Double-sided photovoltaic power generation device installed at mobile device

Abstract

A double-sided photovoltaic power generation device installed at a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a solar panel having a plurality of solar cells provided on both surfaces of the panel and adjusted such that one surface of the solar panel is moved to face upward and form a predetermined angle with respect to the ground; a reflection unit disposed to face the solar panel while being spaced apart therefrom and to reflect sunlight incident to one surface thereof toward the other surface of the solar panel; and a control unit configured to adjust a predetermined angle of the solar panel.

Description

Double-sided solar power generation device installed on a mobile device

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0170864 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 26, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated into the present invention.

[0002] This project (result) is the result of the Local Government-University Cooperation-based Regional Innovation Project, conducted in 2024 with funding from the Ministry of Education and support from the National Research Foundation of Korea (2022RIS-006).

[0003] The present invention relates to a solar power generation device installed on a mobile device, and more specifically, to a double-sided solar power generation device comprising a solar panel having solar elements on both sides and a reflector that reflects sunlight to the other side of the panel that does not face the sun.

[0004] A solar power generator is a device that absorbs sunlight through panels composed of solar cells and converts it into electrical energy. It is regarded as an eco-friendly energy source that minimizes carbon emissions, has low maintenance costs, and provides long-term energy cost savings.

[0005] Active attempts are being made to apply solar power generators not only to fixed locations such as solar power plants or building rooftops, but also to means of transportation. In particular, the focus is on integrating solar power generation into electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles to supplement energy charging or improve system efficiency. This method involves generating electricity during the day via solar panels attached to the exterior of the vehicle to charge the vehicle's batteries or electronic devices.

[0006] As the demand for eco-friendly vehicles, such as electric vehicles, increases, so does the need for vehicle-mounted solar power generators. Since electric vehicles rely heavily on charging infrastructure and have limited battery capacity and driving range, attaching a solar power generator to the vehicle enables auxiliary battery charging while driving or parked. Furthermore, it offers the advantage of reducing reliance on external charging stations and allowing in-vehicle electronic equipment (such as heating, cooling, and lighting) to be operated independently using solar power.

[0007] Currently, some commercially available vehicles are designed to install solar panels on the roof to auxiliary charge the battery while parked or to mount solar panels on the entire surface of the vehicle to generate more solar energy. These vehicles can expect an extension of driving range of approximately 3 to 10 km per day through solar power generation, which contributes to fuel cost savings and improved eco-friendliness, although this is limited.

[0008] However, due to the limited surface area of ​​the vehicle, there are restrictions on the size and power generation capacity of the solar panels that can be installed. Furthermore, adding solar elements to compensate for this leads to an increase in vehicle weight. Therefore, technical improvements are required to realize more effective solar power generation by maximizing the efficiency of solar elements within a limited area.

[0009] The aforementioned background technology is technical information that the inventor possessed or acquired during the process of deriving the embodiments of the present invention, and it cannot be considered as prior art disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0010] To solve the above problem, the present invention provides a double-sided solar power generation device that can increase the area exposed to sunlight in a limited space by comprising a solar panel having solar elements on both sides and a reflector configured to reflect sunlight to the solar panel.

[0011] A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a solar panel having a plurality of solar elements provided on both sides of the panel and adjusted so that one side is raised to form a predetermined angle with the ground; a reflector arranged to be spaced apart from the solar panel and facing each other, so as to reflect sunlight incident on one side toward the other side of the solar panel; and a control unit for adjusting a predetermined angle of the solar panel.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective portion may be characterized by having a predetermined curvature toward the other surface of the solar panel.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective portion may be characterized by having a concave shape toward the other side of the solar panel.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system may further include a tracker that tracks the position of the sun, and the control unit may be characterized by calculating the angle of incidence of the sun based on the position of the sun measured by the tracker and adjusting a predetermined angle of the reflector.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the solar panel and the reflector may be characterized by being formed in a plurality of numbers.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a moving part may be further included to allow the reflector to slide in and out of the moving device.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflector may include a reflector plate formed of a flexible material to have a predetermined curvature and reflecting incident sunlight, a lateral support member that supports mutually facing surfaces of the reflector plate having a predetermined curvature, and a front and rear support member connected to both ends of the lateral support member and supporting mutually facing surfaces of the reflector plate.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflector may be characterized by being formed of a polymer material.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it may be characterized by further including a motor formed to change the angle of the reflector by connecting it to both ends of the front and rear supports.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pole connected to the ground or one side of the moving device may be further included to support a lateral support or a front and rear support protruding from the reflector to the outside of the moving device.

[0021] The present invention has the advantage of high power generation efficiency because it can increase the area of ​​the solar element exposed to sunlight within the limited space of a mobile device.

[0022] In addition, the present invention is economical because it can be installed on existing mobile devices at a low cost.

[0023] In addition, the present invention has the advantage of effectively controlling the exposure level of a photovoltaic element according to the altitude of the sun.

[0024] The effects obtainable from the invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the description below.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a reflector in a double-sided solar power generation device installed in a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates the coupling diagram of a reflector in a double-sided solar power generation device installed in a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram showing how a solar panel is controlled in a double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] ※ Explanation of symbols

[0031] 100: Bifacial solar power generation device 110: Solar panel

[0032] 120: Reflector 121: Reflector

[0033] 122: Lateral support 123: Front and rear support

[0034] 130: Control unit 140: Tracker

[0035] 150: Motor 160: Pole

[0036] The present invention will become clear from the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Meanwhile, the terms used in this specification are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0037] Throughout this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise in the text.

[0038] Throughout this specification, the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising” as used mean that the mentioned components, steps, actions and / or elements do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, actions and / or elements, and that, unless specifically stated otherwise, they do not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0039] Additionally, terms such as "...part" as used throughout this specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0040] Furthermore, throughout this specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are connected "with other components in between."

[0041]

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed on a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a front view of a double-sided solar power generation device installed on a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Here, the 'moving device (V)' is a mechanical device used to move people or objects, and may be, for example, a vehicle, a ship, a train, etc. In particular, the present invention can be installed on the upper side of a vehicle, and such as a camper van, the upper side of the vehicle may have a predetermined area so that multiple solar elements can be installed.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed on a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a solar panel (110), a reflector (120), and a control unit (130).

[0046] The solar panel (110) is configured such that a plurality of solar elements are formed in the form of a single panel, and solar elements that convert sunlight into electricity are formed on one side (110a) and the other side (110b) of the panel. In particular, the present invention is characterized by having solar elements provided on both sides of the solar panel (110). More specifically, solar elements are provided on both sides of the panel, with one side (110a) facing upward and the other side (110b) facing the ground, and the solar panel (110) forms a predetermined angle with the ground. Here, the 'predetermined angle' is the angle formed between the one side (110a) or the other side (110b) of the panel and the ground, which can be rotated from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, and can be adjusted so that sunlight reflected through the reflector (120) described below is incident on the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110).

[0047] The photovoltaic element formed on the photovoltaic panel (110) is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy using the photoelectric effect, and the type of such device is not particularly limited and a generally commercially available device can be used.

[0048] The reflector (120) is configured to divert the path of incident sunlight and can be installed spaced apart from the solar panel (110) but positioned to face the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110). According to this arrangement, sunlight incident on the reflector (120) can be reflected from one side of the reflector (120) and incident on the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110), that is, the side opposite to the one side (110a) of the solar panel (110) facing the sun. This configuration has the advantage of allowing sunlight to be incident using both sides of the solar panel (110), which has a limited area.

[0049] In particular, the reflector (120) in the double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a predetermined curvature toward the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110). Referring to FIG. 1, the reflector (120) is formed to have a predetermined curvature to reflect sunlight toward the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110) positioned toward the ground, thereby making it easier for sunlight to be incident on the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110). The shape according to this curvature is not particularly limited, but in one embodiment, it may be configured to have a concave shape to induce the incident sunlight to converge. The number of times sunlight incident through the reflector (120) is reflected is not particularly limited, and the reflected sunlight may be reflected back onto the reflector (120) and incident on the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110) once.

[0050] FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a reflector (120) in a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed in a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 illustrates an assembled view of a reflector (120) in a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed in a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the reflector (120) may include a reflector plate (121), a lateral support (122), and a front and rear support (123).

[0051] The reflector (121) is configured to reflect incident sunlight and is positioned to have a predetermined curvature. In particular, the reflector (121) may be formed from a flexible material and composed of a material that can artificially change the curvature.

[0052] In one embodiment, the reflector (121) may be formed from a polymer material. Polymer materials have the advantages of being lightweight, highly durable, and easy to manufacture. In one embodiment, the reflector (121) may be manufactured from polycarbonate, acrylic, polyester, polypropylene, and composite materials combining a polymer material and a metal.

[0053] The lateral support (122) and the front and rear support (123) are configured to surround the outer surface of the reflector (121) and serve as a frame for fixing the flexible reflector (121).

[0054] In particular, the lateral support (122) may have a curvature in one direction so that the reflector (120) may have a predetermined curvature. Additionally, the lateral support (122) may be made of a flexible material so that the user can artificially adjust the degree of curvature as needed. The lateral support (122) may be composed of two parts when the reflector (121) is rectangular in shape.

[0055] The front and rear support members (123) are connected to both ends of the lateral support members (122) and are a part that fixes the remaining surface of the reflector (121). When the reflector (121) is rectangular in shape, the lateral support members (122) are configured to fix the remaining surface where they are not formed. The front and rear support members (123) can be divided into a front support member and a rear support member, respectively. When the reflector (120) is installed, the rear support member may be positioned on a part of the moving device (V), and the front support member may be positioned protruding outward from the moving device (V).

[0056]

[0057] Meanwhile, since the angle at which sunlight is incident on the ground changes over time, it is necessary to adjust the angle of sunlight incident on the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110). That is, since the angle of sunlight incident on the reflector (120) changes in real time as the sun moves, in order to guide sunlight to the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110), a control unit (130) for adjusting a predetermined angle of the solar panel (110) may be further included.

[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram showing how a solar panel (110) is controlled in a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed in a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, the control unit (130) can change the surface area of ​​the opposite side (110b) of the solar panel (110) and the reflective part (120) facing each other by changing a predetermined angle of the solar panel (110). That is, since the sunlight reflected from the reflective part (120) varies depending on the altitude of the sun, it is necessary to adjust a predetermined angle of the solar panel (110) in order to direct it to the opposite side (110b) of the solar panel (110). Accordingly, the control unit (130) can control the solar panel (110) through an output that changes a predetermined angle according to the input of an external signal, and such input and output can be driven manually and / or automatically.

[0060] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can be operated by artificial driving. For example, a user can directly check the path of sunlight visually according to the altitude of the sun and automatically rotate the solar panel (110) through an input device such as a switch.

[0061] In another embodiment, a solar panel (110) can be automatically rotated to a predetermined angle through a configuration that determines the position of the sun. Referring to FIG. 5, a tracker (140) that tracks the position of the sun can be further included to measure the position and / or altitude of the sun, and the angle of incidence of the sun can be calculated according to the measured data to calculate a predetermined angle of the reflector (120) to optimally guide the sunlight reflected toward the other surface (110b) of the solar panel (110), and the solar panel can be rotated. This control unit (130) can effectively control the amount of solar power generated by calculating the position of the tracker (140), the curvature of the reflector (120), and the predetermined angle of the solar panel (110).

[0062] The solar tracker (140) can move by detecting sunlight through a light sensor or measure the position of the sun through an algorithm that calculates the sun's diurnal cycle and path, and is not limited to any specific embodiment.

[0063]

[0064] In a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed on a moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a solar panel (110) and a reflector (120) may be formed in multiple numbers. In one embodiment, the reflectors (120) installed on the moving device (V) may face each other with a concave shape and spaced apart, and a solar panel (110) may be placed between the reflectors (120). Here, the solar panels (110) may be arranged in multiple numbers so that they face each other with one side of each reflector (120), and may be arranged in a V-shape so that one end of each solar panel (110) faces each other. Alternatively, an axis may be formed so that the solar panel (110) can rotate in a direction parallel to the direction of one side (110a) and / or the other side (110b) of the solar panel (110), so that the solar panel (110) can rotate facing the reflector (120). Depending on the needs, the solar panel (110) and the reflector (120) may be installed in all directions of the moving device (V), including the front, back, left, and right.

[0065] In a double-sided solar power generation device (100) installed on a mobile device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reflector (120) can be configured to be positioned as needed. In one embodiment, the reflector (120) is configured to be detachable so that it can be installed facing the solar panel (110) only when solar power generation is required.

[0066] In another embodiment, a moving part (not shown) may be further included to move the reflective part (120) so that it can slide in and out of the moving device (V). More specifically, the reflective part (120) may be stored in a separate storage space formed in the moving device (V), and if necessary, the moving part may be operated to slide the reflective part (120) out of the moving device (V). Here, the moving part may be capable of automatic and / or manual operation. In one embodiment, it may be configured such that the reflective part (120) can be moved in and out when the user rotates in one direction or another through a configuration such as a wheel, or in another embodiment, it may be configured such that the reflective part (120) can be moved in and out through an electric device when an input device such as a button is pressed.

[0067] Here, the configuration of the motor (150) may be further included to allow the angle of the reflector (120) to be changed. More specifically, referring to FIG. 4, when the reflector (120) is configured to protrude outside the moving device (V), the angle of the reflector (120) can be adjusted in the direction desired by the user by connecting it to both ends of the front and rear supports (123). In particular, the angle of the reflector (120) can be easily adjusted by connecting both ends of the rear support, which is positioned on a part of the moving device (V) among the front and rear supports (123), and the shaft of the motor (150) in parallel and rotating.

[0068] In addition, the present invention is characterized by the additional placement of a pole (160) to support the reflector (120). When the reflector (120) is formed protruding outward from the moving device (V), sagging may occur due to the load. Therefore, to protect against this, a pole (160) can be formed to support the ground or one side of the moving device (V) while simultaneously supporting the lateral support (122) or the front and rear support (123) from below.

[0069]

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above by limited embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

Claims

1. A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a mobile device, A solar panel having multiple solar elements provided on both sides of the panel, and adjustable so that one side is raised to form a predetermined angle with the ground; A reflector positioned to be spaced apart from and facing the solar panel, and to reflect sunlight incident on one side toward the other side of the solar panel; and A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a movable device comprising: a control unit for adjusting a predetermined angle of the solar panel.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned reflective part is, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device, characterized by having a predetermined curvature toward the other side of the solar panel.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned reflective part is, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a movable device, characterized by having a concave shape facing the other side of the solar panel.

4. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a tracker that tracks the position of the sun, and A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device, characterized in that the control unit calculates the angle of incidence of the sun according to the position of the sun measured by the tracker and adjusts a predetermined angle of the reflector.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above solar panel and reflector are, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a mobile device characterized by being formed in multiple units.

6. In Paragraph 1, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device that further includes a moving part that moves the reflective part so that it can slide in and out of the moving device.

7. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned reflective part is, A reflector composed of a flexible material capable of having the above-mentioned predetermined curvature to reflect incident sunlight, Lateral supports each supporting mutually facing surfaces having the predetermined curvature in the above reflector, and A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a movable device comprising front and rear supports connected to both ends of the lateral support and supporting the mutually facing surfaces of the reflector.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above reflector is, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a mobile device characterized by being formed of a polymer material.

9. In Paragraph 7, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device, characterized by further including a motor formed to change the angle of the reflector by connecting it to both ends of the front and rear support members.

10. In Paragraph 7, A double-sided solar power generation device installed on a moving device, characterized by further including a pole connected to the ground or one side of the moving device to support the lateral support or the front and rear support protruding from the reflective part to the outside of the moving device.

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