Portable, self-sustaining power station
View Patent ↗A self-sustaining, portable, power station that may be moved by land, air, or sea to an area that has no utilities. The station is provided with solar panel arrays in communication with at least one electrical distribution and storage means. The derived electricity is used to power various systems including, albeit not limited to, a communications system, a water filtration system, a water distribution system to allow the public to draw potable water and provide basic hygiene. The electricity derived may also be used to run outside systems, such as schools, hospitals, or the like. The solar panel arrays are mounted on roller assemblies that can be easily slide between a stowed and deployed condition. The solar arrays include a plurality of solar panels that are supported by one or more hydraulic actuators to counter balance the weight of the solar panel whereby the solar panel can be easily positioned into the desired tilted orientation.
1. A portable, self-sustaining power station comprising:
a transportable container;
a stationary solar panel secured to an upper surface of said container and configured to receive sunlight;
a plurality of movable solar panels stowed beneath said stationary solar panel in individual compartments;
a mounting assembly including a first and second roller tube each having an upper wall, a lower wall and opposing side walls with a plurality of upper rollers spaced apart and extending at least partially above said upper wall and secured to said side walls by an upper transverse axle member and a plurality of lower rollers spaced apart and extending at least partially below said upper wall and secured to said side walls by a lower transverse axle member constructed and arranged to support each of said movable solar panel and allow movement from the stowed position beneath said stationary solar panel to a deployed position wherein each said movable solar panel is configured to receive sunlight;
a hydraulic actuator secured to each said movable solar panel and each said side wall constructed and arranged to counter balance the weight of each said solar panel and aid in tilting said movable solar panels for optimum orientation;
a ratchet shaft rotatably mounted to said side members, said ratchet shaft including a ratchet wheel mounted along each end of said ratchet shaft adjacent to a locking pawl, said locking pawl allowing rotation of said ratchet wheel to allow a tilt angle increase of said movable solar panels;
an actuator for disengaging said locking pawl to allow a tilt angle decrease of said movable solar panels;
an engine driven electrical generator mounted within said container and accompanying said solar panels by a power storage device for storing electrical energy generated from said solar panels and said engine generator;
wherein the power station provides a reliable source of power derived from said power storage device wherein said solar panels are deployed to obtain an optimum panel orientation to allow said solar panels to supply a primary power to the power storage device and said engine driven electrical generator supplies a supplemental power to said power storage device.
2. The portable self-sustaining power station according to claim 1 , wherein said upper and said lower transverse axle members comprise an axle spacing;
said axle spacing being less than the diameter of said upper rollers or said lower rollers, whereby said upper rollers at least partially overlap said lower rollers within said first and second roller tubes.
3. The portable, self-sustaining power station according to claim 1 , wherein said upper and said lower rollers are substantially annular members with a cylindrical bore along a center of rotational axis;
said cylindrical bore constructed and arranged to cooperate with one of said upper or said lower traverse axle members.
4. The portable, self-sustaining power station according to claim 1 , wherein said first and said second roller tubes each comprise roller plates defined as substantially U-shaped channels extending inward in said compartments.
5. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 , wherein said engine is an internal combustion engine, said container further comprising a fuel tank, and a vent to expel fumes from an interior portion of said container to an exterior area.
6. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 , wherein said power storage device is a plurality of rechargeable batteries housed within said transportable container.
7. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 including a converter placed within said power station for converting direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
8. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 including a telecommunications system capable of transmitting over the group consisting of microwave, satellite, two-way, radio/TV, teletype, facsimile and land line connections.
9. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 wherein each of said movable solar panels includes at least one retractable support leg positioned perpendicularly to a plane of the movable solar panels when the movable solar panels are in the deployed position to provide stability for the movable solar panels.
10. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 wherein a plurality of leveling jacks are located about the perimeter of said container to anchor and level the transportable container.
11. The portable, self-sustaining power station of claim 1 wherein said transportable container is a conventional marine shipping container.