ITPG20120004A1 - MODULE / TRANSPORTABLE SYSTEM, LOGISTICALLY ADVANCED AND STANDARDIZED FOR THE PRODUCTION AND COLLECTION IN AUTONOMY OF ELECTRICITY AND DRINKING WATER AND FOR THE CONSERVATION OF FOOD (PHLOWER - PHOTOVOLTAIC, LOGISTIC, WATER, ENERGY REVERSOIR) - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION of the invention having the TITLE: "Transportable, logistically advanced and standardized module / system for the autonomous production and storage of electricity and drinking water and for the storage of food (PHLOWER - PHotovoltaic, LOgistic, Water, Energy Reservoir ) DESCRIPTION

The invention (called PHLOWER) is an integrated transportable module containing various functional units, aimed at the production of electricity, its storage, the production of drinking water, the preservation of food, other functions not of primary necessity (e.g. systems of communication). The innovative aspects of the system, the characteristics of the module and its components are described below.

Innovativeness of the system

The innovativeness of the system is given by the following characteristics:

1. The system consists of a set of technologies integrated together in a standard container.

2. The container is a logistically advanced unit, easily transportable, even in remote areas, with intermodal standards by water, by land (train, road), by air.

3. The individual technologies adopted are mature and robust, giving strength and reliability to the entire system.

4. Ease of use and installation, which does not require operators with specialized skills;

5. Service life of more than 10 years in the absence of special maintenance except those of an ordinary nature (eg replacement of filters of the water purification system);

6. Guarantee of operation at full load for a few days, in total absence of sunshine.

General features

PHLOWER is composed of the following functional units: an array of photovoltaic panels, a storage system for the electricity produced, a pumping and water purification unit, a water well drilling system (this unit is to be considered optional, depending on the needs of the community involved), a tank to contain the drinking water produced, a food storage system. PHLOWER functions are controlled by a central logic unit that analyzes energy production and organizes its consumption among the functional units according to needs.

Mechanical characteristics

PHLOWER consists of a standard size container, such as 20x8x8 ft. In this case, its external dimensions are equal to:

Length = 6058 mm;

Width = 2438 mm;

Height = 2591 mm.

These correspond to the typical dimensions of a 1CC container, as indicated in the ISO 668 standard. In this case, the dimensions and shape of the outer container are those shown in Fig.1.1 and 1.2.

The positions of the mounting angles (S = 5853 mm, P = 2259 mm) correspond to those indicated for the corners of the steel containers in the ISO 668 standard. The steel corners are designed according to the ISO 1161 standard. containers of other sizes.

Once positioned in the place intended for its use, the PHLOWER container is opened to use its various functions and internal units. The typical opening mode takes place according to the steps indicated in Figure 2.1-7.

In particular, each side of the container can be unfolded twice by means of a double system of hinges, in order to expose the photovoltaic panels contained within each side to solar radiation, as shown in figures 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4. One of the shorter sides of the container is equipped with photovoltaic panels only in a part of it, in order to allow operators and users to access the internal functional units, as shown in figure 2.5.

The container roof can be rotated 180 ° in order to expose the internal side, equipped with photovoltaic panels, to solar radiation, as shown in Fig.2.6 and 2.7.

Alternative opening modes are possible that also provide for multiple unfoldings (even with multiple hinges) or with completely different unfolding systems such as sliding on guides.

When PHLOWER is completely open and a 1CC container is used, the surface covered by photovoltaic panels exposed to solar radiation is equal to 80 m <2>. Only the opening of the walls and the relative double unwinding can be done manually. The electrical energy storage system, the pumping and water purification system and the food storage system are and remain positioned inside the container in order to be protected by the roof of the container. The limitations to the production of electricity due to the shadows produced by the roof on the photovoltaic panels are generally negligible, in particular for uses of PHLOWER in the tropical belt. The gross weight of PHLOWER is about 6 tons (2 tons is the weight of empty 1CC container). The characteristics of the individual functional units contained in PHLOWER are described below, the positioning of which may be that shown in Fig. 3.1 and 3.2 (alternative positions of the individual elements may however be possible). The characteristics of the individual elements shown below, referring to a 1CC container, are intended as a possible example of module equipment. The invention consists in integrating the functional units described (photovoltaic panels, inverters, pumping and water purification system, well drilling unit, food storage unit, water tank, electricity storage unit), whose dimensions and size may vary according to user needs.

Array of photovoltaic panels

The photovoltaic panels are installed on the side walls of the container; each photovoltaic wall is folded twice. The walls can therefore be unfolded twice in order to obtain a large surface available for solar radiation and for a significant production of electrical energy. For example, considering an achievable photovoltaic surface of approximately 80 m <2> (based on the diagram in Fig. 2.7), the nominal electrical power of each PHLOWER unit is approximately 10 kW, which is capable of producing at least 50 kWh / day , considering average sunshine data of the tropical belt (as a precaution, 1800 equivalent hours of sunshine per year were considered). The electricity produced by the photovoltaic panels allows the powering of the pumping and water purification system, the food storage unit, the control unit, the drilling system, as well as possible external users, also through the '' storage in a specific battery unit (whose sizing takes into account weight, reliability, duration and costs), with a capacity of up to 200 kWh. In this way, the amount of stored electricity can provide power to the aforementioned systems for at least 4 days (24 x 4 hours), in the event of any absence or reduction in sunshine. By way of example, the photovoltaic technology that can be used in this application is the polycrystalline one, which ensures reliability and efficiency, with a moderate effect of the ambient temperature. These panels are characterized by good efficiency values (on average in the 11-14% range), which are slightly lower than those of monocrystalline, but with lower costs / kW. The reduction in efficiency is approximately 1% / year; in this way, 90% of the power is guaranteed after 10 years of operation. Their lifespan is usually over 30 years.

DC / AC converter (inverter)

Photovoltaic panels produce direct current; therefore, in order to power the functional units of PHLOWER with alternating current (pumping and water purification units, food storage units, well drilling units, control units) or an AC socket for any external users (eg. communication and transmission systems, PC), in the PHLOWER container there is a DC / AC converter (inverter). The inverter is positioned inside the container, even in the final configuration, in order to be protected by the photovoltaic roof. It is able to produce alternating electricity from the continuous one produced by the photovoltaic panels (or from that stored in the energy storage batteries), with a conversion efficiency of up to 97%. Different types of inverters are possible, depending on the required output voltage and frequency, which depend on the requirements of the electrical system of the country where PHLOWER will be installed. It should be considered that, for a conversion of 10 kW (size of the photovoltaic panel array provided in the example shown), the weight of the inverter will be approximately 40 kg, its volume approximately 0.1 m <3> .

Electricity storage unit

A battery array constitutes the storage system for the electricity produced by the photovoltaic panels. In order to identify the possible optimal type, a critical analysis of the types of existing batteries suitable for the purpose was carried out, shown below.

VRLA batteries

A Valve-Regulated Lead-acid battery (VRLA) is a low-maintenance type of lead-acid rechargeable battery. VRLA batteries do not require the addition of water at regular intervals to the individual cells. Such batteries are commonly classified into:

- Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries;

- Gel batteries.

An AGM battery is characterized by the absorption of the electrolyte by a glass fiber separator. A gel battery, on the other hand, is characterized by an electrolyte mixed with silica powder to form an immobilized gel. These batteries are often called sealed lead acid batteries, although they always have a safety drain valve. Unlike vented (also called "flooded") ones, a VRLA cannot spill its electrolyte if it is upside down. These batteries are also "recombinant", which means that during the charging phase the oxygen produced on the positive electrode largely recombines with hydrogen producing water. The valve is a safety device in case the hydrogen production rate becomes dangerously high. In traditional "flooded" cell batteries, on the other hand, the gases escape before they have a chance to recombine, so water must be periodically added. Therefore, VRLA batteries are characterized by a much higher power / surface ratio than batteries "Flooded".

LiFePO batteries≤

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFeP04) batteries, also called LFP batteries, are a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium ion battery, that uses a LiFeP04-based cathode. LiFeP04 batteries always remain batteries that use lithium chemistry, so they share the same advantages and disadvantages with it. However, a key advantage over other lithium-ion batteries is greater thermal and chemical stability, which ensures greater safety. Due to the stronger bonds between the oxygen atoms in the phosphate (compared for example to the cobalt used in other batteries), oxygen is hardly released, thus giving high resistance to high temperatures and non-flammable characteristics. In addition, the chemistry of Li-Fe-phosphate ensures a longer life cycle than standard celias. The use of phosphates also reduces costs and environmental impact compared to cobalt cells. Another major advantage of LiFeP04 batteries over LiCo02 based ones is the higher peak current. However, LFP batteries have some disadvantages: the energy density (energy / volume) of a new LFP battery is slightly lower than that of a new LiCo02 battery (about 14%). Battery manufacturers are however working to maximize energy storage performance and reduce the size and weight of such batteries. Many LFP batteries on the market also have low discharge rates compared to lead-acid or LiCo02 batteries. Since the discharge rate is a percentage of the battery capacity, this problem can be overcome by using a larger battery (characterized by higher ampere-hours). While LiFeP04 cells have lower voltage and energy density values than LiCo02 cells, this disadvantage is offset over time by the slower rate of capacity loss of LiFeP04 compared to other lithium ion batteries (such as LiCo02O LiMn204).

Lithium-ion-polymer batteries

Lithium-ion-polymer batteries, more commonly called lithium polymer batteries (abbreviated Li-poly, Li-Poi, LiPo, LIP, PLI or LiP) are also rechargeable batteries. Usually, such batteries consist of several identical secondary cells in parallel in order to obtain a high discharge current. Furthermore, compared to the original lithium ion cells, the main difference is that the lithium salt electrolyte is not held in an organic solvent, but in a solid composite polymer such as polyethylene oxide or polyacrylonitrile. The advantages of Li-poly batteries over traditional lithium-ion batteries also include potentially lower production costs, adaptability to a wide variety of packaging forms, reliability and robustness. The following table shows the comparison between the technical characteristics of some models of the types of storage systems analyzed.

The power of the PHLOWER array of photovoltaic panels, in the example shown, is approximately 10 kW. It is planned to store an amount of electricity equal to 4 equivalent days of production; therefore, referring to installations in the regions of North-Central Africa (and considering a worst case of 1800 hours / year of sunshine - in fact, 2500 hours / year is a typical value of the equatorial regions, but considering the horizontal installation of photovoltaic panels and possible shadows, a precautionary value of 1800 hours / year was considered), the battery system must be able to store approximately 197 kWh. To this end, the following table shows the comparison between the technical-economic characteristics of the various storage systems analyzed, capable of accumulating approximately 197 kWh. It is highlighted how LiFeP04 batteries are the best compromise from an economic, logistic and technical point of view. However, given the continuous evolution of technology in the sector or for particular needs, it is possible to install other types of innovative batteries in PHLOWER.

The battery system (LiFeP04 or other) is placed on the base of the container. Its volume, in the analyzed example, is about 2000 liters; the shape is parallelepiped with a height of 0.18 m. in addition, a ventilation and cooling system capable of maintaining the operating temperature of the batteries below 50 ° C is integrated into the energy storage unit (see Fig. 4). The battery compartment can also be integrated into the container structure.

Pumping and water purification unit

PHLOWER includes a completely self-sufficient pumping and water purification unit thanks to the energy produced by photovoltaic panels. The unit described in the example is able to meet the demand for drinking water of a village of 200 people (e.g. in the regions of North-Central Africa) where there is a source of water (e.g. a well). To this end, a daily consumption of drinking water per capita of about 10 liters was considered, which corresponds to 2 m <3> per day in the case of villages of 200 people.

It is possible to use different technologies, such as that of reverse osmosis (or Reverse osmosis - RO), an effective and cost-effective water filtration method. This method is based on the use of a membrane capable of removing many types of large molecules and ions from liquid solutions, once a specific pressure is applied to these, present on one side of the membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and only the pure solvent (water in the case in question) is able to pass through it. Instead, water purification methods based on non-RO filters generally only use single activated carbon cartridges for water treatment. They are much less effective methods and the pore size of these filters are much larger than those of membranes, typically 0.5 - 10 microns. Therefore, these can be used to filter sediments and impurities only larger than one micron (as a result, the water will not be completely pure and safe as in the case of reverse osmosis application). On the other hand, in the world, even domestic water purification and purification systems use reverse osmosis processes. The unit that will be included in PHLOWER contains, in addition to the pumping system, a series of filters that will allow water purification, for example through the following processes:

- a sedimentation filter, to trap particles such as rust and calcium carbonate;

- a second sedimentation filter with smaller pores (optional);

- an activated carbon filter to trap organic compounds and chlorine, which can attack and deteriorate the reverse osmosis TFC membranes;

- a reverse osmosis (RO) filter, consisting of a thin film composite membrane (TFM or TFC);

- a second activated carbon filter to capture the chemical compounds not removed from the RO membrane (optional);

- a UV lamp for the elimination of microbes that may not be removed from the RO membrane (optional).

The technical specifications of an example of a standard RO purification system that can be included in PHLOWER are shown in the following table.

In the event that 2 m <3> per day (village of 200 people) must be guaranteed, the pumping and purification unit must be in operation for 8 hours a day. Therefore, the electricity consumption of the pumping and purification unit is equal to 6.4 kWh.

Among the maintenance operations of this unit, it is worth noting the need to replace the filters, which on average must be carried out once every 1-2 months. Therefore, replacement filters able to guarantee the correct operation of the unit for at least 15-20 years will be contained in PHLOWER. It is however possible to include other pumping and water purification technologies in PHLOWER.

Water well drilling unit

In this regard, there are new portable technologies, consisting of drilling machines as small as 3 m in length, with small drilling rods. PHLOWER can optionally provide this functional unit, depending on the needs, which can be constituted by a simple do-it-yourself system for drilling wells, easily used by 1 or 2 people with a minimum level of skill. The short drill rods allow, among other things, to have a very small tower, that is, to have a small and light rig available. Such portable systems generally allow penetration depths of up to approximately 240m, depending on the operating pressures and flow of the sludge pumping systems.

For example, the following table shows the technical specifications of a simple water well drilling system, which can be considered a possible standard PHLOWER standard equipment. However, other types of water well drilling systems can be provided in PHLOWER.

Drinking water tank

The PHLOWER container includes a tank for the drinking water produced by the purification system. This tank, which can be made of polyethylene for example, can be removable, and in this case it can be positioned outside the container (see Fig. 3.2). Possible dimensions of the tank are 1.8 x 2.0 x 2.0 m (in the example shown); with these dimensions, the volume of the tank is equal to over 7000 liters which, for a village of 200 people, corresponds to a reserve of drinking water of about 3 days.

Food storage unit

The functional unit for food storage consists of a cold room, for example with operating temperatures between (-10 ° C) and (-25 ° C). The cold room can consist of an external casing and internal walls in stainless steel, thermal insulation panels, the refrigeration unit (i.e. the compressor-evaporator-condenser block) and an electronic control panel. The control panel allows the control of the internal temperature by means of specific temperature probes inserted in the cell. Furthermore, a defrost procedure can be provided, to be activated by the control panel, when the evaporator is covered by ice. The refrigeration unit mainly consists of the compressor (electrical power in the range 2-3 kW), the condenser and the evaporator exchanger. It is designed to work even in a tropical template with a COP (coefficient of performance) higher than 1.2. The refrigerant fluid is eco-compatible (without the use of contained CFCs or HCFCs). The thermal insulation panels are made of insulating material, such as high-density polyurethane with a minimum thickness of 60 mm. Food supports can be provided inside the compartment, consisting of grids and extractable plates. The internal volume of the cold room, in the example shown, is about 4 m <3>, sufficient for the preservation of food in a village of 200 people for 3-4 days. As regards the relative energy consumption, considering an operating temperature of (-20 ° C), the food storage system must be powered by about 7 kWh / m <3> per day. Therefore, approximately 28 kWh of electricity must be guaranteed to power the food storage unit. The gross dimensions of the food storage unit, in the example shown, are approximately 6.5-7 m <3>, with a weight of approximately 400 kg. Other types of cold rooms are also possible.

Central Logic Unit and Energy Flows

PHLOWER is controlled by a central logic unit (CLU), generally consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unii), memory devices, devices for measuring the electricity demands of each PHLOWER functional unit, electrical connections. The CLU, inside the container, controls the electricity flows from the photovoltaic generators to the storage system and to the functional units (pumping and water purification units, food storage units, well drilling units, any external users), depending on the of the energy demand of each of them. The electricity needed to power the CLU is estimated to be less than 4 kWh / day. A block diagram of the possible connections of the CLU with the aforementioned users is shown in Figure 5. Other connections of the CLU with the functional units are possible, as well as other control logics.

The following table summarizes the average daily energy flows that characterize the PHLOWER module, evaluated on the basis of the examples of container equipment shown. It is evident that, in the reported operating conditions, the energy produced by PHLOWER is greater than the energy demand of the related utilities and therefore PHLOWER is energetically autonomous (in this case, about 9 kWh / day are available for the well drill or for utilities. for their use, special electrical sockets are provided in PHLOWER).

Claims (8)

CLAIMS 1. Transportable module, autonomous and logistically advanced, consisting of a container of the type shown in Figures 1.1 and 1.2, which can be opened as shown in Figure 2 (2.1-7), on whose internal walls, as in Figure 2.1-7, panels are installed photovoltaic systems of any type for the production of electricity, which can be used, under the control of a central logic unit, for the power supply, directly or through inverters and battery storage systems with or without cooling units, of contained systems inside the container as arranged in Figures 3.1 and 3.2, consisting of a pumping and water purification unit, water to be stored in a special tank contained in the module or removable, a unit for drilling water wells, a food storage unit and one or more sockets for external users. 2. Module according to claim 1, characterized by alternative opening methods also with fewer or more unfoldings (and with fewer or more hinges) with respect to claim 1, or with completely different deployment systems such as sliding on guides. Module according to one of the preceding claims, with non-rigid internal walls or parts of walls. 4. Module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the absence of control by a central logic unit. 5. Module according to one of the preceding claims, with any other arrangement of the indoor units (batteries, inverter, pumping and water purification unit, water tank, unit for drilling water wells, food storage units). 6. Module according to one of the preceding claims, where the surface of the inner walls of the container occupied by the photovoltaic panels is smaller or larger than that shown in Figure 2.7. 7. Module according to one of the preceding claims, containing only some of the following functional units involved: batteries, inverters, pumping and water purification units, water tanks, units for drilling water wells, food storage units. 8. Module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the volume in which the set of technologies involved are contained, or these technologies are individually integrated, having dimensions different from those of Figure 1. Module according to one of the preceding claims, equipped with wheels, rollers or other system for positioning or transport.