Systems, methods, and devices including modular, fixed and transportable structures incorporating solar and wind generation technologies for production of electricity

• US 9,422,922 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectra Systems & Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolarWind Corporation
• Inventors: Sant'Anselmo, Robert, Arch, Arnold Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US12/870,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20110049992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43, 307/22, 307/26, 307/72, 307/65, 290/2, 290/44, 290/1, 290/43, 290/45, 290/54, 290/55, 361/601, 361/825, 415/4.3, 415/4.1, 415/905, 415/2, 415/75, 415/127, 415/157, 320/101, 416/197, 429/25, 429/19, 429/21, 429/17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/4453 for converting solar energy into electric energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/40 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for transporting wind motor components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/007 the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/142 in the form of a standard ISO container
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/012 Foldable support elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2030/16 Hinged elements; Pin connections
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/10 extending in directions away from a supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/11 using shaped bodies, e.g. concrete elements, foamed elements or moulded box-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and devices related to fixed and transportable structures and vehicles utilizing the integration of solar and wind technologies for generation of electricity. The system generates electricity using solar panels (and/or solar thermal units) and wind turbines, stores and converts electricity, and can be located in various locations either as fixed or portable embodiments including on land, on water, underwater, air and space and may also be housed in a structure to provide electricity for various facilities and uses.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a solar power unit generating electricity from sunlight using panels that adjust relative to sunlight;

a wind power unit generating electricity from wind currents using a turbine;

a Supplemental Fail-Safe system which activates a motor in the turbine generator to generate electricity;

a shifting unit shifting the electricity produced by the first solar unit to drive the Supplemental Fail-Safe system to generate continuous electricity during periods without wind;

a battery storage system storing electricity from the solar power unit and the wind power unit;

a combining unit selectively combining electricity from any combination of the battery storage system, the solar power unit and the wind power unit to output continuous electricity to produce output power from the system;

a power management system directly supplying power to the turbine selectively from any combination of the solar power unit, the battery storage unit and a power grid to keep the turbine turning when wind power is insufficient to generate electricity to ready the turbine to generate electricity when wind is sufficient;

a sensor means including hardware and software for monitoring weather conditions, monitoring and controlling the system, and communicating conditions of the system to a remote location; and

a solar/thermal steam heat system generating electricity using a solar collector that is one of cylindrical and parabolic and focuses received sunlight captured by the solar collector onto one of a straight, curved and coiled mechanism containing a liquid that when heated changes to steam, activating a steam turbine generator and one of outputting and storing electricity,

wherein a wind turbine is kept turning by electricity selectively from any combination of the solar means, the storage means and a power grid when wind is insufficient.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a supplemental power unit controlled by a software management system to continue to operate the wind power unit when unable to generate electricity due to a lack of wind currents.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the supplemental power unit is a Supplemental Fail-Safe Power Generation system comprising an alternating or direct current motor, powered by electricity and one of intermittently and continuously driving the wind power unit when unable to generate electricity due to a lack of wind currents.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar power unit further comprises solar panels capable of motorized movement to track moving sunlight in orbit and the wind power unit includes an adjustable wind turbine, the wind turbine telescopable and rotatable 360 degrees about an axis.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is housed within a modular structure and the structure is located one of adjacent to and within a freeway, railroad tracks, an area used for parking of vehicles, an area used for vehicle transportation, an area used for recreation and an area with passersby.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar power unit and the wind power unit are housed one of within and upon a portable modular structure moveable to a location by one of a helicopter, ship, cargo airplane, truck, train, and any vehicle designed to move equipment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is enclosed one of within and upon a structure having wheels.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the structure having wheels is a truck and trailer capable of transporting the system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the continuous electricity is used to operate at least one of a physical facility, a robotic electric military vehicle, an electric robotic military tank, a supply carrying device (“

mule”

), a drone, and another electrical power-assisted device having one of rechargeable batteries, storage devices and systems operated on land or water and carrying electrical energy from the truck and trailer to other devices or systems.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is one of buoyant and submersible.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system when submersible is anchored to one of land, an ocean floor and a lake floor.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is part of a larger solar/wind farm having a plurality of components capable of capturing sunlight and passing wind currents to output continuous electricity.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the wind turbine includes at least one propeller.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine includes solar panels attached thereon.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the solar panels are protected by bulletproof material.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the solar panels are foldable and fold outward to generate electricity and fold inward for storage.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the wind turbine includes a plurality of ducts directing the wind currents.

2. A system producing electricity, comprising:

a first solar unit capturing radiated light from a light source, the solar unit including a plurality of solar photovoltaic cells arranged into modules, which are arranged into arrays as solar panels, the photovoltaic cells converting the light into electricity and adjusting position relative to sunlight;

a second wind unit operating independently from the first solar unit, the wind unit including a wind guide causing input wind to directly turn a turbine generator indirectly through a Supplemental Fail-Safe system which activates a motor in the turbine generator to generate electricity;

an electricity generation unit accepting the electricity from the solar unit and the wind unit and one of outputting electricity either as direct or alternating current and storing the electricity in batteries or another storage device;

a shifting unit shifting the electricity produced by the first solar unit to drive the Supplemental Fail-Safe system to generate continuous electricity during periods without wind;

a processor-based controller, various application-dependent sensors and a software management system stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that allows remote commands to be sent to the system and periodically communicates a system status, an operational performance, and a security status to a remote location;

a sensor means including hardware and software for monitoring weather conditions, monitoring and controlling the system, and communicating conditions of the system to a remote location; and

a solar/thermal steam heat system generating electricity using a solar collector that is one of cylindrical and parabolic and focuses received sunlight captured by the solar collector onto one of a straight, curved and coiled mechanism containing a liquid that when heated changes to steam, activating a steam turbine generator and one of outputting and storing electricity,

wherein the turbine is kept turning by electricity selectively from any combination of the first solar unit, the batteries and a power grid when wind is insufficient.

3. A system, comprising:

a solar means for converting one of solar light and heat energy into electricity and that adjusts relative to sunlight;

a wind means for converting wind energy into electricity and having a venturi to increase wind pressure of the wind energy;

a Supplemental Fail-Safe system which activates a motor in the turbine generator to generate electricity;

a shifting unit shifting the electricity produced by the first solar unit to drive the Supplemental Fail-Safe system to generate continuous electricity during periods without wind;

a combining means for integrating the electricity from the solar means and the wind means to constantly provide an electricity output;

a storage means for storing the electricity;

a conversion means for converting the electricity from one of direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current;

a supplemental means for providing the electricity output when the solar means and the wind means are unable to produce electricity;

a sensor means including hardware and software for monitoring weather conditions, monitoring and controlling the system, and communicating conditions of the system to a remote location; and

a solar/thermal steam heat system generating electricity using a solar collector that is one of cylindrical and parabolic and focuses received sunlight captured by the solar collector onto one of a straight, curved and coiled mechanism containing a liquid that when heated changes to steam, activating a steam turbine generator and one of outputting and storing electricity,

wherein a wind turbine is kept turning by electricity selectively from any combination of the solar means, the storage means and a power grid when wind is insufficient.

20. A system, comprising:

a solar power unit generating electricity from sunlight using panels that adjust relative to sunlight;

a wind power unit generating electricity from wind currents using a turbine;

a Supplemental Fail-Safe system which activates a motor in the turbine generator to generate electricity;

a shifting unit shifting the electricity produced by the first solar unit to drive the Supplemental Fail-Safe system to generate continuous electricity during periods without wind;

a battery storage system storing electricity from the solar power unit and the wind power unit;

a combining unit selectively combining electricity from any combination of the battery storage system, the solar power unit and the wind power unit to output continuous electricity to produce output power from the system;

a power management system directly supplying power to the turbine selectively from any combination of the solar power unit, the battery storage unit and a power grid to keep the turbine turning when wind power is insufficient to generate electricity to ready the turbine to generate electricity when wind is sufficient;

a supplemental power unit controlled by a software management system to continue to operate the wind power unit when unable to generate electricity due to a lack of wind currents; and

a sensor means including hardware and software for monitoring weather conditions, monitoring and controlling the system, and communicating conditions of the system to a remote location;

a solar/thermal steam heat system generating electricity using a solar collector that is one of cylindrical and parabolic and focuses received sunlight captured by the solar collector onto one of a straight, curved and coiled mechanism containing a liquid that when heated changes to steam, activating a steam turbine generator and one of outputting and storing electricity,

wherein the system is one of buoyant and submersible,

wherein the solar panels are protected by bulletproof material.