RENEWABLE UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY FOR CRITICAL NODE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

• US 20140080406A1
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• 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, Brightman, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,293,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/7
• 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 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.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the element of infrastructure comprises a traffic signal.

3. The system of claim 2, 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.

4. The system of claim 2, 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.

5. The system of claim 4, 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.

6. The system of claim 4, 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.

7. The system of claim 4, 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.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the element of infrastructure comprises a cellular communications relay.

9. 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.

10. The system of claim 9, further including an illumination source located within said enclosure.

11. The system of claim 10, further including textual or graphical information located on said diffuser panel.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the illumination source is connected to the power network.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the illumination source is selectably connected to the one or more storage batteries.

14. The system of claim 10, 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. A method of providing backup power for critical infrastructure nodes, the method comprising:

providing photovoltaic modules on a commonly encountered structure, such that the photovoltaic cells are not visible from street level;

providing one or more storage batteries connected to said photovoltaic modules, and a CNIS controller adapted to selectably electrically connect the one or more storage batteries to an associated infrastructure node in the event of a loss of grid power, the CNIS controller and the one or more storage batteries arranged in the commonly encountered structure such that they are not visible from street level.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the commonly encountered structure is a bus shelter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the photovoltaic modules are located on the roof of the bus shelter.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the CNIS controller and the one or more storage batteries are located within an ad box, which is part of the bus shelter.

21. A system for providing uninterrupted power to grid-connected 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, and

a smart power manager including a controller adapted to interrupt a connection between an element of infrastructure and an external power network, and establish an electrical connection between the photovoltaic modules and an element of infrastructure during periods of high illumination on the photovoltaic modules.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the smart power manager comprises a first sensor electrically connected to the external power network, and a second sensor electrically connected to the one or more photovoltaic modules.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the smart power manager includes a first switch between the external power network and an element of infrastructure, a second switch between the one or more photovoltaic modules and the one or more electrical storage batteries, and an inverter electrically connected to an output of the second switch and an input of the first switch.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the smart power manager'"'"'s controller is adapted to detect an interruption of power in the external power network, and actuate the first switch to supply power to an element of infrastructure, through the inverter, from one of the one or more storage batteries or the one or more photovoltaic modules.