Refuse collection system, control unit therefor, and method

A refuse collection system, comprising:

• a refuse collection assembly, comprising:
• a refuse collection container;
• a housing, having an introduction opening allowing a user to introduce refuse therein so that the introduced refuse drops into the container;
• and
• one or more electrically powered functional parts of the refuse collection system which are involved with the collection of the refuse;
• an energy supply unit, comprising:
• one or more photovoltaic panels, arranged for capturing solar irradiation, and producing a current at a voltage thereover;
• and
• one or more batteries, electrically connected to the photovoltaic panels for being charged thereby,
• wherein the energy supply unit is operatively connected to the one or more electrically powered functional parts for supplying these functional parts with electrical energy;
• a control unit, operatively connected to the one or more functional parts and being programmed for control of the one or more functional parts of the refuse collection system by the control unit;
• and
• a maximum power point tracker, comprising a DC-DC converter, the DC-DC converter being electrically connected at a first output thereof to the one or more photovoltaic panels, and at second output thereof to the one or more batteries,
• wherein the maximum power point tracker is configured and connected to the batteries and photovoltaic panels for increasing the power output of the photovoltaic panels towards by adjusting the current produced by, and/or the voltage over, the solar panels towards the maximum power point, therein adjusting a current at which the batteries are charged by the photovoltaic panels via the DC-DC converter such that the current corresponds to the increased power output of the photovoltaic panels.

A control unit for a refuse collection system,

• the refuse collection system comprising an energy supply unit comprising:
• one or more photovoltaic panels;
• and
• one or more batteries, electrically connected to the photovoltaic panels for being charged thereby,
• wherein the energy supply unit is operatively connected to one or more electrically powered functional parts of the refuse collection system which are involved with the collection of the refuse for supplying the functional parts with electrical energy,
• wherein the system further comprises a maximum power point tracker comprising a DC-DC converter, the DC-DC converter being electrically connected at a first output thereof to the one or more photovoltaic panels, and at second output thereof to the one or more batteries, wherein the maximum power point tracker is configured and connected to the batteries and photovoltaic panels for increasing the power output of the photovoltaic panels towards the maximum power point thereof, by adjusting the current produced by, and/or the voltage over, the solar panels towards the maximum power point, therein adjusting a current at which the batteries are charged by the photovoltaic panels via the DC-DC converter such that it corresponds to the increased power output of the photovoltaic panels, and
• wherein the control unit is configured for operative connection to the one or more functional parts and to the DC-DC converter, and is programmed:
• for control of the one or more functional parts of the refuse collection system by the control unit;
• and
• for controlling the operation of the DC-DC converter.

A method for powering a refuse collection system, comprising:

• providing an energy supply unit comprising one or more photovoltaic panels, and one or more batteries, electrically connected via a DC-DC converter to the photovoltaic panels for being charged thereby;
• charging the one or more batteries by the photovoltaic panels;
• supplying the one or more functional parts of the refuse collection system which are involved with the collection of the refuse with electrical energy by means of the energy supply unit;
• and
• providing maximum power point tracking,
• wherein the maximum power point tracking increases via the DC-DC converter, the power output of the photovoltaic panels towards the maximum power point thereof, by adjusting the current produced by, and/or the voltage over, the solar panels towards the maximum power point, therein adjusting a current at which the batteries are charged by the photovoltaic panels via the DC-DC converter such that the current corresponds to the increased power output of the photovoltaic panels.