Electric generation system

• US 8,569,609 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsubone, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARDNER, SHANNON M
• Application Number:
  US11/989,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20090266394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,654 Days
• Field of Search: 136/206
• US Class Current: 136/206
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10486 photochromic
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/23 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/10 including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems combinations with gas-turbine plants F02C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

To utilize solar energy without loosing the laminating function. For this purpose, there is provided an electric generation system for generating an electric power utilizing solar energy falling on a transparent plate 7 dividing a predetermined interior space 8 from an exterior space, characterized in that the transparent plate 7 is provided with a thin plate-like or film-like thermal generation module 11, which is transmissive to at least a portion of visible rays in the solar energy, and which generates an electromotive force by a temperature difference between a temperature in the interior space and a temperature in the exterior space. Consequently, electric power can be generated utilizing heat resulting from blocking the light entering into the interior space 8.

Claims

1. An electric generation system for generating an electric power utilizing solar energy falling on a transparent plate dividing a predetermined interior space from an exterior space, wherein:

the transparent plate includes an interior side and an exterior side, from which the solar energy enters;

the interior side of the transparent plate is in direct contact with a thin plate-like or film-like light control material capable of changing an amount of light transmitting therethrough; and

an internal face of the light control material is in direct contact with a thin plate-like or film-like thermal generation module, which is transmissive to at least a portion of visible rays in the solar energy, and which generates an electromotive force according to a temperature difference between a temperature of a first face of the thermal generation module and a temperature of a second face of the thermal generation module;

wherein the first face of the thermal generation module is in direct contact with the internal face of the light control material and the second face of the thermal generation module is opposite the first face;

wherein the light control material is configure such that the light control material is heated by a voltage from the thermal generation module to reduce the amount of light transmitting through the light control material; and

wherein the thermal generation module generates electric energy according to a difference between a temperature of the first face of the thermal generation module heated by the heat transmitted from the light control material and a temperature of the second face facing toward the interior lace.

2. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a control means that reduces the amount of light transmitting through the light control material in case an amount of the visible rays is large, in comparison with the case in which the amount of the visible rays is small.

3. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the light control material includes a light control glass capable of controlling a rate of heat ray absorption, and

the control means is adapted to reduce the amount of light transmitting through the light control material by increasing the rate of heat ray absorption.

4. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the light control material includes a light control glass as a light reflection layer, in which a reflectance against the heat rays is controllable; and

the control means is adapted to reduce the amount of light transmitting through the light control material by increasing the reflectance against heat ray.

5. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the transparent plate further comprises a thin platelike or film-like photovoltaic generation module generating an electromotive force by a photoelectric conversion achieved by receiving solar light.

6. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is connected with the light control material in a heat transmittable manner.

7. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a means that increases an amount of light transmitting through the light control material in case a temperature of the photovoltaic generation module is high, in comparison with the case in which the temperature of the photovoltaic generation module is low.

8. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged on the second face of the thermal generation module.

9. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged on the second face of the thermal generation module.

10. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thermal generation module is integrated with the photovoltaic generation module.

11. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a battery and electrical equipment;

wherein the battery is configured to store the electric power generated by the thermal generation module and supply the generated electric power to the electrical equipment.

12. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a battery and electrical equipment;

wherein the battery is configured to store the electric power generated by the photovoltaic generation module and the thermal generation module and supply the generated electric power to the electrical equipment.