US 12,413,085 B2
Mobile solar power unit control system
David James Sharp, Belmont (AU)
Assigned to Ecoquip Australia Pty Ltd., Henderson (AU)
Appl. No. 18/039,296
Filed by Ecoquip Australia Pty Ltd., Henderson (AU)
PCT Filed Oct. 27, 2021, PCT No. PCT/AU2021/051250
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 30, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/115898, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0006903 A1, Jan. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/35 (2006.01); H02J 13/00 (2006.01); H02S 10/40 (2014.01); H02S 40/38 (2014.01); H05B 45/325 (2020.01); H05B 47/11 (2020.01); H05B 47/16 (2020.01)
CPC H02J 7/0068 (2013.01) [H02J 7/35 (2013.01); H02J 13/00002 (2020.01); H02J 13/00022 (2020.01); H02S 10/40 (2014.12); H02S 40/38 (2014.12); H05B 45/325 (2020.01); H05B 47/11 (2020.01); H05B 47/16 (2020.01); H02J 2300/26 (2020.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mobile solar power unit control system providing power to an associated equipment item, the mobile solar power unit control system comprising:
(a) at least one mobile solar power unit comprising a solar panel assembly of including a plurality of inter-connected planar solar collector panels, each solar collector panel not being shaded by another solar collector panel of said plurality;
(b) an energy storage module comprising at least one battery connected to receive power from the solar panel assembly of inter-connected planar solar collector panels; and
(c) a control system for controlling operation of both the energy storage module of the at least one mobile solar power unit and associated equipment item,
wherein said control system comprises a local controller having a human machine interface onboard or proximate the at least one mobile solar power unit and a remote controller located remotely from said at least one mobile solar power unit;
wherein said remote controller is communicable with said local controller through a wireless communications network for controlling, by a control algorithm configured by said remote controller and transmitted to said local controller, operation of the mobile solar power unit, its associated equipment item(s) and any auxiliary loads;
wherein said control algorithm is configured dependent on information resources collating information about an environment surrounding the at least one mobile solar power unit and processing of data collected from the at least one mobile solar power unit;
wherein start and end times for said associated equipment item operation are automatically adjustable in real time by said control algorithm dependent on:
a plurality of environmental parameters including predicted environmental parameters selected from the group consisting of information fixed by location including geographic location of the mobile solar power unit and sunset, sunrise, moonrise and moonset times for the location of the at least one mobile solar power unit; and
dynamic information selected from the group consisting of weather forecasts for the location of the at least one mobile solar power unit, ambient light levels, sensed and logged human motion patterns around the at least one mobile solar power unit, and logged mobile solar panel unit performance data; and
wherein said control algorithm takes account of variances from predicted environmental parameters in operating the associated equipment item.