Electric generation system

• US 20090266394A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsubone, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,569,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 is provided 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 in the interior space and a temperature in the exterior space.

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

the transparent plate is provided with a thin plate-like or film-like photochromic material capable of changing an amount of light transmitting therethrough, in addition to the thermal generation module.

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

a control means for reducing the amount of light transmitting through the photochromic 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.

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

the photochromic 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 photochromic material by increasing the rate of heat ray absorption.

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

the photochromic material includes a light control glass as a light reflection layer, in which a reflectance against the heat rays is controllable, and which is arranged on a side of the transparent plate opposite to a side from which the solar light enters; and

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

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

the photochromic material is connected with one of an interior face and an exterior face of the thermal generation module where the temperature is higher than the other face in a heat transmittable manner; and

the thermal generation module is adapted to generate an electromotive force according to a temperature difference between a temperature in the photochromic material side and a temperature in the opposite side.

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

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

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

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

11. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a means for increasing an amount of light transmitting through the photochromic 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.

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

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.

19. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.

20. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.

4. An electric generation system for generating an electric power utilizing solar energy falling on a glass window dividing a vehicle interior from a vehicle exterior, wherein:

the glass window comprises

a thin plate-like or film-like photochromic material capable of changing an amount of light transmitting therethrough, and

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, which generates an electromotive force according to a temperature difference between a temperature in the vehicle and a temperature outside of the vehicle, and which is capable of transferring heat with the photochromic material; and

the system further comprising a control means for controlling the amount of light transmitting through the photochromic material on the basis of a running condition of the vehicle.

5. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the running condition includes at least one of:

a vehicle speed;

an amount of solar radiation on the vehicle;

a running mode such as a forward running and a backward running;

a shifting mode for selecting a range of speed change ratios of the vehicle;

a driving environment stored in advance and a position of the vehicle; and

a driving environment transmitted from outside.

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

the photochromic 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 photochromic material by increasing the rate of heat ray absorption.

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

the photochromic material includes a light control glass as a light reflection layer, in which a reflectance against the heat rays is controllable, and which is arranged on a side of the glass window opposite to a side from which the solar light enters; and

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

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

the photochromic material is connected with one of an interior face and an exterior face of the thermal generation module where the temperature is higher than the other face in a heat transmittable manner; and

the thermal generation module is adapted to generate an electromotive force according to a temperature difference between a temperature in the photochromic material side and a temperature in the opposite side.

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

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

17. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

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

18. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a means for increasing an amount of light transmitting through the photochromic 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.

21. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.

22. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.

23. The electric generation system as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the photovoltaic generation module is arranged exterior side of the thermal generation module.