A TRIMODE POWER PROCESSOR TO OPTIMIZE PHOTOVOLTAIC, BATTERY, AND DIESEL-GENERATOR SOURCES FOR ECONOMIC STAND-ALONE POWER PLANTS

A HYBRID POWER PLANT, CONSISTING OF A DIESEL GENERATOR, A BATTERY FOR ENERGY STORAGE, A PHOTO-VOLTAIC ARRAY OR OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE, AND AN INVERTER/BATTERY CHARGER, WILL BE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE BOTH WITHIN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPING WORLD WHERE RURAL AREAS ARE STARVING FOR QUALITY POWER. AT PRESENT DIESEL GENERATORS RUN CONTINUOUSLY; THE NEW HYBRID POWER PLANTS WILL TRANSFER POWER SOURCES BETWEEN THE DIESEL GENERATOR AND THE INVERTER AT LEAST DAILY. THE PLANNED PHASE I RESEARCH METHODICALLY APPROACHES THE CONTROL OF THE INVERTER SO THAT THE TRANSFER OF POWER IS A SMOOTH PROCESS. AN ADAPTIVE CONTROLLER FOR THE INVERTER/BATTERY CHARGER WILL MEASURE AND STORE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A DIESEL GENERATOR IN THE FIELD AND ADJUST THE TRANSFER OF POWER BY OPERATING THE INVERTER IN PARALLEL WITH THE DIESEL GENERATOR FOR A FEW SECONDS AT EACH POWER TRANSFER. THE SUCCESS OF PHASE I WILL BE DEMONSTRATED WITH COMPUTER SIMULATIONS THAT PREDICT PROPER OPERATION BOTH IN THE STEADY STATE AND DURING ALL POWER TRANSFERS.