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Method and apparatus for vehicular energy management

  • US 9,090,253 B2
  • Filed: 01/29/2013
  • Issued: 07/28/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for energy capture and management comprising:

  • gathering energy from a plurality of harvestable energy sources available on a vehicle, the harvestable energy sources including a bank of roof mounted solar panels, the harvestable energy sources including electrical generation in excess of power employed for maintaining vehicular propulsion, the vehicle having a primary propulsion mechanism, and at least one load, the load consuming power independent of the primary propulsion mechanism;

    interconnecting the solar panels with a busbar interconnect, the busbar interconnect responsive to control signals directed to reconfiguring the solar panels for modifying an aggregate voltage or current received from the interconnected solar panels storing the gathered energy; and

    employing the stored energy for powering the load when the primary propulsion mechanism is inactive, further comprising;

    computing a demand based on payload, weather and ambient temperature;

    comparing the computed demand to a capacity of the stored energy;

    determining a shortfall if the stored energy is less than the computed demand; and

    reducing a heating demand of a comfort station for accommodating a perishable payload in response to the ambient temperature.

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