Renewable uninterrupted power supply for critical node infrastructure support

• US 9,293,948 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sundial Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sundial Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Freitas, Robert J., Freitas, Michael D., Pena, Michael, Esterson, Clayton, Pearson, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US14/031,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A platform to supply renewable backup power to critical node infrastructure is disclosed. The platform conceals solar photovoltaic modules and storage batteries in plain sight by hiding such components in commonly encountered urban furniture, such as bus shelters. In particular, a bus shelter ad box is used to conceal or cloak certain components of the system.

Claims

1. A system for providing uninterrupted power to elements of infrastructure, comprising:

a shelter including a wall connected to a roof, and an enclosure defined in part by a portion of the wall, the enclosure defining an interior volume that is not visible to occupants of the shelter;

one or more photovoltaic modules disposed on the roof of the shelter, which generate current when exposed to light;

one or more electrical storage batteries disposed in the interior volume of the enclosure, the one or more batteries being electrically connected to the photovoltaic modules such that the photovoltaic modules supply current to the battery when the photovoltaic modules are illuminated;

an element of infrastructure connected to a power network, the element of infrastructure also being selectably electrically connected to said battery via a switch;

a sensor in electrical communication with said element of infrastructure and adapted to detect interruption of a flow of power between said element of infrastructure and said power network;

a Critical Node Infrastructure Support (CNIS) controller in electrical communication with said switch and said sensor, the controller adapted to supply power from said one or more storage batteries to said element of infrastructure when the sensor detects interruption of a flow of power between said element of infrastructure and said power network,

wherein the element of infrastructure comprises a traffic signal, and

wherein the traffic signal comprises a signal controller, and wherein, when the sensor detects an interruption of a flow of power between said element of infrastructure and said power network, the CNIS controller sends a signal to the signal controller directing the signal controller to operate the traffic signal with reduced functionality.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising additional walls defining the enclosure, wherein one or more of the walls comprises a diffuser panel, which interferes with the ability to see inside the enclosure from outside the enclosure.

3. The system of claim 2, further including an illumination source located within said enclosure.

4. The system of claim 3, further including textual or graphical information located on said diffuser panel.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the illumination source is connected to the power network.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the illumination source is selectably connected to the one or more storage batteries.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the CNIS controller is adapted to disconnect the illumination source from the one or more storage batteries in the event that the sensor detects an interruption of power from the power network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein element of infrastructure includes its own backup battery system, and wherein the CNIS controller is adapted to direct power from the photovoltaic modules to the backup battery system.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a communications module capable of sending data to and receiving data from a central, remotely located control station, wherein the sent data includes an indication of the status of the power network and an indication of the functionality of the element of infrastructure.

10. A system for providing uninterrupted power to elements of infrastructure, comprising:

a shelter including a wall connected to a roof, and an enclosure defined in part by a portion of the wall, the enclosure defining an interior volume that is not visible to occupants of the shelter;

one or more photovoltaic modules disposed on the roof of the shelter, which generate current when exposed to light;

one or more electrical storage batteries disposed in the interior volume of the enclosure, the one or more batteries being electrically connected to the photovoltaic modules such that the photovoltaic modules supply current to the battery when the photovoltaic modules are illuminated;

an element of infrastructure connected to a power network, the element of infrastructure also being selectable electrically connected to said battery via a switch;

a sensor in electrical communication with said element of infrastructure and adapted to detect interruption of a flow of power between said element of infrastructure and said power network;

a Critical Node Infrastructure Support (CNIS) controller in electrical communication with said switch and said sensor, the controller adapted to supply power from said one or more storage batteries to said element of infrastructure when the sensor detects interruption of a flow of power between said element of infrastructure and said power network,

wherein the element of infrastructure comprises a traffic signal, and

wherein the CNIS controller is adapted to provide a first level of power and a second level of power to the traffic signal, the first level of power being sufficient to operate the traffic signal at a first level of functionality, and the second level of power being sufficient to operate the traffic signal at a second level of functionality, the second level of functionality being less than the first level of functionality.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second level of functionality permits lights of the traffic signal to have only one or more of the following states blinking red or blinking yellow.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the CNIS controller is adapted to provide the first level of power during daylight hours, and the second level of power during evening hours.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the CNIS controller is further adapted to divide power from the photovoltaic modules between the one or more storage batteries and the traffic signal, depending on whether the traffic signal is receiving the first level of power or the second level of power.