Solar power modules require bypass diodes for partial shading conditions.
Schottky diodes are traditionally used because of their relatively low forward
voltage drop. But Schottky diodes are notoriously unreliable.
One well-known solution is to replace the Schottky diodes with active diodes.
And active diode basically consists
of a power MOSFET that is used as a
switch, and a control circuit that turns the MOSFET on and off to simulate
an
"ideal" diode. There are some active diode products on the market, but
they are fairly expensive.
I've developed a low-cost active bypass diode circuit. I want
to sell the
pending U.S. non-provisional utility patent application. Here is a link
to the published
patent application:
