Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02703468 2011-03-29
TITLE: HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY TURBINE USING WIND AND
SOLAR POWER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the systems and methods for
creating
electrical energy from wind and solar sources and the storage of the same.
Description of Related Art
The use of wind turbines to generate electricity is well known in the prior
art.
These turbines generally include a vertical tower which supports a turbine
operatively
connected to a propeller which spins on a horizontal axis or to another device
designed to
take advantage of the moving wind- Many alternative designs and orientations
have been
shown and discussed in the prior art.
Generating electricity from renewable energy sources has received a great deal
of
attention in the past few years. Yet both wind and solar power generation have
significant disadvantages. For example, wind speed and direction vary, making
the
amount of electricity generated by a wind turbine inconsistent and clouds
obscure the sun
making the amount of power generated by solar panels also inconsistent. To
address
these inconsistencies, it is desirable to exploit both solar and wind energy
together for
power generation for economic, practical, and environmental reasons.
In the current state of the art, efficiency of wind turbines greatly exceeds
that of
photovoltaic (PV) materials while having a much smaller land or sea footprint.
Still, the
opportunity exists for solar energy to be collected by PV materials for the
conversion of
solar energy directly into electrical power to improve the overall efficiency
of the system.
Additionally, an increase in dependency of the overall system is achieved, as
upon
conversion of solar energy, ancillary power functions needed to support and
supplement
1
CA 02703468 2011-03-29
the operation of the wind turbine are possible. A hybrid wind turbine combined
with
solar photovoltaic system can increase the maximum energy capture.
Known prior art wind turbines with a solar component include systems such as
that shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 6,372,978 entitled WindJSun Solar
Collection System. This system uses separate solar panels and wind turbines
requiring a
vast footprint. However, many wind turbine "farms" are installed on land which
is also
put to other uses. For example, many wind turbine farms are located in
agricultural areas
where fanning of. the surrounding land is also desired. It is therefore
desirable to provide
a solar and wind collection system which minimizes its overall footprint and
thus the
amount of land required for its use.
Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 6,097,104 entitled Hybrid Energy Recovery System
describes a system that collects energy through separate solar and wind
generators.
Again, the solar panels and separate wind turbine take up a large area.
Moreover, only
enough solar energy to support the energy needs of the wind turbine and is
used for
emergency backup power. This design does not support a solar energy collection
capability that is added to the wind turbine power for purposes of a hybrid
power
generation capability as with the present invention.
Attempts have been made to provide power generation from two renewable
energy sources, but they have major structural difference as with the system
design
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,551,631 entitled Wind and Solar Electric
Generating Plant
where the system includes a separate wind generator or turbine which has a
roof or other
similar structure covering that supports an array of solar cells- The system
uses a wind
turbine which rotates about a vertical shaft. Such arrangements require a much
larger
footprint and thus tend to take up too much space for large scale use.
Although the
platform of solar cells may provide an additional source of energy when the
sun is
shining, the platform also serves to divert the natural wind flow thereby
altering the
effectiveness of the wind turbine- In addition, such a system results in
additional cost for
the construction of the roof platform, as well as added maintenance for the
additional
structure. Furthermore, many areas of the country, which receive substantial
snowfall,
are not well suited for utilizing these systems.
Other attempts have been made to include solar panels on the fan blades of a
wind turbine as in U.S. Patent No. 5,254,876 entitled Combined Solar and Wind
2
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
Powered Generator with Spiral Blades and U.S. Patent No. 7,045,702 entitled
Solar-
Paneled Windmill. Similarly, in U.S. Publication No. 2008/0047270 Al entitled
Solar
Windmill: the solar panels are mounted on the surface of the flaps and fins.
The
inclusion of the solar panel or cells on the fan blades, fins or flaps limits
the solar energy
collection area and the thereby the effectiveness of combining the two
renewable energy
sources for a power generation capability. In these designs the solar power
does not
augment the efficiency of the wind turbine's power generation capability as
does the
hybrid wind and solar energy collection systems of the present invention.
In U.S. Patent No. 7,345,374 entitled Decorative Windmill With Solar Panel,
the
solar energy collector is sized and selected to provide for the functional
requirements of
electrical devices associated with the windmill use or for the decoration of
the windmill
only. The solar generation capability is not used to be part of a hybrid
energy generation
system as with the present invention.
In these respects, the hybrid wind and solar turbine according to the present
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of
the prior
art, and in so doing provide an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose
of
generating power.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for a more efficient wind power generation system. In view of
the
disadvantages in the known types of turbines now present in the prior art, the
present
invention provides a new hybrid wind and solar turbine construction wherein
the same
can be utilized for generating electrical power. Through the addition of solar
PV to a
wind turbine that is the hybrid renewable energy wind and solar turbine of the
present
invention there is a decrease in wind power production intermittency with an
increase in
the power generation capability.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new hybrid wind turbine
and
solar PV apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the turbines
and
includes new features resulting from a new hybrid wind and solar turbine which
is not
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior
art turbines,
either alone or in any combination thereof. In general, the main purpose of
the present
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to
provide a more
3
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
efficient and dependable power generation system utilizing wind and solar
power
generation and having features allowing the opportunity to harvest two
renewable energy
types into a hybrid power generation capability. This makes a wind turbine
more fault-
tolerant and increases its dependability as a power source.
The present invention is unique compared to other designs as it utilizes the
wind
turbine tower surface area to increase the wind turbine's power generation
capability. To
attain this, the present invention generally comprises a hollow tower with an
outer shell
constructed to support solar cells as well as provider a support tower for the
wind
turbine.
By using the surface area of the cone-like structure of most wind power
generation turbines, we have a large surface for the placement of solar PV. By
integrating PV materials into the wind turbine support structure, we achieve
an increase
in the wind generator's power generation capability and an enhancement of the
wind
generator's dependability.
Although some of the prior art provide a source of wind and solar power
generators in one location, none of each of the prior art references a system
including
solar photovoltaic material on the turbine tower body. By placing the solar
photovoltaic
material on the tower or body of the wind turbine, there is no increase in the
footprint,
whether the wind turbine is located on land or on water, with the present
invention.
On the wind turbine tower with the placement of the solar PV material in a
partially vertical axis, there is a reduced risk of being covered in snow or
debris due to
this vertical placement and thereby reduces the maintenance. In addition, the
vertical
placement along the body of the tower ensures that the natural wind flow is
not diverted
and therefore has little or no interference with wind dynamics or the
effectiveness of the
wind turbine.
The present invention intends to solve the problem of what to do when the wind
does not blow and the potential for power outage is greatest. It provides a
workable
solution for a large portion of that time and has the advantage of augmenting
the power
production capability when the wind does blow. As solar energy use becomes
more
popular as an environmentally non-invasive form of power generation, users of
this
technology save money while gaining a power source that is dependable.
4
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
The Return on Investment (ROI) of wind turbine power generation capabilities
can be reduced as the power generation potential is increased by the present
invention.
This increase in efficiency makes hybrid wind turbines more cost effective
than any prior
art. For example, on a wind farm, this hybrid wind and solar power generation
capability
exceeds the power generation capability of the wind turbines while keeping the
landscape
or seascape footprint the same. This hybrid systems employing solar and wind
power
preferably will incur no or little energy costs and once installed, will be
comparatively
easy and inexpensive to maintain.
The present invention relates to a solar photovoltaic power generation
capability
to augment a wind power generation capability. The problem the invention
solves is that
of when the wind does not blow, a wind turbine produces no power. The solution
of the
present invention is to use another renewable energy capability for power
generation in
the absence of wind and the present invention uses solar energy. The use of
solar energy
as a source of energy is well known within the art. The present invention was
conceived
to solve the problem so that when the sun is shining, even if the wind is not
blowing,
power can be produced.
The present invention can be used on any wind power generation capability
supported by a self-supported tower. The invention is made by adding Solar PV
to the
outside of the wind turbine tower, electrically wiring it to the inside where
power
collection takes place as the wind turbine generated power is combined for a
total power
output generation capability. This capability is based on two main criteria:
the efficiency
by which the photovoltaic material converts sun energy to electrical energy
and the size
of the solar array.
The dependability of wind power generation is enhanced by partially addressing
the concern of the loss of a power generation capability when the wind does
not blow.
When the wind is not blowing, solar energy is collected during the daytime via
photovoltaic material or solar panels electrically connected to the output of
the wind
turbine. This invention makes wind power generation a more dependable energy
source
for renewable power generation.
The present invention is used to produce power during the daylight hours and
when the wind blows. The solar PV will produce electrical power during
daylight hours.
If the wind is blowing, the wind turbine will produce electrical power and the
power
5
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
produced by the Solar PV will add to the power production capability of the
wind
turbine. If the wind is not blowing, the Solar PV will ensure that the wind
turbine
continues to have a power production capability, thereby reducing outages.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the use of power plastic solar
photovoltaic material can be placed on the portion of the tower, which
receives direct
sunlight. This embodiment is presented for ease of construction as the solar
PV material
is lighter in weight and less rigid and is less costly. This embodiment will
reduce the
upfront cost of the hybrid capability while having the flexibility of this
solar PV material.
The placement of the solar PV in one embodiment of the present invention
includes the use of thin film solar photovoltaic material and this reduces the
cost of the
PV material and the upfront costs of the hybrid capability. Thin film solar
photovoltaic
having a good solar efficiency in shaded areas can be placed on the portion of
the wind
turbine tower where there is relatively little direct sunlight. By adding thin
film solar PV
to the shaded portion of the wind turbine tower, an increase in the solar
energy
production capability will be realized.
The present invention has a wide range of uses from large commercial wind
generation capabilities to the small wind power generator. In addition, the
present
invention could be used for wind turbine towers located on land or on water.
The water-
based Solar All in One Hybrid Energy Turbine would be able to produce more
power
than the land-based Solar All in One Hybrid Energy Turbine due to the light
reflective
qualities of the water, which would increase the solar PV power production
capability.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a
consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Features and aspects of the present invention will be better understood will
become apparent when consideration is given to the detailed description that
follows
with reference to the drawing, wherein:
Figure 1 is a first embodiment of a wind turbine's lattice tower with the
addition
of solar photovoltaic according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is another embodiment of a wind turbine with a cone shaped tower
according to the present invention.
6
CA 02703468 2011-11-18
Figure 3 is another embodiment of the wind turbine with a cone shaped tower
according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In general, statements made in the specification do not necessarily delimit
any of
the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some
inventive features, but not to others.
The energy system according to the present invention includes a solar energy
subsystem and a wind energy subsystem and a hybrid energy subsystem. The
operation
of the present invention can be monitored with user-controlled software,
referred to
herein as a power management program. In operation, the power management
program
controls and coordinates the solar energy subsystem, the wind energy subsystem
and the
hybrid energy subsystem. The major structural parts of the Solar All in One
Hybrid
Energy Turbine 10 are: the wind turbine assembly 12; the wind turbine tower
14; the
solar photovoltaic assembly 22; the wind electrical subsystem; the solar
electrical
subsystem; the hybrid energy subsystem; and the power storage system (an
embodiment).
The solar photovoltaic and the wind turbine generated power are fed to the
hybrid
power combination subsystem located inside of the wind turbine tower 14 where
the
outputs are combined into a single output power.
The wind energy subsystem 12 preferably comprises a wind energy collection
system, a control system, and a wind energy conversion system is preferred. In
addition,
the wind energy subsystem may include a synchronous power generating
capability (as
in grid tied systems) or non-synchronous power generating capability (as in
stand-alone
systems.
The wind energy collection system 12 preferably comprises a tower 14, and a
wind turbine assembly 16, 18, 20. The tower 14 is preferably a solid structure
or a lattice
frame structure made up of legs and cross members. The wind assembly 16, 18,
20 is
preferably attached to the top of the tower 14 with a rotational blade
assembly 16
attached to a swivel bracket with a wind vane rigidly attached to the other
end of the
swivel bracket to keep the rotational blade assembly 16 always properly facing
into the
wind. The rotational blade assembly 16 is secured to a generally horizontal
axle 18
7
CA 02703468 2011-11-18
which is operatively connected to a generator 20. A transmission may be
included if
desired between the axle 18 and the generator 20. The tower 14 is preferably
constructed
of metal, but may be constructed of plastic, wood or any other suitable
material as
desired.
The hybrid energy subsystem preferably comprising of a power combination
system, a control system, and a power output system is preferred. This
combination
process includes power converters and inverters and charge controllers
considered
standard with wind turbine power production and solar PV power production
capabilities. The difference will be the combining network to add these two
power
generation capabilities outputs together to one hybrid, yet integrated power
source.
The solar energy subsystem preferably comprises a solar energy collection
system 22, a control system, and a solar energy conversion system. The solar
energy
collection system 22 comprises the solar photovoltaic collectors or cells 24
and other
necessary circuitry for receiving and collecting solar energy and converting
the solar
energy into electrical energy. The solar energy subsystem is preferably
conductively
coupled with electrical conductors to the control system that directs the
generated energy
and a rechargeable electrical power source.
In operation, the solar energy collection system 22 preferably converts solar
energy into electrical energy. The purpose of the solar energy subsystem is
preferably to
convert solar energy into electrical energy and to deliver the generated
electrical energy
to the solar energy subsystem, or one or more electrical subsystems, or the
rechargeable
electrical power source.
The solar control system preferably comprises circuitry, microprocessors,
memory devices, sensors, switches, and other electronic components necessary
to
partially or fully direct electrical energy from the solar energy collection
system 22 to the
hybrid control system or to the rechargeable electrical power source, or to
other control
systems where the electrical energy is needed.
The solar collectors 24 may be located on any suitable wind turbine tower
surface, however it is preferred that the solar collectors 24 be optimally
exposed to solar
light. In alternative embodiments, a variety of solar photovoltaic materials
may be used
and arranged to optimize the solar energy collection capability.
An embodiment of solar energy subsystem includes a rechargeable electrical
power source. This rechargeable electrical power source preferably comprises a
8
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
rechargeable battery for storing electrical energy; however, rechargeable
electrical power
source may alternatively comprise of any rechargeable electrical power storage
device,
such as a capacitor, battery pack, battery bank, or any other suitable device
for storing
electrical energy, or combination thereof. The rechargeable electrical power
source is
preferably conductively coupled to the solar energy collection system 22 and
control
system with electrical conductors.
However, when the rechargeable electrical power source is fully charged, the
solar energy collection system preferably delivers electrical energy to the
solar energy
subsystem where the electrical energy is preferably diverted for uses other
than charging
rechargeable electrical power sources. For example, the electrical energy
could be
directed to the hybrid combination energy subsystem or it may be used to
directly power
electrical subsystems rather than the electrical subsystems consuming power
from the
rechargeable electrical power source.
The power management program is integrated with the solar energy subsystem,
the wind energy subsystem and the hybrid energy subsystem to control each
system's
output and monitor each system's input. For example, when an input of
electrical energy
is sensed from any system, the input is measured. The measured input is then
compared
to the desired output. If the measured input exceeds the desired output to an
intended
source, modifications to the system are made. For instance, should both the
solar and
wind generators operate at maximum capacity, the power output may likely
exceed the
allowable output to an electrical grid. In such situations, the power
management program
will instruct the wind assembly 12, which operates on top of the tower 14 to
rotate about
the tower 14's vertical axis. Such rotation is accomplished by a positioning
motor as is
well known in the art. In this manner the wind assembly 12 is no longer facing
directly
into the wind, but rather is being rotated by only a component of the wind's
velocity.
Such yawing of the wind assembly 12 will reduce the power output to meet the
requirements of the power management program.
In addition, should the power management program sense there is no wind at the
present time, the wind energy subsystem can be shut down to conserve power.
Similarly,
should the power management program detect an input from a photo sensor that
it is no
longer sunny, the power management program will shut down the solar energy
subsystem. Finally, the power management program can also control the
distribution of
9
CA 02703468 2010-05-12
any power generated to ensure all subsystems of the hybrid wind turbine and
solar
photovoltaic system 10 operate within limits as desired.
Referring now to Figure 1 in the drawings, the preferred embodiment of a
hybrid
wind turbine and solar photovoltaic system 10 according to the present
invention is
illustrated. Hybrid wind and solar power generation system preferably
comprises of a
tower or frame 14, a wind turbine 12, and a solar photovoltaic assembly 22.
The electrical power subsystems would be located within the hollow center of
the
body of the tower 14 and include the wind electrical power subsystem, a solar
electrical
power subsystem, and a power combination subsystem, switch, and output system.
The present invention is a vast improvement to the dependability of wind
turbine
power production as it substantially reduces power outages caused when the
wind does
not blow. The efficiency of the wind power generation capability is increased
as well.
The focus of the present invention is primarily on the use of the solar
photovoltaic
material 24 on the tower 14 of a the hybrid wind turbine and solar
photovoltaic system 10
as shown in Figure 1 and the combination of the output energies for a hybrid
solution.
Figures 2 and 3 show two hybrid wind turbine and solar photovoltaic systems 10
with two potential orientations of the solar PV photovoltaic material 24.
Although the
orientation possibilities are many, only two are shown here and therefore this
does not
exclude other orientation possibilities.
The solar PV 24 in Figure 1 can be flexible PV such as thin film or power
plastic
or can be integrated into the building material of the said body tower 14
(shown in
Figures 2 and 3) or to the structural elements or members of the lattice tower
14. The
solar PV 24 can be structures added to the outside of the solid or lattice
tower 14.
The solar PV 24 is electrically coupled to the solar electrical subsystem
through
small openings in the tower structure. The solar PV materials 24 are
preferably placed to
fully encircle the tower 14's surface area or placed to efficiently maximize
solar energy
capture. As described in the embodiments, various types of solar PV 24 may be
combined.
In Figure 1, all electrical coupling takes place inside the tower 14 such as
the
wind electrical subsystem and the solar PV electrical subsystem and the
combination
electrical subsystem.
CA 02703468 2011-11-18
Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of the hybrid wind
turbine and solar photovoltaic system 10 according to the present invention is
illustrated.
The hybrid wind turbine and solar photovoltaic system 10 shown in Figure 1
preferably
comprises a solid, but generally hollow tower 14 generally constructed of
reinforced
cement or other suitable material, a wind assembly 12, and a solar
photovoltaic assembly
22.
The electrical power subsystems for the hybrid wind turbine and solar
photovoltaic system 10 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 would preferably be housed
to
protect against weather and located in the center of the solid body of the
tower and
include the wind electrical power subsystem, a solar electrical power
subsystem, and a
power combination subsystem, switch, and output system.
Figure 4 provides a block diagram. Figure 4 illustrates the subsystems of the
hybrid turbine and solar photovoltaic system 10. As discussed above, the tower
14
includes a wind electrical subsystem 30, a solar electrical subsystem 40 and a
hybrid
combination subsystem 50. The solar electrical subsystem 40 may include a
rechargeable power source 42. The hybrid combination subsystem 50 includes a
power
combination system 52, a control system 54 and a power output system 56.
While this invention has been described with reference to an illustrative
embodiment, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting
sense. Various
modifications and other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to
persons skilled
in the art upon reference to the description.
11
