SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SOLAR CELL ARRANGEMENT ON  A VEHICLE

Vehicles having a plurality of solar cells arranged at an acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The solar cells may having an irregular octagon shape and may be more flexible along one axis of symmetry relative to the other axis of symmetry.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments disclosed herein are generally related to vehicles, and more particularly to solar powered vehicles.

BACKGROUND

In an effort to reduce emissions, automobile manufacturers are looking for alternative methods to power vehicles, such as automobiles. One form of alternative power source is solar power. To make use of solar power, solar cells are typically used. Multiple solar cells can be affixed to the exterior body of the vehicle to harvest energy from the sun and store that energy in batteries on the vehicle.

In order to maximize the generation of electricity, manufacturers attach the solar cells to the vehicle in such a way that places the most cells into the smallest area on the exterior body of the vehicle. Solar cells generally have a rectilinear shape, so manufacturers align the sides of the solar cells with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. That is, the straight sides of the solar cells are aligned to be parallel or orthogonal with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Since solar cells are generally planar and are not very flexible in the directions parallel with the sides of the solar cell, solar cells lack durability and are prone to breaking. The general inflexibility of the solar cells along the primary axes can limit the design choices for the exterior of the vehicle. For example, making the exterior body more rounded, in an effort to reduce wind resistance, can be limited by the inflexibility of the solar cells.

Therefore, an efficient arrangement of solar cells having an improved design with suitable flexibility is required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Certain dimensions and features of the example solar cell arrangement on a vehicle are described herein using the term “approximately.” As used herein, the term “approximately” indicates that each of the described dimensions is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. Unless context or the description indicates otherwise, the use of the term “approximately” in connection with a numerical parameter indicates that the numerical parameter includes variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.

In addition, certain relationships of the solar cell arrangement on a vehicle are described herein using the term “substantially.” As used herein, the terms “substantially” and “substantially equal” indicates that the relationship or equal relationship is not a strict relationship and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. Unless context or the description indicates otherwise, the use of the term “substantially” or “substantially equal” in connection with two or more described dimensions or elements indicates that the equal relationship between the dimensions or elements includes variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit of the dimensions or elements. As used herein, the term “substantially constant” indicates that the constant relationship is not a strict relationship and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. As used herein, the term “substantially parallel” indicates that the parallel relationship is not a strict relationship and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. As used herein, the terms “substantially perpendicular” and “substantially orthogonal” indicate that the perpendicular relationship is not a strict relationship and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom.

FIGS. 1A-1Epresent various views of a solar powered vehicle100, in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure. The term vehicle, as used herein, may refer to any suitable type of automobile, including a consumer vehicle (e.g., sedan, sport utility vehicle, etc.), commercial vehicle (e.g., delivery truck, tractor trailer, etc.), and/or a recreational vehicle. As discussed above, one or more panels that form the exterior of the solar powered vehicle may include one or more solar cells. The one or more panels of the vehicle100having one or more solar cells may include any suitable components of the solar car, such as a roof, hood, trunk lid, door, side panel, windshield, window, sunroof, and/or other body panel.

Referring toFIGS. 1A-1E, the solar powered vehicle100can include a front end102and a distal rear end104. A longitudinal axis A for the vehicle100can extend from the front end102to the rear end104. The vehicle100can also include a hood panel106, a roof panel108, and a rear hatch panel110. In certain examples, each of the hood panel106and rear hatch panel110are pivotable with respect to another portion of the vehicle frame from an open position to a closed position. In addition, the rear hatch panel110can include one or more cameras communicatively coupled to a display in the vehicle interior112for providing a view of the environment behind the vehicle. The vehicle100also includes a vehicle interior112. The vehicle interior112can include one or more passenger seats, a steering wheel, a dashboard114and other components found in conventional automobiles and known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The vehicle100can also include wheels for moving the vehicle along a road surface. In one example, the vehicle100can include a first front wheel116positioned along one lateral side of the vehicle and a second front wheel118positioned along a second lateral side of the vehicle opposite the first lateral side. The vehicle100can also include a rear wheel120. The rear wheel120can be centrally positioned along the rear104of the vehicle100between the first and second lateral sides. While three wheels116-120are shown, this is for example purposes only as more than three wheels can be provided in other example embodiments. For example, two rear wheels can be provided, each positioned along one of the first and second lateral sides of the vehicle100.

The vehicle100can also include one or more doors for accessing the vehicle interior112. In one example, the vehicle includes a first door122positioned along the first lateral side of vehicle100and a second door124positioned along the second lateral side of the vehicle100. In other examples, more or less than two doors122,124can be provided on the vehicle100. Each door122,124can be hingedly coupled to the vehicle frame and can be adjusted from an open position, providing access to the vehicle interior112from the exterior of the vehicle100, to a closed position, preventing access to the vehicle interior112from the exterior of the vehicle100. The vehicle100can also include a windshield126positioned between the hood panel106and the roof panel108and disposed at least partially above the dashboard114.

The vehicle100can also include multiple solar cells130. Solar cells130can be any solar cell known in the art provided it is sufficiently flexible. For example, solar cells130may be amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells, concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells, copper indium gallium selenide (CI(G)S) solar cells, gallium arsenide germanium (GaAs) solar cells, monocrystalline (mono-Si) solar cells, polycrystalline (multi-Si) solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, solid-state solar cells, thin-film (TFSC) solar cells, or another suitable type of solar cell. For example, solar cells130can be MAXEON™ GEN III solar cells from SunPower Corporation, San Jose, Calif., USA.

In one example, the vehicle100can include a first group of solar cells130adisposed along the top surface of the hood panel106. In one example, the number of solar cells130disposed on the hood panel106can be greater than 10 and preferably greater than 20 and more preferably greater than 25. In certain examples, twenty-six solar cells130are in the first group of solar cells130adisposed on the hood panel106of the vehicle. However, greater or lesser numbers of solar cells130may be included in the first group130aand the number can be affected by a change in the size and/or shape of each individual cell130.

The vehicle100can also include a second group of solar cells130bdisposed along the top surface of the dashboard114. In one example, the number of solar cells130disposed on the dashboard114can be greater than 5 and preferably greater than 10 and more preferably greater than 15. In certain examples, twenty solar cells130are in the second group of solar cells130bdisposed on the dashboard114of the vehicle100. However, greater or lesser numbers of solar cells130may be included in the second group130band the number can be affected by a change in the size and/or shape of each individual cell130and the top surface area of the dashboard114.

The vehicle100can also include a third group of solar cells130cdisposed along the top surface of the roof panel108. In one example, the number of solar cells130disposed on the roof panel108can be greater than 10 and preferably greater than 20 and more preferably greater than 25. In certain examples, thirty solar cells130are in the third group of solar cells130cdisposed on the roof panel108of the vehicle100. However, greater or lesser numbers of solar cells130may be included in the third group130cand the number can be affected by a change in the size and/or shape of each individual cell130and the top surface area of the roof panel108.

The vehicle100can also include a fourth group of solar cells130ddisposed along the top surface of the rear hatch panel110. In one example, the number of solar cells130disposed on the rear hatch panel110can be greater than 30 and preferably greater than 50 and more preferably greater than 70. In certain examples, eighty solar cells130are in the fourth group of solar cells130ddisposed on the rear hatch panel110of the vehicle100. However, greater or lesser numbers of solar cells130may be included in the fourth group130dand the number can be affected by a change in the size and/or shape of each individual cell130and the top surface area of the rear hatch panel110.

Each of the solar cells130may be coupled to the respective portions of the vehicle100described above with the use of adhesive or another bonding material. One of a number of coating materials known to those of ordinary skill in the art may then be applied to the top surface of the solar cells130to protect the solar cells130from environmental contaminants. In certain examples, the coating material can have other features, such as anti-reflective features. For example, an anti-reflective feature would be useful on the solar cells130in the second group130bto prevent a glare on the windshield126. The solar cells130may be electrically coupled in series and/or in parallel to other solar cells130on the vehicle.

FIG. 2is a top plan view of a solar cell130for use with the solar powered vehicle100ofFIG. 1A, in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure. Referring now toFIGS. 1A-2, in one example, each solar cell130can have a generally rectangular shape with the corners either cut off or radiused to reduce the potential for breaking the corner areas of the solar cell130, which tend to be weak points. The example solar cell130ofFIG. 2is an in irregular octagon created by removal of the corners of a generally rectangular (e.g., square) cell130. For example, the solar cell130can have a cell body202that has a first long edge204, a second long edge206, a third long edge208, and a fourth long edge210. The first long edge204and the third long edge208are parallel or substantially parallel to one another and orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the second long edge206and the fourth long edge210.

In certain examples, the solar cell130can have corners at the junction of the first long edge204and second long edge206, the second long edge and the third long edge208, the third long edge208and the fourth long edge210, and the fourth long edge210and the first long edge204. In other examples, the solar cell130can include a first short edge212extending from the first long edge204to the second long edge206, a second short edge214extending from the second long edge206to the third long edge208, a third short edge216extending from the third long edge208to the fourth long edge210, and a fourth short edge218extending from the fourth long edge210to the first long edge204.

The solar cell130can have an axis of symmetry B that bisects the first corner and third corner or first short edge212and the third short edge216, an axis of symmetry E that bisects the second corner and fourth corner or the second short edge214and the fourth short edge218, an axis of symmetry C that bisects the first long edge204and the third long edge208, and an axis of symmetry D that bisects the second long edge206and the fourth long edge210. The solar cell130has limited flexibility along its axes of symmetry C and D. Along the axes of symmetry B and E, the solar cell130has greater flexibility than along each of its axes of symmetry C and D. In certain examples, the solar cell130is at least 30% more flexible along the axes of symmetry B and E than along the axes of symmetry C and D.

While conventional vehicles would apply the solar cells with the long edges204-210being parallel and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle, given the improved flexibility along the axes of symmetry B and E, the solar cells are applied on the vehicle at an angle greater than zero degrees to about forty-five degrees, or at substantially forty-five degrees to the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle100. In this forty-five degree offset, one of the short edges212-218faces the front end102of the vehicle100and another one of the short edges212-218faces the rear104of the vehicle100. In this layout, one of the axes of symmetry B and E is parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle100and the other one of the axes of symmetry B and E is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle. Further, in this forty-five degree offset, each of the long edges204-210extend at a forty five degree offset to the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle. In this layout, additional solar cells130are applied such that one of the short edges212-218of a second solar cell130are placed adjacent one of the short edges212-218of the first solar cell130. This layout results in a diamond or argyle design for the solar cells130along the surface of the vehicle100.

As depicted inFIG. 3A, solar cells130may be substantially linear when arranged on a body panel, such as roof panel108. Due to the curvature of the roof panel108, such an arrangement and choice of solar cell may result in one or more edges of the solar cells130to be raised relative to the roof panel. In some embodiments, an encapsulation layer302may be applied to the solar cells130, creating a smooth external surface while protecting the solar cells130. The encapsulation layer may be any suitable material. For example, encapsulation layer302may be a pourable or paintable curable resin, a sheet of curable resin, a rigid plastic or glass panel, or the like.

As depicted inFIG. 3B, the solar cells130may be curved. In some embodiments, the solar cells130have a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the roof panel108. In some embodiments, each of the solar cells130has a unique radius of curvature depending on the curvature of the roof panel108at the position the solar cell is positioned. An encapsulation layer302may be applied to the solar cells130, creating a smooth external surface while protecting the solar cells130.

As shown inFIG. 4, the vehicle100can also include one or more batteries402electrically coupled to the solar cells130and configured to receive the harvested energy from the solar cells130. The one or more batteries402can be positioned along any portion of the vehicle100. The vehicle100can also include an electric motor404electrically coupled to the one or more batteries402and/or the solar cells130. The electric motor404can be operably coupled to a drive system406for the vehicle to provide a drive torque to one or more of the wheels116-120. The vehicle100can also include any other components found in conventional automobiles. These components are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the capability of those skilled in the art to add to the vehicle100as desired.

Though the disclosed examples include a particular arrangements of a number of parts, components, features, and aspects, the disclosure is not limited to only those examples or arrangements. Any one or more of the parts, components, features, and aspects of the disclosure can be employed alone or in other arrangements of any two or more of the same.

Although certain features, functions, components, and parts of the solar powered vehicle100have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.