TECHNICAL GUIDE

GFDI Solution

Version:V1.2

DD\MM\YY:11\03\2017

PV Inverter Product Line

TBEA XI’AN ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

Add: NO.70, Shanglinyuan 4th Road, High-tech Zone, Xi’an, China，PC:710119

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CONTENTS

1. GFDI DEFINITION ........................................................................................................................................ 2

2. PV DC GROUND FAULT PERFORMANCE AND THE NECESSITY OF GFDI ......................................................... 3

2.1 ANALYSIS OF DC SIDE SUSPENSION SYSTEM .......................................................................................................... 3

2.2 ANALYSIS OF DC SIDE NEGATIVE GROUNDING SYSTEM .............................................................................................. 4

3. TBEA DC GROUNDING PROTECTION SOLUTIONS ........................................................................................ 5

3.1 DC SUSPENSION SYSTEM GFDI SOLUTION ............................................................................................................ 5

3.2 DC SIDE NEGATIVE GROUNDING SYSTEM GFDI SOLUTION ......................................................................................... 6

3.3 DC SIDE NEGATIVE GROUNDING IN PARALLEL SYSTEM GFDI SCHEME ........................................................................... 9

4. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 10

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1. GFDI Definition

GFDI---PV Ground-Fault Detector/ Interrupter.

GFDI is a DC ground fault detection and protection system.

GFDI Role: When the DC side ground fault occurs in the PV system, GFDI can

rapidly detect the fault, and order the inverter to take the necessary protective

measures to avoid more serious secondary faults may caused by the DC ground

fault.

UL1741 standard description of GFDI: GFDI is a device that checks ground

faults and prevents ground faults. UL1741 requires inverter should be equipped

with DC GFDI。

DC GFDI should have the following functions:

Sense a ground fault;

Interrupt the ground-fault current path;

Provide an indication of the fault;

Isolate the faulty part or prevent the inverter from supplying power to the grid;

DC GFDI can be part of the inverter, and can also be provided at the time of

installation. If it need to be installed on site, it should be mentioned in the

installation manual.

According to UL1741 standard description, to complete the GFDI function by a

special GFDI device or by other means both are allowed. Our insulation resistance

detection solution is also a reliable GFDI solution.

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2. PV DC Ground Fault Performance and the Necessity of GFDI

Based on different connection way of PV array, DC side short-circuit fault

characterization will be different. The result caused by fault is also different.

First of all, we need to study the performance of different systems with PV

grounded, to assess the safety of the system after grounding, thus to determine the

necessity of GFDI device.

2.1 Analysis of DC Side Suspension System

Parasitic parameter PV Ground-Fault

PV+

PV-

GND

Figure 1 DC suspension system grounding circuit schematic

As shown in Figure 1, since the DC side of the conventional inverter is in the

floating state, the positive bus and the negative bus are not directly connected to

GND. Therefore, when the ground fault occurs, the grounding circuit needs to be

closed by the parasitic parameters of the PV array, so its ground current does not

soar rapidly. But in this case, the system's safety will be significantly reduced.

Risk of electric shock to the operator will increase.

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So the inverter should have the ability to detect DC ground fault, and must

execute fault protection timely. Above all, GFDI function is essential.

2.2 Analysis of DC side negative grounding system

In recent years the PID effect of PV modules has been paid more and more

attention. In order to suppress the PID effect, a system solution with DC negative

grounding is proposed. This solution can effectively avoid the occurrence of PID

effect, but at the same time will reduce the safety of PV array

Parasitic parameter PV Ground-Fault

PV+

PV-

GND

Figure 2 DC side negative grounding system positive ground circuit schematic

As shown in Figure 2, when the positive bus of negative grounding system

connects to ground, regardless of the cause of the fault, positive pole and negative

pole of the bus capacitor will be connected.

If the grounding object is a good conductor, then there will be larger fault current

flow through the system fault circuit, which will cause the system fire accident; if

such as ground fault is due to personnel electric shock, if it cut the fault circuit

should be interrupt in time, otherwise people will touch the high voltage and then
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get an serious electric shock. Therefore, for the negative grounding system, GFDI

function is essential.

3. TBEA DC Grounding Protection Solutions

3.1 DC Suspension System GFDI solution

According to the analysis of Section 2.1, it can be seen that in the DC side

suspension system, a DC side bus ground fault may not cause the harmful result

immediately, but it will surely reduce the safety of the system. So the DC

suspension system need less rapidity. (Note: thus mainly to illustrate that the

suspension system is not necessary to require more real-time)

Parasitic parameter to MCU PV Ground-Fault

PV+

insulation
resistance
detection

PV-

GND

Figure 3 Suspension system protection

Because in the DC suspension system, there is no real wire between PV+ or PV-

and ground, so the GFDI method by directly detecting the ground wire leakage

current is not feasible in this system. Fortunately, TBEA have found a indirect

method and completed the GFDI function in TBEA inverter. the detection solution

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principle is shown in Figure 3.

It can be seen from Figure 3, the inverter with internal insulation impedance

detection board will detect some voltage such as PV+ to GND voltage(named

Upv+), PV- to GND voltage(named Upv-) and PV+ to Upv- voltage(Upv).

In the system without DC ground fault, due to the symmetry of the parameters

of the PV array to ground, approximate meet

Upv+ = Upv- = Upv / 2.

When positive pole of system is grounded, the Upv+ voltage is 0. while when

negative pole of the system is grounded, the Upv- voltage is 0.

Therefore, by detecting the bus to ground voltage the inverter can sense bus

ground fault in real time. When the insulation impedance detected by the inverter

is low enough, it means a ground fault occurs, then inverter will shut down and

trip DCS.

3.2 DC side negative grounding system GFDI solution

Option A: UL model GFDI solution

According to the description of Section 2.2, GFDI is indispensable in the

negative grounding system, and it require more rapadity. The UL inverter of

TBEA completes the GFDI function by directly monitoring the grounding line

leakage current. The monitoring principle shown in Figure 4:

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Parasitic parameter PV Ground-Fault PV+

PV-
GFDI

GND

Figure 4 GFDI installation instructions

Figure 4, GFDI equipment is in series connection with the system grounding

branch, the device monitors the grounded branch current of the system in real time.

Once a ground fault occurs, the GFDI equipment will rapidly detect this fault,

interrupt fault path and tell inverter to shut down.

PV-
to MCU to DCS

Resistor

Grounding switch

Fuse
GFDI
Leakage current
detection Hall
GND

Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the GFDI device

The principle of GFDI equipment is shown in Figure 5. There are grounding

switch, fuse, leakage current detection Hall in the ground branch. When the
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ground current is above limit, the grounding branch fuse will directly be broken,

GFDI equipment will rapidly detect this change and immediately trip the ground

switch, send a shutdown command to the main MCU, also send a trip command

to the DCS. When the leakage current is not enough to make fuse broken, the

GFDI also can detect branch current by leakage current detection Hall, and keep

real-time communication with the main MCU about the branch current value,

when the current is larger than the threshold, GFDI will immediately trip the

ground switch, send a shutdown command to the main MCU, also send a trip

command to the DCS.

Option B: Insulation impedance detection solution

According to UL1741 standard description about the GFDI function, our current

insulation impedance detection function can also complete the GFDI function as

shown in Figure 6. Insulation impedance module provides real-time detection of

the positive to ground voltage, when the positive ground occurs, the insulation

impedance module will detect the changes of the positive to ground voltage. the

system protection strategy will be triggered according to the voltage change.

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Parasitic parameter to MCU PV Ground-Fault

PV+

insulation
resistance
detection
PV-

GND

Figure 6 Negative grounding system insulation impedance detection completed GFDI function

3.3 DC side negative grounding in parallel system GFDI scheme

MCCB
DQ1
PV1+
IGBT module
MCCB
DQ8
PV8+ U5
U3 EMC
L1 Magnetic KM1 filter QF1
Reactor ring Contactor MCCB

PV1-

PV8- C1
AC Capacitor
T1
SPD

A
B
MCCB C
DQ9
PV1+ IGBT module
MCCB
DQ16
PV8+ U6
U4 EMC
L2 Magnetic KM2 filter QF2
Reactor ring Contactor MCCB
T3
AC SPD

PV1-

PV8-
C2
AC Capacitor
T2
SPD

Figure 7 Negative grounded paralleled system

When two 500kW negative grounded models are required to operate in parallel

on a double-winding transformer, they can be implemented as shown in Figure 7.

the double-winding transformer does not have the ability to isolate the loop

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current. So in order to prevent the system loop current from flowing through the

ground branch, the negative pole of the two inverter will be connected before

grounding, thus the two inverters using only one grounding device. In this way,

the system loop current will not flow through the ground branch, and will not lead

to ground branch fuse malfunction.

4. Conclusion

First of all, this paper describes the function of GFDI based on UL1741. Then,

by analyzing the fault performance of DC grounding fault under different PV

systems it shows that GFDI function is an indispensable part of inverter system.

Finally, TBEA has given GFDI solutions for different PV system, and explained

the basic principles of the solutions and proved its feasibility.

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