Supplementary power supply apparatus for a vehicle, in particular a flying machine

• US 9,180,977 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Gatzke, Sten
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US13/464,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 244/58, 244/172.7, 244/131, 136/244, 136/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/353 using solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/05 Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells electrodes H01L31/0224; electrical interconnection of thin film solar cells formed on a common substrate H01L31/046; particular structures for electrical interconnecting of adjacent thin film solar cells in the module H01L31/0465; electrical interconnection means specially adapted for electrically connecting two or more PV modules H02S40/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/40 Mobile PV generator systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/00 Supporting structures for PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

A supplementary power supply apparatus for electric onboard consumers of a vehicle, in particular flying machines. The apparatus includes openly disposed visible solar surfaces of several solar cells that are arranged in areas on the surface of an outer skin of the vehicle or integrated in the latter in the manner of a layer. Each of the solar cells includes at least two electric terminals by means of which the solar cells may be interconnected to form a solar generator, and several ones of the electric terminals are configured as generator terminals of the solar generator for one or several predetermined voltages between two respective ones of these generator terminals.

Claims

1. A supplementary power supply apparatus for electric onboard consumer of a vehicle, in particular flying machines, the apparatus comprising:

openly disposed visible solar surfaces of several solar cells that are arranged in areas on the surface of an outer skin of the vehicle or integrated in the latter in the manner of a layer, wherein each of the solar cells comprises at least two electric terminals by which the solar cells may be interconnected to form a solar generator, and the electric terminals are executed as generator terminals of the solar generator for one or several predetermined voltages between two respective ones of the generator terminals;

wherein the solar cells are combined into solar panels and the solar panels are mechanically connected to each other by complementarily formed marginal portions overlapping in a form-fit engagement and fastened in the marginal portions on the outer surface of the vehicle by a fastener; and

wherein at least a part of the fastener comprises combined fastening and contacting bolts, the combined fastening and contacting bolts being connected with at least one terminal pole of the respective connected solar panels to form one of the at least two electric terminals that are connected to the generator terminals of the solar generator.

2. The supplementary power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the marginal portions of each solar panel at least one of at least two terminal poles of a solar panel is integrated for serial or parallel electrical interconnection of the solar panels.

3. The supplementary power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer skin of the vehicle is at least partly formed by composite shell components which consist of a composite material, the visible solar surfaces being arranged at least in a partial area on the surface of the composite shell components or integrated as a functional layer in the composite shell components, so as to terminate with the outer surface.

4. The supplementary power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit which is connected by at least one input terminal to the generator terminals of the solar generator and comprises at least one output terminal, wherein the control circuit is executed to interconnect the at least one output terminal with at least two of the generator terminals such that a predetermined output voltage is present at the at least one output terminal.

5. The supplementary power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control circuit further comprises at least one control input, in particular a bidirectional control bus, through which the predetermined output voltage at the at least one output terminal may be controlled.

6. A flying machine comprising a supplementary power supply apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The flying machine, according to claim 6, comprising a fuselage having at least one fuselage portion and a fuselage outer skin, wherein at least one solar generator is arranged at least in areas, in particular within a predetermined sector angle, of the fuselage outer skin or integrated in the fuselage outer skin.

8. The flying machine according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the solar cells are connected, in at least one fuselage portion, to form at least one solar module.

9. The flying machine according to claim 6, wherein the one or several predetermined voltages correspond to voltages required by particular onboard consumer systems of the flying machine, the onboard consumer systems comprising a fuel management system and/or electrically operated devices of an onboard toilet and/or electrically operated devices of an onboard kitchen and/or an energy storage device.