Electrical Fault Protection for a Large Photovoltaic Power Plant Inverter.

摘要

Lessons-learned from electrical faults and subsequent fires in the dc wiring of a photovoltaic (PV) power plant have resulted in a more effective fault protection strategy. This paper analyzes the original protection design and describes changes. The zone-of-protection was extended and fault detection and response improved. The results suggest a need for better coordination between dc and ac fault protection philosophies that are commonly applied independently by designers. Design lessons for PV array fault protection are described to assist electrical designers in eliminating fault vulnerabilities from future PV systems. These take into account the unique electrical characteristics of PV generators, including the ''dispersed-'' rather than ''point-source'' and the ''current-'' rather than ''voltage-source'' nature of the PV array. 3 refs., 12 figs. (ERA citation 14:002914)