRION, PIERRE
  • BIDAINE, BENOIT

Assignees

  • CE+T Power Luxembourg SA

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (15)

  1. A multiport power electronics conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) comprising: - a plurality of sub-modules or elements (2), each sub-module or element (2) comprising a local or conversion controller (5); - a protective structure in which the sub-modules (2) are arranged; said conversion module (1) comprising a central controller or module (6) configured to exchange control data with the corresponding local controllers (5), said central controller (6) also being arranged in the protective structure; each sub-module (2) comprising a converter (7), at least one external AC or DC port (3) and one internal DC connector, said port (3) and said internal DC connector being connected to the converter (7); said conversion module (1) comprising a common DC or pseudo-DC network (4, 8) to which at least two of, preferably all of, the sub-modules (2) are connected via their internal DC connector.
  2. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two sub-modules (2) are configured so as not to exchange control data via their respective local controllers (5), control being then centralized via the central controller (6).
  3. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sub-modules (2) are removable.
  4. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 1, characterized in that each conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) comprises a chassis to which each sub-module (2) is attached.
  5. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two sub-modules (2) are configured so as to be connected to each other by mechanical fixings and electrical connections.
  6. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 5, characterized in that the mechanical fixings are of the quick type and the electrical connections are cables or busbars.
  7. The conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) according to claim 1, characterized in that each sub-module (2) comprises an interface (9) including terminals ensuring the transfer of control data between the corresponding local controller (5) and the central controller (6) of the module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) when said sub-module (2) is arranged in the module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...), the respective interfaces (9) being independent of each other.
  8. A power electronics power conversion system (10) comprising at least two conversion modules, a first conversion module (1A) and a second conversion module (1B), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central controller (6) of the first module (1A) and the central controller (6) of the second module (1B) communicate by a link (12) to exchange system management data.
  9. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a system controller for the overall control of an energy station comprising said system.
  10. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one standardized cabinet or bay configured to accommodate one or more rackable conversion modules (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...).
  11. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises for each module a backplane card attached to the cabinet for position control of each module and instantaneous detection of a disconnection or bad connection of a module, the controller of said module interconnecting with the backplane card for digital communication between the modules.
  12. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that each conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) is parallelable with one or more other conversion modules (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...).
  13. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that each conversion module (1, 1A, 1B, 1C, ...) comprises at least two ports and preferably 3 or more ports.
  14. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that it is equipped with a water or air cooling system, forced or natural air, where appropriate of the two-phase type with heat recovery.
  15. The energy conversion system (10) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it covers a medium power range between 5kW and 20MW and preferably between 20kW and 200kW.

Description

Object of the invention The present invention relates to the development and design of energy conversion systems, in particular:backup and storage for various purposes, such as interconnecting renewable sources, electric vehicles, or other loads/sources (e.g., fuel cell, hydrolyzer, micro-turbine), such as precision power supplies for magnets used in research and medicine, or power supplies for generating electric arcs, etc. that are suitable for rack-mountable design, modular, scalable, easy to maintain and robust. Technological background and state of the art In the current context of the deployment of renewable energies and the foreseeable electrification of many energy uses, the needs for interconnection and electrical conversion are increasingly numerous and varied. Thus, the battery energy storage systems (BESS) market is experiencing strong growth to meet the challenges posed by the integration of renewable energies into electricity grids. In this context, the introduction of flexibility in consumption management is crucial for the balancing and stability of electrical networks, while electronic power converters and their digital control are essential to this energy transition. The aforementioned electrical interconnection and conversion needs include, in particular, connection to the public grid or a microgrid using AC and/or DC technology, renewable energy production equipment (solar, wind), battery storage, charging stations for electric vehicles, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for critical loads. Each of these devices is distinguished by specific physical parameters: voltage, current, power curve, response time, etc. (see figure 1 ). It is known that multiple cascading conversions in energy flows degrade efficiency (see figure 1 There are a multitude of conversion suppliers, each with their own specific needs and generally incompatible with each other, not to mention the software. Installation and maintenance are complex without the possibility of prefabrication. Furthermore, in most solutions offered on the market, the grid remains the common element through which all these energy flows are transferred. Consequently, the microgrid is grid-dependent. In the event of a failure, switching to backup mode, even if possible, requires at least a brief service interruption, which is problematic for sensitive loads. The document US2023/0327574A1 discloses a multilevel modular converter and a method for synchronizing the outputs of the converter's submodules. The multilevel modular converter comprises submodules connected in parallel, each generating an output. The multilevel modular converter also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the submodules. The controller manages the flow of one or more synchronization signals between the plurality of submodules, such that each submodule simultaneously receives synchronization signals in opposite directions, thereby controlling the synchronization of the outputs generated by the submodules. The document WO16165718A1 This document discloses a wind turbine converter system comprising inverter controllers and a distributed error-handling system, along with an associated control method. The inverter controllers are connected via a communication bus using one or more communication rings. The communication bus allows a control word to circulate among the inverter controllers. When an inverter controller detects a failure in an associated inverter, it generates a control word indicating the detected failure. This control word, indicative of the detected failure, is then circulated to all other inverter controllers on the communication bus, and the inverter controllers perform a response action to address the specific failure. The document AT501422B1 This document describes an inverter system designed to provide power to a three-phase network, regardless of sunlight. The greater the sunlight, the more energy or power is required to supply the three-phase network. Therefore, individual inverters should be combined according to demand and connected in parallel. For this purpose, a central control unit designates one inverter as the master, and all other inverters as slaves. Single-phase inverters are also grouped into three sets, one per phase, to prevent load imbalances between phases. The document US10720775B2 discloses a conversion module for converting electrical power by means of a conversion circuit comprising at least one semiconductor switch using time-controlled power electronics. The conversion module comprises a housing, a first intermediate circuit connection terminal, and a capacitor located in the housing and connected to the first intermediate circuit connection terminal and to the conversion circuit, said capacitor serving to stabilize a DC voltage applied to the first intermediate circuit connection terminal. The conversion module comprises a second intermediate circuit connection terminal connected to the capacitor and to the first