Energy harvesting vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12549124-B2
Application number	US-202018010947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

An energy harvesting vehicle includes a plurality of vehicular panels, and an energy canopy. The energy canopy is connected to at least two of the plurality of vehicular panels configured for generating electrical energy. The energy canopy includes a predetermined number of surfaces configured for receiving incident light, the incident light being received for a plurality of time durations. At least one of the predetermined number of surfaces includes a solar unit configured for harvesting the incident light. A predetermined number of solar units are positioned on a portion of the predetermined number of surfaces. The predetermined number of surfaces are connected in one of a series connection and a parallel connection with each other. The one of the series connection and the parallel connection between the predetermined number of surfaces are configured for improving an energy conversion efficiency of the energy canopy, through enhanced harvesting of the incident light.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An energy harvesting vehicle comprising:
a plurality of vehicular panels, an energy canopy, the energy canopy being connected to at least two of the plurality of vehicular panels configured for generating electrical energy, wherein the energy canopy comprises a predetermined number of surfaces configured for receiving incident light, the incident light being received for a plurality of time durations; wherein at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces comprises a solar unit configured for harvesting the incident light, wherein a predetermined number of solar units are positioned on a portion of the predetermined number of surfaces, wherein the predetermined number of surfaces are connected in one of a series connection and a parallel connection with each other, wherein the one of the series connection and the parallel connection between the predetermined number of surfaces are configured for improving an energy conversion efficiency of the energy canopy, through enhanced harvesting of the incident light, at least one first sensor configured for determining an instantaneous orientation of the energy harvesting vehicle with respect to magnetic poles, and at least one second sensor operatively connected to the solar unit and configured for identifying the predetermined number of surfaces of the energy canopy with the solar unit installed, wherein the at least one first sensor is one of a magnetic compass, a hall sensor, an accelerometer, a sun sensor, a position sensor, a location sensor, and a combination thereof, wherein the at least one second sensor is configured to identify the predetermined number of surfaces of the energy canopy having dust accumulation, and wherein the at least one second sensor comprises at least one of: a curvature sensor configured to identify one or more surfaces based on radii of curvature where solar units are installed, and one of a load sensor and a pressure sensor, configured to measure weight of the surfaces to determine installation of solar units and detect dust accumulation based on weight increase from a prior known weight measurement.

2 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solar unit in each of the predetermined number of surfaces comprises one or more solar arrays.

3 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each solar array of the one or more solar arrays comprises a plurality of solar cells electrically connected in series.

4 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the one or more solar arrays in the solar unit are electrically connected in series with each other.

5 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces having a different radius of curvature to form the energy canopy.

6 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of surfaces is determined based on an angle of incidence of the incident light, radii of curvature of each of the predetermined number of surfaces, a shading condition, and a dust condition.

7 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy canopy further comprises a bypass unit configured for bypassing each solar unit of the predetermined number of surfaces based on intensity of one or more of the incident light on each surface, an almanac information, a weather data, a dust accumulation on the surface, and a curvature of the surface.

8 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprises a parking controller configured for determining and recommending an optimal orientation of the energy harvesting vehicle in a parking location, the orientation being determined based on a shading condition of each of the predetermined number of solar units.

9 . The energy harvesting vehicle as claimed in claim 8 , further comprises at least one of a display interface and an audio interface configured to notify a user of the energy harvesting to park the energy harvesting vehicle in the optimal orientation.

10 . An energy canopy for generating electrical energy, the energy canopy comprising:
a predetermined number of surfaces configured for receiving incident light for a plurality of time durations, a solar unit positioned on a portion of at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces for harvesting the incident light, a plurality of wiring elements configured for electrically connecting the predetermined number of solar units on the predetermined number of surfaces in one of a series connection and a parallel connection with each other, for improving an energy conversion efficiency of the energy canopy, enabling an enhanced harvesting of the incident light, at least one first sensor configured for determining an instantaneous orientation of the energy harvesting vehicle with respect to magnetic poles, and at least one second sensor configured for identifying the predetermined number of surfaces of the energy canopy with the solar unit installed, wherein the solar unit in the at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces comprises one or more solar arrays, wherein each of the solar arrays comprises a plurality of solar cells electrically connected in a series, wherein the at least one first sensor is one of a magnetic compass, a hall sensor, an accelerometer, a sun sensor, a position sensor, a location sensor, and a combination thereof, wherein the at least one second sensor is configured to identify the predetermined number of surfaces of the energy canopy having dust accumulation, and wherein the at least one second sensor comprises at least one of: a curvature sensor configured to identify one or more surfaces based on radii of curvature where solar units are installed, and one of a load sensor and a pressure sensor, configured to measure weight of the surfaces to determine installation of solar units and detect dust accumulation based on weight increase from a prior known weight measurement.

11 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the solar unit in the at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces comprising one or more solar arrays.

12 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each solar array of the one or more solar arrays comprises a plurality of solar cells, the plurality of solar cells being electrically connected in a series connection.

13 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the one or more solar arrays in the solar unit are electrically connected in a series connection.

14 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 13 , wherein at least one of the predetermined number of surfaces having a different radius of curvature to form the energy canopy.

15 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the predetermined number of surfaces for positioning the predetermined number of solar units are selected based on one or more of an angle of incidence of the incident light, radii of curvature of each of the predetermined number of surfaces, a shading condition, and a dust condition.

16 . The energy canopy as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a bypass unit configured for bypassing each solar unit of the predetermined number of surfaces, the each solar unit of the predetermined number of surfaces being bypassed based on intensity of one or more of an incident light on the each surface, an almanac data, a weather data, dust accumulation on the surface, and a curvature of the surface.

17 . A method for determining an optimal orientation of parki

Assignees

• Tvs Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sarkar Moumita
• Pramila Rao N
• Jabez Dhinagar Samraj

Classifications

• B60K2016/003

  solar power driven · CPC title

• B60Y2400/216

  by solar panels · CPC title

• B60R16/03

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• H02S40/36

  characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection · CPC title

• H02S10/40

  Mobile PV generator systems · CPC title