Mobile solar power unit control system
AssigneeEcoquip Australia Pty Ltd
InventorDavid James Sharp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile solar power unit control system providing power to an associated equipment item comprising: at least one mobile solar power unit comprising an assembly of inter-connected solar collector panels; an energy storage module connected to receive power from the assembly of inter-connected solar panels; and a control system for controlling operation of both the energy storage module and associated equipment item. The control system comprises a local controller onboard or proximate the at least one mobile solar power unit and a remote controller, communicable with the local controller, located remotely from said at least one mobile solar power unit. The mobile solar power unit conveniently provides power for an associated equipment item and any selected auxiliary loads located in an off-grid location.
Claims30
A mobile solar power unit control system providing power to an associated equipment item, the mobile solar power unit control system comprising:
- (a) at least one mobile solar power unit comprising a solar panel assembly of including a plurality of inter-connected planar solar collector panels, each solar collector panel not being shaded by another solar collector panel of said plurality;
- (b) an energy storage module comprising at least one battery connected to receive power from the solar panel assembly of inter-connected planar solar collector panels;
- and
- (c) a control system for controlling operation of both the energy storage module of the at least one mobile solar power unit and associated equipment item,
- wherein said control system comprises a local controller having a human machine interface onboard or proximate the at least one mobile solar power unit and a remote controller located remotely from said at least one mobile solar power unit;
- wherein said remote controller is communicable with said local controller through a wireless communications network for controlling, by a control algorithm configured by said remote controller and transmitted to said local controller, operation of the mobile solar power unit, its associated equipment item(s) and any auxiliary loads;
- wherein said control algorithm is configured dependent on information resources collating information about an environment surrounding the at least one mobile solar power unit and processing of data collected from the at least one mobile solar power unit;
- wherein start and end times for said associated equipment item operation are automatically adjustable in real time by said control algorithm dependent on:
- a plurality of environmental parameters including predicted environmental parameters selected from the group consisting of information fixed by location including geographic location of the mobile solar power unit and sunset, sunrise, moonrise and moonset times for the location of the at least one mobile solar power unit;
- and
- dynamic information selected from the group consisting of weather forecasts for the location of the at least one mobile solar power unit, ambient light levels, sensed and logged human motion patterns around the at least one mobile solar power unit, and logged mobile solar panel unit performance data;
- and
- wherein said control algorithm takes account of variances from predicted environmental parameters in operating the associated equipment item.
A mobile solar power unit control system comprising:
- (a) a plurality of mobile solar power units, each mobile solar power unit comprising:
- (i) a solar panel assembly of a plurality of inter-connected planar solar collector panels;
- (ii) an energy storage module comprising at least one battery connected to receive power from the solar panel assembly of inter-connected planar solar collector panels;
- and
- (iii) an associated equipment item drawing power from the energy storage module;
- and
- (b) a control system for controlling operation of the plurality of mobile solar power units and associated equipment items, the control system comprising:
- (i) a local controller having a human machine interface, said local controller being located onboard or proximate each mobile solar power unit;
- and
- (ii) a remote controller, communicable with each local controller through a wireless communications network, located remotely from the plurality of mobile solar power units,
- wherein said remote controller controls each mobile solar power unit, its associated equipment item(s) and any auxiliary loads through processing of data collected from the plurality of mobile solar power units and information resources collating information about an environment surrounding each mobile solar power unit;
- and
- wherein each local controller is selected for energy storage module control, the remote controller modifying operation of the local controller under certain operating conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.