System and method for hybrid conservation of fossil fuel

• US 20070156257A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Peters, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/22
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method that optimizes use of renewable energy sources using modern satellites and telemetry to reduce the impact of renewable energy limitations. Location data corresponding to the device is retrieved using GPS technology and a GPS receiver which is located proximate to the device. Renewable energy generators are identified and include generation parameters that indicate the efficiency and output of the devices. Environmental energy factors are retrieved based upon the location data. The amount of available renewable energy is calculated based upon the environmental factors and the renewable energy generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators. A travel plan that contains the user'"'"'s travel intentions can be used. The travel plan indicates future location data as well as device idle time. Collected energy can fuel batteries and can also be used to provide hydrogen to a hydrogen fuel cell.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving location data corresponding to an energy-consuming device;

identifying one or more renewable energy generators accessible to the energy-consuming device, wherein each of the renewable energy generators includes a renewable energy type and one or more generation parameters;

retrieving environmental energy factors based upon the location data and the renewable energy type of each renewable energy generator; and

calculating an amount of renewable energy available over a time period based upon the retrieved environmental energy factors and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a travel plan corresponding to the energy-consuming device, wherein the energy-consuming device moves between a plurality of locations indicated in the travel plan and wherein the energy-consuming device is idle at one or more of the locations for one or more idle time periods also indicated in the travel plan;

calculating an amount of energy needed for the device to travel from a first location selected from the plurality of locations to a second location selected from the plurality of locations;

retrieving environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location; and

calculating the predicted amount of renewable energy that will be generated at the first location during a first idle time period while the device is idle at the first location based upon the environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

calculating an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the calculated amount of energy needed is greater than the calculated amount of predicted renewable energy; and

running the fossil-fuel based generator for the calculated optimal amount of time.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the environmental energy factors are selected from the group consisting of solar energy data and wind data, the method further comprising:

requesting, over a computer network, the environmental energy factors from a weather server computer; and

receiving, over the computer network, the environmental energy factors from the weather server computer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the environmental energy factors includes predicted solar energy data that includes a predicted available sunlight data during the first idle time period and a predicted cloudiness rating during the first idle time period, the method further comprising:

retrieving solar energy conversion parameters corresponding to a solar power generator, the solar power generator being one of the identified renewable energy generators; and

estimating an amount of solar energy that will be generated during the first idle time period based upon the predicted solar energy data and the retrieved solar energy conversion parameters.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

calculating an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the estimated amount of solar energy that will be generated is less than the calculated amount of energy needed for the device to travel from the first location to the second location; and

running the fossil-fuel based generator for the calculated optimal amount of time.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the environmental energy factors includes predicted wind data that includes a predicted average wind speed during the first idle time period, the method further comprising:

retrieving wind energy conversion parameters corresponding to a wind energy generator, the wind energy generator being one of the identified renewable energy generators; and

estimating an amount of wind energy that will be generated during the first idle time period based upon the predicted average wind speed and the retrieved wind energy conversion parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating electricity from the renewable energy generators;

separating hydrogen from a bonded state using the generated electricity; and

fueling a hydrogen fuel cell with the separated hydrogen.

9. An information handling system comprising:

an electric energy consuming device;

one or more renewable power electric energy generators that create energy for the electric energy consuming device;

a fossil-fuel based electric energy generator that creates energy for the electric energy consuming device;

one or more batteries for storing the created energy prior to use by the electric energy consuming device;

a GPS device proximate to the electric energy consuming device;

a network connection that connects the information handling system to a plurality of remote computer systems;

one or more processors that receive signals from the GPS device, the network connection, the energy consuming device, the renewable power electric energy generators, a fossil-fuel based electric energy generator; and

a process operated by the processors that controls power generation from the renewable power electric energy generators and the fossil-fuel based electric energy generator, the process being effective to;

receive, from the GPS device, location data corresponding to the energy-consuming device;

identify power generation parameters and a renewable energy type corresponding to each of the renewable power electric energy generators;

retrieve environmental energy factors based upon the location data and the renewable energy type of each of the renewable power electric energy generators;

calculate an amount of renewable energy available over a time period based upon the retrieved environmental energy factors and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable power electric energy generators; and

signal at least one of the renewable power electric energy generators to commence converting a renewable energy resource into electric energy in response to the calculation.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

retrieve a travel plan corresponding to the energy-consuming device, wherein the energy-consuming device moves between a plurality of locations indicated in the travel plan and wherein the energy-consuming device is idle at one or more of the locations for one or more idle time periods also indicated in the travel plan;

calculate an amount of energy needed for the device to travel from a first location selected from the plurality of locations to a second location selected from the plurality of locations;

retrieve environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location; and

calculate the predicted amount of renewable energy that will be generated at the first location during a first idle time period while the device is idle at the first location based upon the environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

calculate an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the calculated amount of energy needed is greater than the calculated amount of predicted renewable energy; and

signal the fossil-fuel based generator to run for the calculated optimal amount of time.

12. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the environmental energy factors are selected from the group consisting of solar energy data and wind data, and wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

request, over the network connection, the environmental energy factors from a weather server computer selected from the plurality of remote computer systems; and

receive, over the computer network, the environmental energy factors from the weather server computer.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein one of the environmental energy factors includes predicted solar energy data that includes a predicted available sunlight data during the first idle time period and a predicted cloudiness rating during the first idle time period, wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

retrieve solar energy conversion parameters corresponding to a solar power generator, the solar power generator being one of the identified renewable energy generators; and

estimate an amount of solar energy that will be generated during the first idle time period based upon the predicted solar energy data and the retrieved solar energy conversion parameters.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

calculate an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the estimated amount of solar energy that will be generated is less than the calculated amount of energy needed for the device to travel from the first location to the second location; and

signal the fossil-fuel based generator to run for the calculated optimal amount of time.

15. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein one of the environmental energy factors includes predicted wind data that includes a predicted average wind speed during the first idle time period, wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to:

retrieve wind energy conversion parameters corresponding to a wind energy generator, the wind energy generator being one of the identified renewable energy generators; and

estimate an amount of wind energy that will be generated during the first idle time period based upon the predicted average wind speed and the retrieved wind energy conversion parameters.

16. The information handling system of claim 9 further comprising:

a hydrogen fuel cell; and

a reservoir that stores a bonded state of hydrogen, wherein the process operated by the processors is further effective to;

retrieve the bonded state of hydrogen from the reservoir;

separate hydrogen from the bonded state using the electric energy converted from the renewable energy resource; and

fuel a hydrogen fuel cell with the separated hydrogen.

17. A program product comprising:

a computer operable medium having computer readable code, the computer readable code being effective to;

receive location data corresponding to an energy-consuming device;

identify one or more renewable energy generators accessible to the energy-consuming device, wherein each of the renewable energy generators includes a renewable energy type and one or more generation parameters;

retrieve environmental energy factors based upon the location data and the renewable energy type of each renewable energy generator; and

calculate an amount of renewable energy available over a time period based upon the retrieved environmental energy factors and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators.

18. The program product of claim 17 further comprising computer readable code being effective to:

retrieve a travel plan corresponding to the energy-consuming device, wherein the energy-consuming device moves between a plurality of locations indicated in the travel plan and wherein the energy-consuming device is idle at one or more of the locations for one or more idle time periods also indicated in the travel plan;

calculate an amount of energy needed for the device to travel from a first location selected from the plurality of locations to a second location selected from the plurality of locations;

retrieve environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location; and

calculate the predicted amount of renewable energy that will be generated at the first location during a first idle time period while the device is idle at the first location based upon the environmental energy factors corresponding to the first location and the generation parameters corresponding to each of the renewable energy generators.

19. The program product of claim 18 further comprising computer readable code being effective to:

calculate an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the calculated amount of energy needed is greater than the calculated amount of predicted renewable energy; and

send a signal to run the fossil-fuel based generator for the calculated optimal amount of time.

20. The program product of claim 17 wherein one of the environmental energy factors includes predicted solar energy data that includes a predicted available sunlight data during the first idle time period and a predicted cloudiness rating during the first idle time period, the program product further comprising computer readable code being effective to:

requesting, over a computer network, the environmental energy factors from a weather server computer;

receiving, over the computer network, the environmental energy factors from the weather server computer;

retrieve solar energy conversion parameters corresponding to a solar power generator, the solar power generator being one of the identified renewable energy generators;

estimate an amount of solar energy that will be generated during the first idle time period based upon the predicted solar energy data and the retrieved solar energy conversion parameters;

calculate an optimal amount of time to run a fossil-fuel based generator in response to determining that the estimated amount of solar energy that will be generated is less than the calculated amount of energy needed for the device to travel from the first location to the second location; and

send a signal to run the fossil-fuel based generator for the calculated optimal amount of time.