Modular Portable AC Power Source for Doorway Transport and Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable generators lack the flexibility and scalability to efficiently provide temporary AC power in various settings, such as construction sites and events, while also being transportable through standard doorways.
Innovation Solution
A portable AC power source apparatus comprising terminal banks, a battery, a converter, a relay, a controller, and a base, designed for use with lifting devices like pallet trucks and fork lifts. The apparatus can operate in standalone or stacked configurations, synchronize AC power waveforms, and be easily transported through narrow doorways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If portable generators are designed to provide high power output, then power capacity is improved, but device size and weight increase making them difficult to transport through standard doorways
Solution Approach 1:
The power source is divided into modular battery units that can be individually transported through doorways and then combined using stacking mechanisms to achieve the required power capacity. Each module maintains a compact form factor suitable for standard doorways while the system can be scaled by adding more modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from horizontal expansion (increasing device width/length) to vertical stacking (increasing height through stacking), allowing high power capacity to be achieved while maintaining a compact footprint that fits through standard doorways.
2Power
If portable generators are designed for high power output, then power capacity is improved, but device weight increases making them harder to handle and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The overall weight is distributed across multiple separate battery modules, each weighing a manageable amount for manual handling. These modules can be individually transported and then combined to achieve the total power capacity required, avoiding the need to move a single heavy unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates lifting devices with counterweight mechanisms that reduce the effective weight during lifting operations, making it easier to transport heavy battery modules vertically to stacking positions without requiring excessive manual effort.
3Ease of operation
If portable generators are designed to be compact for easy transport, then ease of transport is improved, but power capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple compact battery modules that individually fit through doorways and can be easily transported. The required power capacity is achieved by stacking multiple such modules together, combining the advantages of compact transportability with high total power output.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery modules are designed with universal stacking interfaces and standardized connection mechanisms that allow the same compact unit to serve both as a transportable module and as a component of a high-capacity stacked system, eliminating the need for different designs for different power levels.
4Adaptability or versatility
If portable generators are designed as modular stacked systems, then scalability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into identical, standardized battery modules with uniform connection interfaces. This segmentation enables simple scalability by adding or removing modules without requiring complex reconfiguration, as each module is interchangeable and connects through standardized mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple identical battery modules are combined through standardized stacking interfaces that automatically align electrical and mechanical connections. This merging process is simplified by using uniform module designs with integrated connection features, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from integrating different components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus provides scalable and flexible temporary AC power solutions, capable of handling high loads and synchronizing power waveforms, while being easily transportable and adaptable for use in various settings.
Implementation Method 1
a converter adapted to change DC power to AC power
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for defining an AC power source having a predetermined amperage rating and for use with a pallet truck or fork lift lifting device. The apparatus includes a pair of terminal banks, a battery, a converter adapted to change DC to AC power, a relay, a controller, and a base adapted for engagement by the lifting device for transport of the apparatus. The apparatus is shaped so that it can be transported by the lifting device through a doorway. A pair of terminal banks, battery, converter, relay and controller are coupled to one another and configured for selective operation in a standalone configuration or a stacked configuration.