US 10,518,657 B2Granted

Light standard with electric vehicle (EV) charger

AssigneeEnvision Solar International, Inc.

InventorsDesmond Wheatley, Patrick Senatore

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) is mounted on a public light post which receives an allotment of electric energy from a distributed power grid. In addition to its electrical connection with the distributed power grid, the charging station is electrically connected with a solar array on the light post that collects solar electric energy. Also mounted on the light post is a wind turbine that produces wind-generated electric energy. The electric energy from all three sources (i.e. solar, wind and grid) is consolidated in a storage battery at the charging station. The consolidated electric energy is then used for charging EVs, with an overriding priority given to electric energy allotted for regulated grid support requirements, such as street lighting and lighting for public venues.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A charging station, in combination with a light post, for a prioritized charging of an electric vehicle (EV) with electric energy from renewable energy sources and from a distributed power grid, wherein the charging station and light post combination comprises:

a storage battery mounted on the light post;
a light source mounted on the light post, wherein the light source is connected with the distributed power grid for illuminating an area, and wherein the storage battery is connected with the distributed power grid to receive excess power therefrom as a lower priority when the excess power is not consumed by the light source;
a solar array mounted on the light post, wherein the solar array includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells for generating solar electric energy, and wherein the solar array is connected with the storage battery for transfer of the generated solar electric energy to the storage battery;
a support structure mounted on the light post, wherein the support structure defines a vertically oriented axis;
a wind turbine mounted on the support structure and positioned above the solar array for generating wind electric energy, wherein the wind turbine is rotatable through a 360° horizontal arc, and wherein the wind turbine is connected with the storage battery for transfer of the wind generated electric energy to the storage battery;
and
a connector mounted on the light post for interconnecting the storage battery with the electric vehicle (EV) for charging the EV.

4 more elements

An electric vehicle (EV) charging station mounted on a light post which comprises:

a collector, wherein the collector includes a solar array mounted on the light post for collecting solar electric energy, a wind turbine mounted on the light post above the solar panel and rotatable through a 360° arc for generating wind electric energy, and a grid connector for establishing an electrical connection with a distributed power grid, wherein the distributed power grid provides a predetermined allotment of grid electric energy for the light post;
a storage battery connected with the collector for consolidating and prioritizing the solar electric energy, the wind electric energy and the grid electric energy, with grid electric energy as a lower priority;
a light source mounted on the light post for illuminating an area, wherein the light source receives operational electric energy from the storage battery;
and
an EV connector for interconnecting the storage battery with the electric vehicle for charging the EV.

2 more elements

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that direct a computer system to perform a process for operating an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, the medium comprising instructions for:

monitoring a light source mounted on a light post, to ensure sufficient electric energy is taken from a distributed power grid and held in a storage battery for an operational use by the light source to illuminate an area;
consolidating electric energy contributions to the storage battery from a solar array mounted on the light post (solar electric energy), a wind turbine mounted on the light post above the solar array and rotatable through a 360° arc (wind electric energy), and a predetermined allotment of electric energy from the distributed power grid (grid electric energy), to establish a combined electric energy capacity for the storage battery;
prioritizing the collection of electric energy in the storage battery by first charging the storage battery with available electric energy from the renewable resources of the solar array and the wind turbine, before electric energy is taken from the distributed power grid;
and
dispensing electric energy from the storage battery, on demand, to charge an electric vehicle when there is excess electric energy in the storage battery, and to otherwise suspend dispensing of the electric energy.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/879,156Filed 24 Jan 2018
Published: US 2019/0225091 A125 Jul 2019
Granted: 31 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification48 codes

F21S 9/043
The power supply being a generator: driven by wind power, e.g. by wind turbines
B60L 53/14
Characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle: conductive energy transfer
B60L 53/31
Constructional details of charging stations: charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
B60L 53/51
Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means: photovoltaic means