Patent Publication Number: US-2023158977-A1

Title: Solar awning for an electric power generation system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an electric power generation system including a solar awning to be carried by a vehicle that is either self-powered or towed behind a lead vehicle so that solar energy is received by solar panels of the solar awning and converted to an AC or a DC voltage for battery storage for performing any of a variety of applications. The solar awning is mounted on the roof of the vehicle and adapted to be folded between a compact closed configuration at night and an expanded open configuration for maximum exposure to the sun during the day. 
     2. Background Art 
     Solar power systems have been used to provide power for off-grid (i.e., stand-alone) household applications, on-grid (i.e., electric utility grid-feed) applications, and hybrid (i.e., with battery storage) applications. Conventional solar power systems typically include an array of solar panels that convert solar energy (i.e., sunlight) to DC power by what is commonly referred to as the photovoltaic effect. This DC power can be stored by a battery for use later on or supplied to a solar inverter where it is converted to AC power to operate electrical appliances or to be fed back to the grid maintained by an electrical utility in order to reduce a consumer&#39;s electrical utility bill. 
     It is known to mount an array of solar panels on the roof of a motor vehicle at which to receive energy generated by the sun. However, such solar panel arrays are fixed in place on the vehicle roof so that their orientation relative to the sun cannot be changed whether the vehicle is moving or stationary or whether there is bright sunlight during the day or darkness due to cloudy weather conditions or when the vehicle is parked in the shade. In this same regard, the sun-facing area of the conventional rooftop solar arrays that are exposed to the sun cannot be expanded to take advantage of bright sunlight conditions during the day or reduced during darkness or night time conditions. Therefore, the power that is produced by the conventional vehicle mounted solar array is undesirably limited in the brightest daylight conditions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general terms, a solar awning is disclosed to be carried by a motor vehicle whether the vehicle is self-powered or towed behind a lead vehicle. The solar awning is part of an electric power generation system to provide power for storage by a bank of rechargeable (e.g., lithium) batteries located within the vehicle, or to run a variety of external household appliances, or to be fed back to the grid of an electrical utility to reduce the power bill of a consumer. 
     The solar awning herein disclosed includes a solar base that is connected by fasteners to the roof of the vehicle. A pair of solar arms are pivotally attached by hinges to opposite sides of the solar base. Each of the solar base and the solar arms of the solar awning includes an array of solar panels that are adapted to convert sunlight to DC power. The solar awning is capable of being manually manipulated between an opened expanded configuration and a closed compact configuration. When there is bright sunlight, the solar awning is unfolded to its open expanded configuration. In this case, the solar arms are positioned so as to lie coplanar with and extend laterally from the solar base so that the solar awning has a maximum exposure to the sun. Removable struts extending from the opposite sides of the vehicle hold the solar arms up and side-by-side the solar base. During the night or if the vehicle is parked in the shade, the solar awning is folded to its closed compact configuration. In this case, the solar arms are rotated at the hinges downwardly relative to the solar base so as to lie alongside the vehicle, whereby the solar awning has a minimal exposure to the sun. 
     The electric power generation system of which the solar awning is a part also includes a set of wind driven generators that are attached to the roof of the vehicle adjacent the solar awnings. The solar generators rotate in response to a windy condition to provide an additional supply of DC power. Mounted on the bottom of the vehicle is a set of wheel driven generators that are coupled by linking arms to respective ones of the wheels of the vehicle. The shafts of the wheel driven generators rotate in response to the rotation of the wheels while the vehicle is in motion to provide another supply of DC power. The DC power produced by the solar awning, the set of solar generators and the set of wheel driven generators can be supplied to and stored by a bank of rechargeable batteries carried by the vehicle for future use. In the alternative, the DC power can be supplied to a power supply control system having a solar inverter which converts the DC power to AC power. An electricity switchboard of the power supply control system directs the AC power from the solar inverter to any one of a variety of applications such as external household appliances or feeding the grid of an electric utility. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    shows a vehicle being towed with an electric power generation system attached to the roof of the vehicle and including a plurality of wind driven generators and a solar awning that is folded in a compact collapsed configuration; 
         FIG.  2    shows the vehicle being towed in  FIG.  1    with the solar awning of the electric power generation system unfolded to an expanded open configuration; 
         FIG.  3    shows a plurality of wheel driven generators of the electric power generation system attached to the bottom of the vehicle being towed and coupled to the wheels thereof; 
         FIG.  4    shows the interior of the vehicle being towed and the electric power generation system including a bank of storage batteries and a solar inverter; and 
         FIG.  5    illustrates the optional distribution of the power that is produced by the electric power generation system. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIGS.  1  and  2    show a vehicle  50  having attached thereto an electric power generation system which includes a solar awning  1 . Although the vehicle  50  pictured is a recreational vehicle, it is to be understood that other vehicles, such as a van, camper, trailer, or the like, may be substituted therefor. As will soon be explained, the solar awning  1  of the power generation system is adapted to collect solar energy and provide a source of electric power whether the vehicle  50  to which it is attached is moving or at rest. Moreover, it is to be understood that the vehicle  50  is one which is capable of either moving independently under its own power or being towed from behind a lead vehicle  52 . 
     The solar awning  1  of the electric power generation system being carried by the vehicle  50  includes a rectangular solar base  3  that is located between and pivotally connected to a pair of rectangular solar arms or appendages  5  and  7 . The solar base  3  of solar awning  1  is attached to the roof of the vehicle  50  by means of suitable fasteners (not shown). Each of the pair of solar arms  5  and  7  is pivotally connected to one of the opposite sides of the solar base  3  by means of one or more hinges  9 , such as a piano hinge. 
     Accordingly, the solar awning  1  can be manually manipulated between opened or closed configurations depending upon the brightness of the sun and whether the vehicle  50  is in motion.  FIG.  1    shows the vehicle  50  in motion when the solar awning  1  is folded to its compact closed configuration. In this case, each of the solar arms  5  and  7  has been rotated downwardly at its hinged connection to the solar base  3  so as to lie alongside one side of the vehicle  50 .  FIG.  2    shows the vehicle  50  at rest such as when it is parked during periods of non-use and the solar awning  1  is unfolded to its expanded open configuration. In this case, each of the solar arms  5  and  7  is rotated upwardly from its downturned configuration of  FIG.  1    through an angle of about 90 degrees until the solar arms  5  and  7  extend laterally outward to lie in substantially coplanar alignment with and side-by-side the solar base  3 . 
     With the solar awning  1  unfolded to its opened configuration of  FIG.  2   , it is positioned to receive the maximum amount of solar energy. To hold the solar arms  5  and  7  up so as to lie side-by-side the solar base  3 , pairs of struts or support bars  10  are removably attached to receptacles located at each side of the vehicle  50 . Each strut  10  extends from one side of the vehicle  50  to an outside corner of one of the solar arms  5  or  7 . When it is desirable to fold the solar awning  1  to its compact closed configuration of  FIG.  1   , the struts  10  are removed from the vehicle  50  so that the solar arms  5  and  7  can be rotated downwardly relative to the solar base  3 . When the solar awning  1  is in its opened expanded configuration as just described, it functions as a source of electric power for a purpose that will soon be described. With the solar awning  1  folded to its closed configuration of  FIG.  1   , it receives a minimum amount of solar energy. Nevertheless, the solar base  3  of the solar awning  1  remains at all times positioned atop the vehicle  50  and aimed skywards by which to receive solar energy when the vehicle  50  is stopped or parked so that electric power can still be produced. 
     Each of the solar base  3  and the pair of solar arms  5  and  7  of the solar awning  1  contains an array of commercially available solar panels  12 . Each solar panel  12  typically contains a plurality of silicon-based photovoltaic cells that produce direct current (DC) electricity from sunlight. The number and arrangement of the solar panels  12  of each array is a matter of choice and should not be regarded as a limitation of this invention. Each of the solar base  3  and the solar arms  5  and  7  has a frame (designated  14  and best shown in  FIG.  5   ) extending around the periphery thereof, and the solar panels  12  are joined one to the other by cables and surrounded by the frames  14 . The solar panels  12  of each array are oriented so as to receive the most sunlight when the solar awning  1  is unfolded to its open configuration of  FIG.  2   . 
     Continuing to refer to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a plurality of (e.g., four) conventional wind-driven generators  16  are shown affixed to the roof of the vehicle  50  adjacent the solar awning  1 . By way of example only, each of the generators  16  is a 4500 watt, 4 blade auto windward lantern wind turbine generator manufactured by Dayton as its Part Number CO839. In those in situations where it is cloudy or when the vehicle is parked at a shady location and a windy condition exists, the wind-driven generators  16  are caused to rotate to provide another source of electric power for use in combination with or in place of the solar awning  1  for a purpose that will also soon be described. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  3    of the drawings, the bottom of the vehicle  50  of  FIGS.  1  and  2    is shown. The vehicle  50  rides from place-to-place on a plurality of (e.g., four) wheels  20  mounted on the vehicle at the bottom thereof. Each of the wheels  20  is coupled to a conventional wheel driven electric generator  22  by way of a linking arm  24 . By way of example only, each wheel driven electric generator  22  is a ⅛ HP DC motor manufactured by Dayton of South Korea as its Model No. 22L405. When the vehicle  50  is riding on a roadway and the vehicle wheels  20  turn, the linking arms  24  transfer a rotational force from the wheels to respective shafts  26  of generators  22 , whereby the shafts are caused to rotate. The wheel driven generators  22  correspondingly provide an additional source of electric power in response to their rotating shafts  26 . 
       FIG.  4    of the drawings shows the interior of the vehicle  50  within which a variety of conveniences are located to be used by any individuals riding in the vehicle. The number and type of such conveniences carried by vehicle  50  form no part of this invention. Vehicle  50  also carries a bank of air cooled (e.g., lithium) batteries  34  that are capable of storing for a later use the electric power produced by the solar awning  1 , the wind driven generators  16 , and the wheel driven generators  22  of the electric power generator system that is shown in  FIGS.  1 - 3   . The batteries  34  are preferably connected in electrical series to provide a DC output of 48 volts. 
     Also carried by the vehicle  50  is a power supply control system  36 . The power supply control system  36  includes a DC to AC solar inverter  38  by which any DC voltages supplied to the solar inverter  38  from the solar awning  1 , the wind driven generators  16 , and the wheel driven generators  22  are converted to an AC voltage. By way of example only, the DC to AC solar inverter  38  herein described is a 12 kwatt, 48 volt split phase pure sine wave power inverter manufactured by Sungold Power. 
       FIG.  5    of the drawings shows the vehicle  50  standing alone with the AC voltage output of the solar inverter  38  of the power supply control system  36  being supplied by a power cable  40  for any one or more AC power applications. In the example of  FIG.  5   , the AC power applications that are coupled to the power supply control system  36  by cable  40  include, but are not limited to, an electric motor vehicle, the electrical system found in a house, and the city grid system from which the aforementioned house receives its usual electric power. In the case of the city grid system, any AC power that is added thereto by way of the power cable  40  will likely reduce the homeowner&#39;s electrical utility bill. Any AC power that is supplied to either one of the electric vehicle or the house electrical system by way of the power cable  40  will likely reduce the homeowner&#39;s consumption of power supplied by the local utility. 
     To this end, the power supply control system  36  of  FIG.  4    also includes an electricity switchboard  42  by which a user may choose which of the applications shown in  FIG.  5    will receive AC power by way of the power cable  40 . By virtue of the foregoing, inexpensive and clean solar energy that is converted to DC power and stored by the bank of batteries  34  or converted to AC power by the solar inverter  38  can be efficiently used when the vehicle  50  is at rest and parked at a location where sunlight is either bright or lacking.