Patent ID: 8633671

Claim:
A standalone photovoltaic system, external to any vehicle, for charging a rechargeable battery for powering a traction motor in a vehicle, the battery producing a specified charged voltage ranging from 200 to 500 volts and a specified discharged voltage, the photovoltaic system being connectable to a battery requiring charging and comprising: a plurality of electrically connected solar modules so connected and arranged that the photovoltaic system; has an open circuit voltage which is greater than the known charged voltage of the battery requiring charging when the photovoltaic system is exposed to a solar irradiance of at least 100 watts per square meter; has a maximum power point voltage at which the system produces its maximum power and a V 90 (H) voltage, greater than the maximum power point voltage, at which the system produces 90% of its maximum power and the V 90 (H) voltage of the photovoltaic system is substantially equal to the known charged voltage of the battery requiring charging so that the photovoltaic system may be directly connected to the battery; and is capable of increasing the voltage of the battery from its discharged voltage to its charged voltage in less than five hours when exposed to a solar irradiance of at least 260 watts/m 2 .