Reliable and self-sufficient lighting system and method

Abstract

The lighting device includes a lighting component, an energy storage unit, a photovoltaic (PV) panel for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit, a wind turbine having a plurality of rotatable blades coupled to a generator for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit, and a housing that receives at least the lighting component, the energy storage unit, and the PV panel, wherein the wind turbine is physically coupled to the housing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 356,121, filed June 28, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] Field of Disclosure FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to lighting devices and systems, and in particular to light emitting diode (LED) devices and systems with power converters and methods for controlling and powering LEDs therein. [Background technology]

[0003] background Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are well known and widely used in industrial applications, primarily as low-power light indicators. In recent years, LEDs with increased output or luminosity have been developed and are being used for illumination purposes. For example, LED lights offer improved energy efficiency, safety, and reliability, and are poised to replace other types of lights on the market, such as incandescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Because everyday lighting significantly impacts the load on the power grid and increases the overall need for power generation, the energy efficiency of LEDs will play a key role in future energy conservation. Due to their superior energy efficiency, LEDs are likely to dominate the lighting market.

[0004] High-efficiency LEDs have replaced traditional lighting solutions for street lighting. Therefore, LED street lighting is a rapidly growing industry due to various advantages such as high brightness, high efficiency, high reliability, and / or similar characteristics. LED street lights also need to be able to operate outdoors for long periods of time even under harsh weather conditions. Therefore, reliability and robustness are very important.

[0005] To reduce the power consumption of street lights and make them "greener," the integration of renewable energy systems and energy storage systems has been used. For example, solar or photovoltaic (PV) panels are often used to harvest solar energy, and batteries are employed to provide storage capacity. During the day, the solar energy harvested by the PV panels is stored in the batteries, and at night, the batteries provide energy to the LED lights.

[0006] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a prior art LED street lighting system 10 having a PV panel 12 and a battery 14. As shown, the LED street lighting system 10 includes an LED light 16 mounted on a pole 18. The LED light 16 is connected to the battery 14, typically via a power converter (not shown). The PV panel 12 is also connected to the battery 14 to charge the battery 14 during the day. The LED street lighting system 10 may also include an alternating current (AC) power input, such as an AC utility grid (not shown), for powering the LED light 16.

[0007] The battery 14 is required to have low temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, due to its heavy weight, the battery 14 is usually placed on the ground or underground. However, such placement requires long wiring between the battery 14 and the LED light 16, and between the battery 14 and the PV panel 12. Long wiring can increase electrical resistance and increase power waste due to the long wiring. This problem is particularly serious for high-power LED lights, such as highway lights, due to the low battery voltage and high current.

[0008] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the prior art LED street lighting system 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown, the LED street lighting system 10 includes multiple power converters. In particular, a first direct current (DC)-to-direct current converter (DC / DC converter) 24 converts the output of the PV panel 12 into DC power suitable for charging the battery 14. The first DC / DC converter 24 may use maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to harvest the maximum power available from the PV panel 12 under applicable conditions.

[0009] The battery 14 is connected to the LED street light 16 via a second DC / DC converter 26. The second DC / DC converter 26 converts the DC output of the battery 26 into a voltage / current suitable for the LED 16.

[0010] The LED street light 16 is also powered by an AC power source 22 via an AC-to-DC (AC / DC) converter 28 when the battery 14 does not have enough stored energy.

[0011] There are various challenges and difficulties associated with prior art LED street lighting systems, including: The long wiring between the battery 14 and other components such as the LED lights 16 and PV panels 12 causes significant power loss. Therefore, the overall energy efficiency of the street lighting system is usually low. The system requires multiple power converters, such as power converters 24, 26, and 28 shown in FIG. 2, which increases the complexity, cost, and reliability of the system. If the battery 14 does not have enough stored energy, the public power grid 22 will be required to power the system, thereby placing an energy demand burden on the public power grid 22.

[0012] Due to the challenges mentioned above, existing LED streetlights may not provide optimal lighting solutions. With the rapid increase in streetlights and their impact on the public power grid system, suboptimal operation can have significant negative impacts on the power system. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] overview According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lighting device including: a lighting component; an energy storage unit; a photovoltaic (PV) panel for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit; a wind turbine having a plurality of rotatable blades coupled to a generator for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit; and a housing that receives at least the lighting component, the energy storage unit, and the PV panel, wherein the wind turbine is physically coupled to the housing.

[0014] In some embodiments, the lighting component is a light emitting diode (LED).

[0015] In some embodiments, the lighting device further includes a reflector coupled to the housing for reflecting light toward the PV panel.

[0016] In some embodiments, the wind turbine includes a gyroscopic structure, and the plurality of rotatable blades are coupled to the gyroscopic structure to align the orientation of the plurality of rotatable blades along the wind direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the gyro structure includes an outer frame coupled to a support and rotatable about a first axis, and an inner frame coupled to the outer frame and rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a plurality of rotatable blades coupled to the inner frame.

[0018] In some embodiments, the inner frame includes a wind diffuser structure that receives a plurality of rotatable blades.

[0019] In some embodiments, the wind diffuser structure is conical.

[0020] In some embodiments, the gyro structure includes a coupling structure supporting a generator, an outer frame including a plurality of conductive portions separated by a pair of electrical isolators, the coupling structure coupled to the plurality of conductive portions and extending therebetween; each of the conductive portions is electrically connected to the generator via a first electrical wiring of the coupling structure to receive electricity from the generator, and is also electrically connected to a second electrical wiring of the support to output electricity received from the generator.

[0021] In some embodiments, the coupling structure includes a plurality of conductive first arms for functioning as first electrical traces, and the support includes a plurality of conductive second arms for functioning as second electrical traces.

[0022] In some embodiments, the gyro structure includes an alignment tail for tracking wind direction.

[0023] In some embodiments, the energy storage unit includes an energy storage capacitor.

[0024] In some embodiments, the energy storage unit includes an energy storage capacitor.

[0025] In some embodiments, the energy storage capacitor includes at least one capacitor cell.

[0026] In some embodiments, the energy storage capacitor comprises a plurality of stacked capacitor cells.

[0027] In some embodiments, each capacitor includes multiple stacked layers of a dielectric film and two conductive layers of two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) material sandwiching the dielectric film, where the multiple stacked layers extend along the back surface of the PV panel without wrapping.

[0028] In some embodiments, the 2D or 3D material comprises graphene and / or graphite.

[0029] In some embodiments, the lighting device further includes a thermoelectric unit received within the housing, the thermoelectric unit coupled to the lighting component or the PV panel and configured to convert heat emitted therefrom into electricity for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit.

[0030] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric unit includes a first thermally conductive plate coupled to the lighting component or PV panel, a second thermally conductive plate, and a thermoelectric layer sandwiched between the first and second thermally conductive plates.

[0031] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric layer comprises a 2D perovskite.

[0032] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric layer includes a plurality of thermoelectric sublayers extending between first and second thermally conductive plates, each adjacent pair of thermoelectric sublayers sandwiching the membrane therebetween.

[0033] In some embodiments, the lighting device further comprises one or more sensors.

[0034] In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include at least one of one or more light sensors, one or more temperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, and one or more occupancy sensors.

[0035] In some embodiments, the lighting device further includes a power circuit electrically coupled to the lighting components, the energy storage unit, the PV panel, the wind turbine, and the one or more sensors, and a supervisory control module electrically coupled to the power circuit for adjusting operation of the lighting device based on the output of the one or more sensors.

[0036] In some embodiments, the supervisory control module includes one or more artificial intelligence (AI) models for predicting the operating state of the lighting device based on the output of one or more sensors to adjust the operation of the lighting device.

[0037] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lighting system including a plurality of the above-described lighting devices, each of the plurality of lighting devices further including a communication component, and the lighting system configured to coordinate operation of the plurality of lighting devices based on an output of one or more sensors of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0038] In some embodiments, the lighting system is configured to predict operational states of the plurality of lighting devices using one or more AI models based on the output of one or more sensors of the plurality of lighting devices; and coordinate operation of the plurality of lighting devices based on the predicted operational states of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0039] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art street lighting system having a solar panel and battery assembly; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the prior art LED street lighting system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the lighting device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a wind turbine of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a wind turbine of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 4 is a schematic perspective view of a wind turbine of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 according to still some other embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic bottom view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 14] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a thin-film supercapacitor of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 having multiple capacitor cells, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a capacitor cell of the thin-film supercapacitor shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a thermoelectric generator (TEG) coupled to a lighting component of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 for converting a temperature gradient into electricity, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a TEG of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of the TEG shown in FIG. 17 showing the movement of electrons. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a TEG coupled to a photovoltaic (PV) panel of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view of the TEG and PV panel shown in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of the lighting device shown in FIG. 3 with artificial intelligence (AI) supervisory control, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 23]FIG. 23 is a schematic plan view of the lighting device shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 23 is a schematic side view of the lighting assembly of the lighting device shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a schematic rear view of the lighting assembly shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 25 is a schematic bottom view of the lighting assembly shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 27] FIG. 25 is a schematic front view of the wind turbine of the lighting assembly shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a schematic side view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 27. [Figure 29] FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view of the wind turbine shown in FIG. 27. [Figure 30] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a lighting system with multiple lighting devices deployed in a field, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 31] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a lighting system in which multiple lighting devices are deployed in a field and which uses one or more artificial intelligence (AI) models to predict the behavior of the lighting devices, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Detailed Description The present disclosure generally relates to lighting devices and / or systems, such as light-emitting diode (LED) devices and systems. In some embodiments, the lighting device can be an LED street light. The lighting devices disclosed herein include various energy conversion units, electronics, sensors such as light sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, occupancy sensors, and / or the like, lighting components such as LEDs, mechanical housings, and / or the like. The lighting devices are reliable and self-sufficient, and can power the lighting components in an efficient manner without requiring a public power grid.

[0042] 3-5, a self-contained lighting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown and generally identified using reference numeral 100, with FIG. 3 being a schematic cross-sectional view of lighting device 100, FIG. 4 being a schematic plan view thereof, and FIG. 5 being a block diagram illustrating its components. As shown, lighting device 100 includes a support structure 102, such as a pole, extending upward from ground 104 and supporting a lighting assembly 106 thereon.

[0043] The lighting assembly 106 includes a housing or enclosure 108 that receives therein other components and circuitry, such as electronic circuitry 110, one or more photovoltaic (PV) panels 112, one or more energy storage units 114, one or more lighting components 116 such as one or more LEDs, one or more wind turbines 118, which in these embodiments are small-scale wind turbines (hereinafter also referred to as “nano-wind turbines”), and one or more thermoelectric units 120 (also referred to as “thermoelectric generators (TEGs)”) and one or more sensors 122. In these embodiments, the lighting assembly 106 also includes one or more reflectors 124 coupled to the housing 108 at an appropriate angle to reflect sunlight toward the PV panels 112.

[0044] By integrating components 110-122 into housing 108, lighting assembly 106 does not require external wiring, thereby providing ease of deployment and saving energy that might otherwise be wasted on external wiring.

[0045] In these embodiments, the PV panel 112 is connected to the energy storage unit 114 to convert solar energy into electrical energy during the day and store the converted electrical energy in the energy storage unit 114. The nano wind turbine 118 is connected to the energy storage unit 114 to convert wind energy into electrical energy and store the converted electrical energy in the energy storage unit 114. In some embodiments, the PV panel 112 and / or the nano wind turbine 118 are also connected to the LEDs 116 to power the LEDs 116 for lighting. The electronic circuitry 110 controls the operation of the components 112-122.

[0046] 6 and 7 are schematic plan and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a nano wind turbine 118. As shown, the nano wind turbine 118 includes a frame structure 132 that supports a set of rotatable blades 134 therein. The blades 134 are coupled to a generator 136 for driving the generator 136 to convert wind energy into electrical energy.

[0047] In some embodiments, the frame structure 132 of the nano wind turbine 118 includes a gyroscopic structure to maximize the amount of wind energy harvested for conversion to electricity. As shown in FIGS. 8-10 , the frame structure 132 includes an outer frame 132A and an inner frame 132B, both of which may be circular or of any suitable shape. The outer frame 132A is rotatably mounted or otherwise coupled to supports 144 for rotation about a first axis 146. The inner frame 132B is rotatably mounted or otherwise coupled to the outer frame 132A for rotation about a second axis 148 that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis 146. The blades 134 are rotatably coupled to the inner frame 132B via a coupling structure 150. As described above, the blades 134 are also coupled to a generator 136 for driving the generator 136 to convert wind energy into electrical energy.

[0048] The use of gyroscopic structure 132 allows blades 134 to rotate about axes 146 and 148 under wind pressure applied thereto so as to align with the wind direction to capture the maximum amount of wind energy.

[0049] 11-13 show a nano wind turbine 118 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The nano wind turbine 118 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 8-10 and further includes an alignment tail 154 to ensure that the wind direction is tracked by the gyro structure 132.

[0050] The energy storage unit 114 stores the energy harvested by the PV panels 112 and the nano wind turbine 118 and powers the LEDs 116 when needed (e.g., when sunlight is not available). The energy storage unit 114 can be any suitable energy storage component, such as one or more batteries (such as high-density lithium-ion (LI) batteries), one or more so-called supercapacitors (which are energy storage capacitors with large energy storage capacity), and / or the like.

[0051] In some embodiments, the large area provided by the PV panel 112 may be suitable for coupling a supercapacitor thereto with electrical connections for use as the energy storage unit 114.

[0052] 14 and 15 illustrate the structure of a thin-film supercapacitor 114 for effectively storing energy in a lighting device 100. As shown in FIG. 14 , the supercapacitor 114 includes one or more capacitor cells 172 connected to a pair of conductors or electrodes 174. As shown in FIG. 15 , each capacitor cell 172 includes multiple stacked layers, including a dielectric film 182 sandwiched between two layers 184 of conductive two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) material, such as graphene, graphite, and / or the like. Each layer 184 is electrically coupled to a conductor 186 on its outside. By using 2D or 3D material layers 184, the capacitor cell 172 can be very thin over a very large area. When multiple capacitor cells 172 are stacked and integrated to form a thin-film supercapacitor 114, adjacent 2D or 3D material layers 184 of two capacitor cells 172 can share the same conductor 186, as shown in FIG. 14 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, thin-film supercapacitors 114 offer several advantages, including: · The dynamic behavior of thin film supercapacitors 114 compared to that of batteries is much faster, which is important for performance lighting applications due to the unstable nature of the energy source; · Unlike batteries, thin-film supercapacitors 114 generally do not undergo electrochemical reactions, so the lifespan of the thin-film supercapacitors 114 is much longer than that of batteries, and therefore the lifespan of the thin-film supercapacitors 114 can be extended for many years with minimal performance degradation; Thin film supercapacitors 114 have a wide operating temperature range, making them particularly suitable for outdoor applications.

[0053] Furthermore, the thin-film supercapacitor 114 can extend along the back surface of the PV panel 112 without wrapping the stacked layers. Such a layout efficiently utilizes the large area of the PV panel 112 and reduces the thickness of the thin-film supercapacitor 114.

[0054] 16 and 17 show the structure of a TEG 120 for converting a temperature gradient into electricity.

[0055] As shown, the TEG 120 includes a thermoelectric layer 204 (e.g., a layer of 2D perovskite) sandwiched between a pair of thermally conductive plates 206 and 208 (hereinafter referred to as the "hot plate" and "cold plate," respectively). The hot plate 206 is positioned adjacent to a heat source, such as the LEDs 116 (e.g., coupled directly to the circuit board of the LEDs 116 or coupled to the circuit board of the lighting component 116 via the metal housing 108), and acts as a heat sink, directing heat 210 from the LEDs 116 directly to the thermoelectric layer 204. The cold plate 208 is positioned away from the LEDs 116 to maintain a temperature differential with the hot plate 206.

[0056] 17 , in some embodiments, the thermoelectric layer 204 includes multiple thermoelectric sublayers 212 extending between a hot plate 206 and a cold plate 208. Each adjacent pair of thermoelectric sublayers 212 sandwiches a film 214 therebetween. Each thermoelectric sublayer 212 includes a thermoelectric material, such as a 2D perovskite, that has good electronic conductivity and poor thermal conductivity (in other words, electrical conductivity and thermal insulation), thereby confining heat 210 emitted from the LEDs 116 near the hot plate 206 and creating enough energy to drive electrons 216 toward the cold plate 208, as shown in FIG. 18 , thereby converting the temperature gradient between the hot plate 206 and the cold plate 208 into an electric current.

[0057] The TEG 120 provides excellent redundancy for the lighting device 100, allowing a portion of the energy generated by the LEDs 116 to be effectively recycled as heat. In high-power lighting devices 100, the LEDs 116 can generate a significant amount of heat, causing the heat sink or hot plate 206 to become hot. Therefore, a significant temperature gradient exists between the power-generating hot plate 206 and the cold plate 208.

[0058] In some embodiments, thermal energy generated by other components of the lighting device 100 can also be reused through the use of the TEG 120. For example, the PV panel 112 is exposed to direct sunlight, causing it to heat up. Higher temperatures tend to reduce the efficiency of the PV panel 112.

[0059] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, in some embodiments, one or more TEGs 120 can be coupled to the back side of the PV panel 112 to convert heat generated by the PV panel 112 into electricity, which simultaneously facilitates cooling of the PV panel 112, thereby increasing the efficiency of the PV panel.

[0060] The one or more sensors 122 may be one or more light sensors, one or more temperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, one or more occupancy sensors, and / or the like, for sensing the environment of the lighting device 100. The electronic circuit 110 uses the output of the sensors 122 to control the operation of the lighting device 100. For example, a light sensor may be used to sense ambient light intensity, which may be used to turn the LED 116 on (e.g., during the day) or turn the LED 116 off (e.g., at night). The occupancy sensor may be used to turn the LED 116 on and off (e.g., turn on the LED 116 when a moving object is detected by the occupancy sensor, and turn off the LED 116 when no moving object is detected by the occupancy sensor for a preset period of time).

[0061] Thus, lighting device 100 uses three different energy sources, namely PV panel 112, nano wind turbine 118, and TEG 120, to store electricity in energy storage unit 114 and / or power LEDs 116. The use of three different energy sources provides lighting device 100 with great flexibility and redundancy, and therefore may significantly improve the reliability of lighting device 100.

[0062] 21 , the electronic circuit 110 includes a power circuit 222 electrically coupled or connected to the PV panel 112, the nano wind turbine 118, the TEG 120, the energy storage unit 114, and the LEDs 116. The electronic circuit 110 also includes a control unit 224 electrically coupled or connected to the power circuit 222 for electrical control thereof. In these embodiments, the electronic circuit 110 further includes an artificial intelligence (AI)-based supervisory control unit 226 electrically coupled or connected to the control unit 224. The AI-based supervisory control unit 226 receives the output of the sensor 122 and controls the operation of the components 112-120 via the control unit 224.

[0063] In these embodiments, the AI-based monitoring and control unit 226 includes one or more AI models trained using historical outputs of the sensors 122 (e.g., representing historical data such as traffic, weather conditions, and / or the like) and historical operational data of various components of the lighting device 100, such as historical operational data of the LEDs 116, the PV panel 112, the nano wind turbine 118, the TEG 120, and / or the energy storage unit 114. The AI-based monitoring and control unit 226 uses the one or more trained AI models to intelligently predict the operational state of the lighting device 100 based on the outputs of the sensors 122 and adjust the operation of the various components of the lighting device 100 to reliably optimize its performance. For example, the AI-based monitoring and control unit 226 uses the one or more trained AI models to estimate or predict the amount of available energy and control the light intensity of the LEDs 116 by controlling the LED current (via the control unit 224) to achieve a high level of reliability. As another example, a motion sensor may be used to turn LED 116 on and off based on the output of one or more light sensors, or based on AI predictions using the output of one or more motion sensors in conjunction with the output of one or more temperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, one or more light sensors, and / or the like.

[0064] In some embodiments, one or more AI models may also be trained by using historical data, for example, of traffic, weather conditions, and / or the like, captured by other devices.

[0065] In some embodiments, lighting device 100 may include communications components for receiving relevant data, such as traffic, weather conditions, and / or the like, from other devices or one or more computer servers. AI-based monitoring and control unit 226 can use one or more trained AI models to intelligently predict the operating state of lighting device 100 based on the output of sensors 122 and data received through the communications components. AI-based monitoring and control unit 226 adjusts the operation of various components of lighting device 100 based on the predicted operating state in order to reliably optimize its performance.

[0066] 22 and 23 show a lighting device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, with FIG. 22 being a schematic cross-sectional view of the lighting device 100 and FIG. 23 being a schematic plan view thereof.

[0067] The lighting device 100 in these embodiments is similar to that shown in Figures 3 to 5. However, in these embodiments, the energy storage unit 114 and the TEG 120 both utilize a large area of the PV panel 112 and extend along the back surface of the PV panel 112 without wrapping. Furthermore, the TEG 120 is sandwiched between the PV panel 112 and the energy storage unit 114.

[0068] In these embodiments, the one or more wind turbines 118 of the lighting device 100 are not received in the housing 108 of the lighting assembly 106. As shown in FIGS. 24-26 , the wind turbine 118 is coupled to the housing 108 of the lighting assembly 106 via supports 144. As shown in FIGS. 27-29 , the wind turbine 118 includes a gyroscopic structure 132 formed by a rotatable outer frame 132A and a rotatable inner frame 132B, both of which may be circular or of any suitable shape. The outer frame 132A is rotatably mounted or otherwise coupled to the supports 144 via ball bearings 242 for rotation about a first axis 146. The inner frame 132B is rotatably mounted or otherwise coupled to the outer frame 132A via ball bearings 244 for rotation about a second axis 148 that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis 146.

[0069] The blades (not shown) are rotatably coupled to the inner frame 132B via coupling structures 150. A generator 136 is coupled to the blades such that rotation of the blades drives the generator 136 to convert wind energy into electrical energy.

[0070] In these embodiments, the outer frame 132A includes or is otherwise formed with a plurality of conductive portions (such as the two conductive portions 132A1 and 132A2 shown in FIG. 27 ) separated by a plurality of electrical isolators 246. A coupling structure 150 supporting the generator 136 is coupled to and extends between the plurality of conductive portions 132A1 and 132A2. Each of the conductive portions 132A1 and 132A2 is electrically connected to the generator 136 via appropriate electrical wiring in the coupling structure 150. Each of the conductive portions 132A1 and 132A2 is also electrically connected to respective wiring in the support 144. Thus, the conductive portions 132A1 and 132A2 function as electrodes for outputting electricity from the generator 136 via the wiring in the support 144 (e.g., to the energy storage unit 114 and / or the LEDs 116).

[0071] In some embodiments, the coupling structure 150 may include multiple conductive arms (such as the two conductive arms 150A and 150B shown in FIG. 27 ) that each function as an electrical wire for electrically connecting the respective conductive portion 132A1 or 132A2 to the generator 136.

[0072] In some embodiments, the support 144 may include a plurality of conductive arms 144A and 144B that are physically and electrically coupled to the respective conductive portions 132A1 or 132A2, respectively, and function as electrical wiring for outputting electricity from the generator 136.

[0073] In these embodiments, the inner frame 132B has a substantially conical shape to act as a wind diffuser, which may increase the wind speed passing through the blades within the inner frame 132B. Thus, the wind turbine 118 may begin operating at lower ambient wind speeds with improved power conversion efficiency.

[0074] Figure 30 illustrates a lighting system 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, the lighting system 300 includes a plurality of lighting devices 100 deployed at a site 302 (shown in Figure 30 along a roadway as an example). Each of the lighting devices 100 may be as shown in Figures 3-5 or as shown in Figures 22-23, and may further include communication components (not shown) for communicating with other lighting devices via suitable wired or wireless means.

[0075] Communication between the lighting devices 100 allows the lighting system 300 to sense the scene 302 and objects therein using the sensors 122 of the lighting devices 100 and adjust the operation of the lighting devices 100. For example, the lighting devices 100 may change their light intensity based on the movement of an object within the scene 302. For example, to increase reliability, the sensors 122 of the lighting devices 100 may detect the movement of an object and alert neighboring lighting devices of the object's presence, which may then adjust their light intensity accordingly. In some embodiments, the lighting system 300 may estimate the pace of the object and adjust the light intensity of the lighting devices 100 accordingly. Thus, the lighting system 300 may be more reliable with reduced energy consumption.

[0076] 31 , the lighting system 300 may collect information from multiple sources, such as the energy storage unit 114 (e.g., its status), sensors 122, weather information 342, a map 344 of the site 302, traffic volume at the site 302, time of day 346, and / or the like, and use one or more AI models 350 to predict changes in the site 302 environment (e.g., changes in weather, ambient light intensity, day / night, object movement (e.g., its pace and direction), and / or the like) and adjust the operation (e.g., light intensity) of the lighting devices 100 accordingly. In these embodiments, one or more communication gateways 352 may be used to facilitate communication between the lighting devices 100.

[0077] Although embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A lighting device, comprising: a lighting component; an energy storage unit; photovoltaic (PV) panels for at least one of powering the lighting components and charging the energy storage unit; a wind turbine having a plurality of rotatable blades coupled to a generator for at least one of powering the lighting components and charging the energy storage unit; a housing that receives at least the lighting components, the energy storage unit, and the PV panel, the wind turbine being physically coupled to the housing; and a reflector coupled to the housing for reflecting light toward the PV panel; A lighting device comprising:

2. 10. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine includes a gyroscopic structure, and the plurality of rotatable blades are coupled to the gyroscopic structure to align a direction of the plurality of rotatable blades along a wind direction.

3. The gyro structure is an outer frame coupled to the support and rotatable about a first axis; an inner frame coupled to the outer frame and rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; the plurality of rotatable blades are coupled to the inner frame; 3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

4. The lighting device of claim 3 , wherein the inner frame includes a wind diffuser structure that receives the plurality of rotatable blades.

5. The lighting device of claim 4 , wherein the wind diffuser structure is conical.

6. The gyro structure is a coupling structure for supporting the generator; the outer frame includes a plurality of conductive portions separated by a plurality of electrical isolators; the coupling structure is coupled to and extends between the plurality of conductive portions; Each of the conductive portions is electrically connected to the generator via a first electrical wiring of the coupling structure to receive electricity from the generator, and is also electrically connected to a second electrical wiring of the support to output the electricity received from the generator.

5. The lighting device according to claim 3 or 4.

7. 7. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the coupling structure includes a plurality of conductive first arms for functioning as the first electrical wiring, and the support includes a plurality of conductive second arms for functioning as the second electrical wiring.

8. 8. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein the gyroscopic structure includes an alignment tail for tracking wind direction.

9. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage unit comprises an energy storage capacitor.

10. 10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the energy storage capacitor comprises at least one capacitor cell.

11. 10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the energy storage capacitor comprises a plurality of stacked capacitor cells.

12. The at least one capacitor cell, each of which: a dielectric film, and two conductive layers of two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) material sandwiching the dielectric film, the 2D or 3D material comprising graphene and / or graphite; a plurality of stacked layers of the plurality of laminated layers extending along the back surface of the PV panel without packaging; 12. The lighting device according to claim 10 or 11.

13. a thermoelectric unit received within the housing, the thermoelectric unit coupled to the lighting component or the PV panel and configured to convert heat emitted therefrom into electricity for at least one of powering the lighting component and charging the energy storage unit; The lighting device of claim 1 further comprising:

14. The thermoelectric unit is a first thermally conductive plate coupled to the lighting component or the PV panel; a second thermally conductive plate; a thermoelectric layer sandwiched between the first and second thermally conductive plates; the thermoelectric layer includes a plurality of thermoelectric sublayers extending between the first and second thermally conductive plates, each adjacent pair of thermoelectric sublayers sandwiching a membrane therebetween; 14. The lighting device of claim 13.

15. 15. The lighting device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric sublayers comprise a 2D perovskite.

16. further comprising one or more sensors; 10. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more light sensors, one or more temperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, one or more occupancy sensors, or a combination thereof.

17. a power circuit electrically coupled to the lighting component, the energy storage unit, the PV panel, the wind turbine, and the one or more sensors; a supervisory control module electrically coupled to the power circuit for adjusting operation of the lighting device based on the output of the one or more sensors; 17. The lighting device of claim 16, further comprising:

18. 20. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the supervisory control module includes one or more artificial intelligence (AI) models for predicting an operational state of the lighting device based on the output of the one or more sensors to adjust operation of the lighting device.

19. 17. A lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices according to claim 16, each of the plurality of lighting devices further comprising a communication component; 10. A lighting system, wherein the lighting system is configured to coordinate operation of the plurality of lighting devices based on an output of the one or more sensors of the plurality of lighting devices.

20. the lighting system comprises: predicting operational states of the plurality of lighting devices using the one or more AI models based on outputs of the one or more sensors of the plurality of lighting devices; and configured to coordinate operation of the plurality of lighting devices based on the predicted operational states of the plurality of lighting devices.

20. The lighting system of claim 19.

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