AT12595U1 - SOLAR PLANT WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT SOURCE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a solar system (1; 9; 14; 16; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) for emitting electrical energy from at least one solar module (2, 3, 4; 10; 12, 13 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 39), in which light energy is converted into electrical energy, wherein the generated electrical energy of terminal contacts (A1, A2) of the solar module (2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13; 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 39) and wherein an artificial light source (L; 11; 30; 41, 42, 43) is provided, and in that the at least one solar module (2, 3, 4; 10, 12 , 13; 25, 26; 32, 33, 34; 39) the artificial light source (L; 11; 30; 41, 42, 43) is arranged at least partially surrounding.

Description

Austrian Patent Office AT12 595U1 2012-08-15

description

SOLAR PLANT WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT SOURCE

The invention relates to a solar system for emitting electrical energy from at least one solar module in which light energy is converted into electrical energy, wherein the generated electrical energy can be delivered from terminal contacts of the solar module.

Document DE 10 2008 003 286 A1 discloses, by way of example, such a solar system in which one or more solar modules or photovoltaic elements convert light energy into electrical energy. The connection contacts of the individual solar modules are connected together and the electrical energy generated by the solar system is delivered to terminal contacts of the solar system. The document further discloses a support structure for the solar module in order to align the solar module in a stable manner to the sun as a light source.

Such solar systems have been known for some time and are increasingly used for alternative power generation. The limiting factor in all these solar systems is the number of hours of sunshine per day or per year. Since this value also depends very much on the geographic location of the solar system, solar systems in southern areas with consistently good weather conditions will be more economically viable. For this reason, solar systems are increasingly being planned or built in desert areas (for example in Africa). To use this solar power in Western Europe, however, additional expensive power lines must be relocated from these solar systems to Western Europe, which has a significant impact on the economics of such solar systems.

On the other hand, there are geographical areas in which the sun seems relatively little and unreliable, but other energy sources are sufficiently available. These other energy sources can be converted into electrical power in large power plants, for example via a steam turbine power plant. However, this power generation is not economically feasible in sparsely populated areas.

The invention has for its object to provide a solar system that generates reliable and self-sufficient continuous electrical energy. This task is inventively achieved in that in the solar system, an artificial light source is provided and that the at least one solar module, the artificial light source is arranged at least partially surrounding.

According to the invention, therefore, not the sunlight but an artificially generated light is used to generate electrical energy with solar modules, which are arranged in a suitable manner around the light source. As an artificial light source here, for example, a gas light, a magnesium lamp or quite generally a fuel lamp with liquid, solid or gaseous fuel can be used. In this case, a locally favorable energy carrier, such as gas or petroleum, be reliably and continuously converted into electrical energy. Since intensive work is being done worldwide to improve the efficiency of solar modules and of artificial light sources, it can be assumed that this type of conversion of the energy from different energy sources into electric current will always be more efficient, as a result of which the industrial applicability of this solar system according to the invention is already today is given and will continue to improve in the future.

As a result, the advantage is obtained that can be generated as needed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the solar system electrical energy. Since the solar system is not dependent on natural light, the solar system can be placed in a protected from environmental influences place, which is why the durability and service life of the solar system is much longer than conventional solar systems.

Likewise, an electric light source can be used to generate the artificial light 1/11 Austrian Patent Office AT12 595U1 2012-08-15 be, the cost of such a solar system on the efficiency of the electric light source and the solar modules is dependent. But even if the efficiency is not sufficient to generate electrical energy over the entire system, it may be advantageous in individual cases to be able to use a power generated with an alternative energy source when needed.

If one has opted for a solar system with an electric light source, then it is advantageous to use, for example, a commercial fluorescent tube as the light source. A fluorescent tube can already be operated relatively energy-saving today and is integrated by their elongated design particularly well in a solar system.

If one builds the solar system according to the invention with commercial solar modules, then it has proved advantageous to arrange three plate-shaped or rectangular solar modules as an equilateral triangle. A fluorescent tube is placed in the center of the equilateral triangle, and thus equidistant from the three solar modules, over the length of the solar modules and evenly illuminates the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules. In this way, a low-cost solar system is obtained with a relatively high efficiency.

It is also advantageous to provide the solar modules attached to module brackets. Since both the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules and the artificial light source are located inside the cavity formed by the solar modules, it has proven advantageous to provide at least one of the module holders with a hinge in order to open the cavity for servicing. In this way, for example, the fluorescent tube can be changed very easily or cleaned the fuel nozzle of a gas lamp as an artificial light source easily and well on this service opening. Similarly, the solar panels or reflective surfaces of the solar system can be cleaned of dust through the service opening to obtain a uniformly high efficiency.

Since the artificial light source usually emits heat in addition to the light, it has proved to be advantageous to provide ventilation of the solar modules. It is particularly advantageous to provide spacers in the module brackets that keep a gap between the floor and solar module or between the solar panels for natural thermal convection. Due to the natural convection can be dispensed with a fan for air exchange.

By providing an inverter that converts the electrical energy generated by the solar system into a local power grid adapted mains voltage, the advantage is obtained that the energy generated can be used to operate the solar system and / or fed into the local power grid can be. The advantage of this excess feed is that energy required to operate the solar system is at least partially covered by the electrical energy generated by the solar system, resulting in lower payments to the utility. As utilities increasingly want and need to switch to alternative energy sources, the electricity generated by a solar system can be sold particularly well and expensively.

The shape of the solar system according to the invention is determined by bringing the photosensitive surface of the solar module or modules as close as possible to the artificial light source. But other aspects can have an influence on the shape or arrangement of the solar modules in the solar system. In a substantially punctiform light source, a spherical solar module offers in order to achieve the highest possible efficiency. For an elongated light source, a tubular solar module would be particularly efficient. Since the manufacturing costs of a spherical or tubular solar module are currently still relatively high, it has currently proven to be advantageous to arrange commercially available plate or rectangular solar modules in the form of an equilateral triangle, a square or rectangle or regular polygon with five or more sides. In order to further increase the efficiency of the solar system, it has proved to be advantageous at times when the sun is shining to couple natural light into the solar module and during this time to abandon the artificial light source. The coupling of the natural light can be done for example by mirrors or optical fibers.

Be particularly advantageous has further proven to use the solar system as a lighting fixture or to use lighting fixtures of daily life as a solar system. For this purpose, a part of the light generated by the artificial light source is extracted from the solar system for lighting. Thus, for example, instead of the reflector of a conventional fluorescent tube light bar, one or more solar modules could be provided to recover at least a portion of the energy consumption of the fluorescent tube by utilizing the light of the fluorescent tube not required for illumination.

Furthermore, it has proved to be advantageous to only partially surround the artificial light source with solar modules and to provide free-lying surrounding areas with mirrors or semi-mirroring surfaces. With the mirrors, light of the artificial light source can be mirrored on edge regions of the solar modules, which are only weakly illuminated by the direct light of the artificial light source. As a result, the efficiency of the solar system can be significantly increased.

As a solar module, a generator or photovoltaic module is subsequently always referred to, which is able to convert light into electrical energy. As a solar system is subsequently referred to a unit having one or more solar modules and of which the electrical energy generated by the solar modules is either directly stored in batteries or can be delivered via an inverter to a power grid. As a solar power plant is subsequently referred to a merger of two or more solar systems.

Further advantageous embodiments of solar systems according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.

FIG. 4 shows a solar system with three solar modules in a top view. [0023] FIG. shows the solar system according to Figure 1 in a side view. shows symbolically different tubular solar systems. symbolically shows three different polygonal solar systems. symbolically shows a cuboid, a star-shaped and a double-tube solar system with several artificial light sources.

Figure 6 shows two further embodiments of inventive solar systems with plate-shaped solar modules and / or mirrors.

Figure 7 shows two further embodiments of inventive solar systems with arcuate solar modules and / or mirrors.

Figure 9 shows a lighting fixture, which is also used as a solar system.

FIG. 10 shows a solar power plant with five solar systems arranged in a horizontal position.

Figure 1 shows a solar system 1 with three solar modules 2, 3 and 4 in a plan view, which are arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle. FIG. 2 shows the solar system 1 according to FIG. 1 in a side view, wherein the viewing angle along the solar module 2 has been selected. The solar modules 2, 3 and 4 are available commercially available solar modules and according to the embodiment in Figure 1 with a width of 0.8 meters and a length of 1.6 meters similar standing a tower standing. The solar modules 2, 3 and 4 are each attached to a module holder 5, 6 and 7, to have the necessary stability and strength. The module brackets 5, 6 and 7 are designed by a metal construction, whereby a profile construction made of plastic or other material such as wood could be realized. The module holder 6 has a hinge 8 on the longitudinal edge of the solar module 3 in order to be able to swing the solar module 3 outwards like a door. This has the advantage that the tower formed by the solar modules 2, 3 and 4, in particular for service work, can be opened.

The module holder 5, 6 and 7 have as spacers to the floor toward each module holder 5, 6 and 7, two Modulhalterfuße F, which have a length of 0.1 meters. The provision of the module holder feet F creates ventilation slots between the floor and the module holders 5, 6 and 7, whereby cool air enters the tower from below. Since warmed up air in the tower can freely flow out of the tower at the top, the ventilation slots on the floor create a natural convection that cools the solar system 1. As a result, the advantage is obtained that can be dispensed with a cooling of the solar system 1 by means of special ventilation, whereby the efficiency of the solar system 1 is increased.

Each of the solar modules 2, 3 and 4 has connection contacts A1 and A2, at which the electrical energy generated by the solar modules 2, 3 and 4 as a direct current l-OUT with a DC voltage of 12 volts to an inverter W can be issued. In the inverter W, the DC voltage U and the DC current I is converted into an adapted to the local power supply network voltage U-OUT of 240 volts AC voltage with 50 heart network frequency. The generated electrical energy can thus be fed into a household power grid or in the local power grid to supply several houses or an entire region.

The solar system 1 now has an artificial light source, which is formed by a fluorescent tube L, which is provided in a fluorescent tube holder H and which is supplied via an input current l-IN with energy. The fluorescent tube L has according to this embodiment, a length of 1.5 meters and is mounted in the center of the equilateral triangle formed by the three solar modules 2, 3 and 4, which is why it is equidistant from the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules 1, 2 and 3 and irradiate them evenly. By this arrangement of the artificial light source in the middle of the solar modules, a relatively high efficiency of the entire solar system 1 is obtained.

The efficiency is calculated in such a solar system by dividing the electrical power output from the solar system by the solar system and in this case the artificial light source supplied electrical power. Even if the efficiency is set by natural laws certain limits, but an interesting for the operation of the solar system efficiency can be achieved. In particular, subsidies for alternative energy sources and the relatively higher electricity price from alternative energy sources and other socio-political boundary conditions can contribute positively to the cost-effectiveness of the solar system.

Particularly advantageous to the solar system 1 is that at any time, so in particular during the night or the low-solar winter months, solar power can be generated continuously. The solar system 1 can be placed in a basement or attic protected from environmental influences, which is why a very long service life is guaranteed. About the openable module holder 6, the fluorescent tube L can be replaced or other service work, such as the dusting of the solar modules 2, 3 and 4, are performed. The thermal energy generated by the fluorescent tube L is derived by means of the thermal convection described above from the tower, without this energy would have to be expended.

Since commercially available solar modules 2, 3 and 4 were installed in the solar system 1, the solar system 1 is particularly inexpensive to produce. By providing the inverter, the electrical energy generated by an alternative energy source can be used as a stand-alone system for a single house, wherein the generated electrical energy can also be stored by means of a charger in accumulators. Likewise, the energy not required in the house can be fed by the inverter as a full or surplus feed system into a small energy grid or even into a large energy network. The wiring of the solar system 1 is provided on the outside of the module brackets 5, 6 and 7, which is why this on the one hand not shaded the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules 2, 3 and 4 and on the other hand for Service work is easily accessible.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5, symbolic and exemplary further possible arrangements of one or more artificial light sources are shown, which are surrounded by at least one solar module. In these figures, the module holders for the solar modules are not shown separately. A solar system 9 is shown on the left in FIG. 3, which is formed by a flexible solar module 10 rolled up into a tube and by an artificial light source 11 provided in its central axis, the artificial light source being provided over the length of the tube. The artificial light source 11 could, for example, be formed by a channel in which liquid fuel burns off. Since this can lead to a fouling of the solar module 10, it is more advantageous to provide an artificial light source 11, which produces no or only very small amounts of waste. Artificial light sources are known to the person skilled in the art, which light up uniformly, for example, on the basis of a chemical reaction over a long period of time. Particularly simple and clean artificial light sources are providable, which are fed with electrical energy. In this case, those skilled in the art, for example, fluorescent tubes, LEDs, energy-saving lamps and discharge tubes are known.

In Figure 3 in the middle of a two trough-shaped solar modules 12 and 13 assembled solar system 14 is shown, which are connected via a hinge 15 at a longitudinal edge. By providing the joint 15 it is achieved that the solar system 14 can be opened for service work. According to a further embodiment of the invention, instead of the solar module 13, a channel-shaped mirror would be provided, from which the light emitted by the artificial light source is reflected onto the solar module 12. Since solar modules are more expensive than mirrors, such a variant would be cheaper to produce and still all the light emitted by the artificial light source would be used to generate electrical energy. In Figure 3 right a solar system 16 is shown, which is composed of four channel-shaped solar modules, one of which is formed via a hinge 17 openable.

In Figure 4 symbolically three other solar systems are shown, wherein a solar system 18 is formed by a polygon with five solar modules, a solar system 19 by a polygon with six solar modules and a solar system 20 by a polygon with ten solar modules. These three solar systems 18, 19 and 20 also have the advantage that commercially available solar modules can be combined with these forms, which is why the production costs are relatively low. The more solar modules are provided in the polygon of the solar system, the more uniformly the entire surface of the individual solar modules is illuminated, whereby the efficiency can be further increased. In these embodiments, individual solar modules could be replaced by mirrors or at least partially reflective surfaces.

In Figure 5, three other solar systems are shown symbolically to show that several artificial light sources can be provided in a solar system and that the arrangement of the solar modules are technically and economically set no limits. In a cuboid solar system 21, two artificial light sources are provided to ensure the most uniform and small distance of the light sources to the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules. This is particularly important because the light energy with the distance from the light source decreases sharply and too large a distance of the artificial light source from the photosensitive surface of the solar module would have a significantly reduced efficiency of the solar system result.

Furthermore, a solar system 22 is shown in Figure 5, are arranged in the solar modules in the form of a star and produce a total of five electric light sources artificial light for generating electricity. A solar system 23 is formed by two tubular solar modules, each having an artificial light source in its central axis. On the basis of these examples, it can be clearly seen that a large number of further possible arrangements of artificial light sources, which are each surrounded by one or more solar modules, are located in the Austrian Patent Office AT12 595U1 2012-08-15

Scope and scope of the invention. In an alternative embodiment to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, individual ones of the solar modules of the solar systems 9 to 23 could be replaced by mirrors, wherein at least one solar module partially surrounding the artificial light source must always be provided. In all these embodiments, one or more artificial light sources could be provided in each case.

In the figure 6 left a solar system 24 is shown, the two plate-shaped solar modules 25 and 26 and two convex mirrors 27 and 28, wherein the mirror 27 is formed via a hinge 29 openable. The artificial light emitted by the LED light strip 30 is reflected by the mirrors 27 and 28 to the edge regions of the solar modules 25 and 26, which have a greater distance from the LED light bar 30 than the central areas of the solar modules 25 and 26 entire photosensitive surface of the solar modules 25 and 26 effectively used to generate electrical energy.

In the figure 6 right a solar system 31 is shown, the three plate-shaped solar modules 32, 33 and 34, wherein a portion of the surrounding area is kept free to the artificial light source to couple light from the solar system 31. The solar system 31 can thus be used as a lighting fixture to illuminate, for example, a room, a table or other object. As a result, the advantage of functionality as a solar system and as a lighting fixture is obtained. Also in this embodiment, a hinge 35 is provided for opening the solar module 32.

In the figure 7, two more solar systems 36 and 37 are shown, wherein individual of the artificial light source surrounding areas are covered by solar modules and the remaining surrounding areas by mirrors. In a further embodiment variant, a semi-reflecting surface could also be provided which partly lets through the artificial light and partially reflects it back. The transmitted through the semi-reflective surface and thus decoupled from the solar module light could in turn be used for lighting.

In Figure 8, a lighting fixture 38 is shown having a plate-shaped solar module 39, on the photosensitive surface, three fluorescent light strips 40, 41 and 42 are mounted with reflectors 43. Under the fluorescent tube light bar 40, 41 and 42 located objects are illuminated by the lighting fixture 38, and with the solar module 39, additional electrical energy is generated. This lighting fixture 38 could advantageously be dimensioned according to the installation dimensions of a suspended ceiling and be used as a standard module.

Based on Figures 1 and 2, the solar system 1 has been described, are arranged in the three solar modules similar to a tower standing. FIG. 9 shows a solar power plant 44 which has five solar plants 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49, each of which likewise has three solar modules arranged in an equilateral triangle. The solar systems 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49 of the solar power plant 44 are, however, arranged lying and can thus be arranged to save space in, for example, a basement room next to each other. Furthermore, a plurality of solar power plants 44 could be arranged in rows one above the other and next to each other to form a compact power plant for generating electrical energy.

The module holders of the solar modules of the solar power plant 44 have - not shown in the figure 9 - ventilation openings between the solar modules, in order to allow natural convection and thus cooling of the solar systems, which can be dispensed with electrically operated fans.

According to another embodiment of the invention, not shown in the figures, the sun or at least daylight is coupled into the solar system via one or more light guides or one or more mirrors. In this way, the advantage is obtained that during periods of time when the sun is shining or at least bright, the natural light can additionally be utilized to generate electrical energy. Depending on the brightness of the coupled natural light then the artificial light source 6/11

Claims (12)

Austrian Patent Office AT12 595U1 2012-08-15 only weaker artificial light or even completely switched off. As a result, the efficiency of the solar system can be further increased. It is also particularly advantageous to close several solar systems together to form a solar power plant. In this way, a practically arbitrarily large electrical energy, in particular at times when the power demand peaks, can be generated. It may be mentioned that, for example, a solar module or photovoltaic module from the company Sanyo with the type designation HIP 210 is currently available on the market. This solar module has a nominal output of 210 Wp. A commercially available fluorescent tube (Sylvania FHO 49W / 840), for example, has an energy consumption of 49 watts with discharge of 4,900 lumens. It may be mentioned that the efficiency of the solar system can be increased, the more of the light emitted from the artificial light source falls on the photosensitive surface of the solar module. For this reason, for example, in the arrangement of the solar modules as a tower in the form of an equilateral triangle, in each case a further solar module or a mirror or a semi-reflective surface may be provided on the bottom and the top surface. It may be mentioned that the lengths of the spacers, the fluorescent tubes and solar modules and voltage specifications of the output voltage of the solar modules and the voltage of the power supply network are mentioned in the description by way of example only. The person skilled in a variety of differently sized components with comparable technical function are known which can be used in the solar system according to the invention. It may be mentioned that both the surfaces of the mirrors or semi-reflective surfaces and the photosensitive surfaces of the solar modules may have any shapes and bulges. It may be mentioned that in all the embodiments described above inverters and optionally for buffering the electrical energy generated, a battery may be provided upstream of the inverter. Claims 1. A solar system (1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) for emitting electrical energy from at least one solar module (2, 3, 4; 25, 26; 32, 33, 34; 39) in that light energy is converted into electrical energy, wherein the generated electrical energy can be emitted by connection contacts (A1, A2) of the solar module (2, 3, 4; 25, 26; 32, 33, 34; 39), characterized in that an artificial light source (L; 11; 30; 40,41,42) provided by an electric light source (L; 30; 40,42,42), in particular by a fluorescent tube (L; 40,42,42), is formed, and that the at least one solar module (2, 3, 4; 26; 32, 33, 34, 39) is plate-shaped and the artificial light source (L; 11; 30; 40, 41, 42) is arranged at least partially surrounding and in that each of the solar modules (2, 3, 4; 26; 32, 33, 34; 39) is fastened on a module holder (5, 6, 7), wherein at least one module holder (6) of the solar system comprises a joint (8; 29, 35) to open the solar Attachment 1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) to perform service work on the solar module or the light source can. 2. Solar system (1, 45 to 49) according to claim 1, characterized in that three plate-shaped solar modules (2, 3, 4) are arranged as equilateral triangle and that the artificial light source (L) is substantially equidistant in the center of the equilateral Triangle arranged is provided. 3. solar system (1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) according to claim 2, characterized in that the module holders (5, 6, 7) ventilation openings (F) ensure the ventilation of the solar system (1; 9; 14; 16; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49), in particular by natural convection. 7/11 Austrian Patent Office AT12 595U1 2012-08-15 4. Solar system (1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an inverter (W) is provided which is connected to the connection contacts (A1, A2) of at least one solar module (2, 3, 4, 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 39) is connected and from which a mains power supply adapted to the local power supply network (U-OUT) is deliverable. 5. solar system (45, 46, 47, 48, 49) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two solar systems (45, 46, 47, 48, 49) are combined to form a solar power plant (44). 6. solar system (1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solar modules, the artificial light source in the form of a square or rectangular (21) base surface having cuboid at least partially surrounded. 7. Solar system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in addition natural light can be coupled into the solar system. 8. Solar system (31; 38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solar system (31; 38) can be used as a lighting fixture, whereby a part of the light generated by the artificial light source (40, 41, 42) either directly or by a semi-reflective surface of the solar system (31; 38) can be coupled to the lighting. 9. solar system (31; 38) according to claim 8, characterized in that the electrical energy generated by the solar system to reduce the energy consumption of the electrical energy source as a lighting fixture in the supply line (l-IN) of the supply of the electrical energy source can be fed and / or can be fed into a local power grid. 10. Solar system (31; 38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one solar module, the artificial light source is arranged only partially surrounding, wherein at least in a part of the remaining free area surrounding at least one mirror or at least a semi-reflective surface the artificial light source is arranged surrounding. 11. solar system (31) according to claim 10, characterized in that the at least one mirror or the at least one semi-reflective surface for improved illumination of the remote from the artificial light source edge regions of the at least one solar module is arranged. 12. Solar installation (1; 18 to 24; 31; 36; 37; 38; 45 to 49) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one solar module (2, 3, 4; 25, 26; , 33, 34, 39) generated electrical energy can be delivered to a battery. For this 3 sheets drawings 8/11