FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the generation of electricity for buildings. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is most often generated at a power plant by electromechanical generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by combustion or nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind, solar energy, and geothermal power.

A solar or photovoltaic panel is an assembly of photovoltaic cells mounted in a framework. Solar / photovoltaic (PV) cells use sunlight as a source of energy and generate direct current electricity. A collection of PV modules is called a PV panel, and a system of PV panels is called an array. Arrays of a photovoltaic system supply solar electricity to electrical equipment.

A wind turbine, or alternatively referred to as a wind energy converter, is a device that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy. The wind turbine uses the wind energy or power to provide the mechanical force needed to turn electric generators, which in turn form electrical energy.

Though both the solar / photovoltaic panel and the wind turbine utilize natural energy sources, they are considered to be an intermittent energy source of electricity due to their dependency on environmental conditions. They both give variable power, which varies significantly over different time scales. Furthermore, in most cases, the electricity produced by the solar / photovoltaic panel and the wind turbine is stored in batteries having a well-known hazardous influence on the environment (leakage of toxic materials, explosion, etc.).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides systems and methods for generating electricity to a building using a solar / photovoltaic panel, a wind turbine, or both with a fuel cell so as to eliminate the need for an external power grid to supply the necessary electrical energy. The electrical energy produced by the solar / photovoltaic cells and the wind turbine, in combination or alone, is utilized to produce hydrogen molecules from water, which can later be used by the fuel cell. According to the present invention there is provided a system for providing electrical energy to power a building or domicile, including: at least one device for generating electrical energy from a renewable energy source; an integration unit configured to receive electrical energy generated by the at least one device, the integration unit in communication with an electrical grid of the building or domicile; a hydrogen-producing unit for extracting hydrogen molecules from a fluid therein, the integration unit further in communication with the hydrogen-producing unit; a hydrogen storage unit for storing the hydrogen molecules, the hydrogen-producing unit in communication with the hydrogen storage unit; and a fuel cell for generating electricity from the hydrogen molecules, the hydrogen storage unit in communication with the fuel cell; wherein electrical energy generated by the at least one device is adapted to be communicated to the integration unit which has three states: (i) a normal state, wherein the electrical energy is within a predetermined threshold, in the normal state, the electrical energy is relayed to the electrical grid of the building or domicile, (ii) a surplus state, wherein the electrical energy surpasses the predetermined threshold, in the surplus state, the electrical energy is relayed to the hydrogen-producing unit, and (iii) a shortage state, wherein the electrical energy is below the threshold, in the shortage state, the hydrogen storage unit transfers at least a portion of the hydrogen molecules to the fuel cell to generate electricity therefrom.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the at least one device is selected from a group including: a photovoltaic module, and a wind turbine.

According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the predefined threshold is defined, at least, by parameters determined by a peak electrical value determined for the electrical grid of the building or domicile.

According to further features in the surplus state a portion of the electrical energy is relayed to an external power grid.

According to further features the hydrogen-producing unit includes a fluid and the hydrogen molecules are extracted from the fluid via electrolysis.

According to further features the fuel cell produces electricity from the hydrogen molecules using, at least, an electrochemical process.

According to another embodiment there is provided a method for providing electrical energy to power a building or domicile, including: providing at least one device for generating electrical energy from a renewable energy source; receiving the electrical energy at an integration unit; evaluating whether levels of the electrical energy are within a predetermined threshold; if the electrical energy levels are within the predetermined threshold, then relay the electrical energy to an electrical grid of the building or domicile; if above the predetermined threshold, then relay a surplus of the electrical energy to a hydrogen-producing unit to extract and store hydrogen molecules; and if below the predetermined threshold, then transfer at least a portion of the hydrogen molecules to a fuel cell to generate electricity therefrom and relay the electricity to the electrical grid.

According to further features at least a portion of the surplus of the electrical energy is relayed to an external power grid. According to further features the at least one device is selected from a group including: a photovoltaic module, and a wind turbine. According to further features the hydrogen-producing unit includes water and the hydrogen molecules are extracted from the water via electrolysis.

According to further features the fuel cell produces electricity from the hydrogen molecules using, at least, an electrochemical process.

According to further features the predetermined threshold is defined by, at least, parameters determined by a peak electrical value determined for the electrical grid of the building or domicile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of the system;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the innovative process.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Some embodiments of the present invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

The present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description. The invention is capable of other embodiments, or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Unless otherwise defined herein, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

The principles and operation of an eco-friendly system and method for generating electricity for buildings according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.

As discussed hereafter, the instant system is based on electrical energy produced from renewable energy sources. Energy produced or extracted from renewable energy sources include: solar energy from the sun, wind energy, geothermal energy from the heat inside the earth, hydropower from flowing water, ocean energy in the form of wave, tidal, current energy and ocean thermal energy, and biomass from plants. Any other renewable or clean energy source is to be considered to be within the scope of the innovation.

The present invention provides a system for generating electricity to a building using, for example, solar / photovoltaic modules (arranged in a panel and/or an array), a wind turbine, or both, together and a fuel cell. Such a system eliminates the need for an external power grid to supply the necessary electrical energy to power the building. Attention is now directed to the drawings, where like reference numerals or characters indicate corresponding or like components.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic depiction of the system 100. The system 100 includes at least one device for generating electrical energy from a renewable energy source, for example, a pair of solar photovoltaic panels 102a- 102b and a pair of wind turbines 104a- 104b. It is made clear that the devices depicted in the Figure are merely exemplary and not intended to be limiting either in type of device or number of units. The device or devices is/are in communication with an integration unit 106 configured to receive the electrical energy generated by the devices, such as the solar photovoltaic panels 102a- 102b and the wind turbines 104a- 104b.

The integration unit 106 is in communication with the building's electrical grid (not shown) and in further communication with a hydrogen-producing unit 108 (also called a hydrogen generator). The hydrogen-producing unit 108 includes a fluid, for example, water originated from a natural water source such as a lake, a river, and the like or a non-natural water source such as the municipal water system.

The hydrogen-producing unit 108 is connected to a hydrogen storage unit 110, which is in communication with a fuel cell 112. A fuel cell converts the chemical energy in hydrogen and oxygen into direct current electrical energy by electrochemical reactions. Fuel cells are devices that convert hydrogen gas directly into low-voltage, direct current electricity.

Figure 2 is a flow diagram of the innovative process. Process 200 begins at the start block 202. In operation, at step 204, at least one device is provided for generating electrical energy from a renewable energy source. For example, the solar photovoltaic panels 102a- 102b and the wind turbines 104a- 104b generate electrical energy from sunlight and wind, respectively. At step 206 the generated electrical energy flows to the integration unit 106 using, for example, electrical wires. At step 208 the integration unit 106 decides whether to transfer the generated electrical energy to the electrical grid of the designated building (not shown) or to the hydrogen-producing unit 108 depending on, for example, a predetermined threshold. The threshold may be defined by parameters determined by, for e.g., the peak electrical value determined for the building or domicile’s electrical grid.

The integration unit 106 is operated, for example, using a computer which runs an algorithm\program that controls the integration unit 106. In some embodiments, the integration unit serves as the controller, or “the brain”, for the entire system. One aspect of the integration unit handles the electrical switching function. This sub-unit may be a mechanical, electromechanical or even a logical component that receives electrical energy on one end and outputs that energy either to the building’s electrical grid via line 114 or to the hydrogen production unit 108.

Another aspect of the integration unit 106 controls the hydrogen storage 110 and fuel cell 112, whose operation is described below. At least for this aspect of the integration unit, there is a processing unit which includes, at least: a processor and memory with computer-readable instructions (computer code) stored thereon. It is noted that while the depicted embodiment only includes a single integration unit, this is not intended to be limiting in any way. For example, the switching aspect / functionality (that handles electrical switching between building grid and hydrogen production unit [and in some cases an external power grid]) and the control aspect / functionality (that handles at least the storage and fuel cell) may be embodied in separate entities. In such cases, in most configurations, both entities will have processing units

As depicted, the integration unit has a number of states and functions in a number of ways. One state is a normal state, at block 210 in which the electrical energy is relayed to the electrical grid of the building or domicile at block 212. This is the default state. The integration unit 106 remains in the normal state as long as the electrical energy levels are within the predetermined threshold. As mentioned elsewhere, the threshold is defined, at least, by parameters determined by a peak electrical value determined for electrical grid of the building or domicile.

Another state of the integration unit is referred to herein as a surplus state, at block 214. The integration unit moves into the surplus state when electrical energy generated by the renewable energy device(s) surpasses the predetermined threshold. In the surplus state, the integration unit switches the electrical pathways and directs or relays the surplus electrical energy to the hydrogen-producing unit, at step 216, to produce or extract hydrogen molecules from the liquid, at step 218, and store them in the storage, at step 220. Hydrogen stores energy in a “clean” manner to be used later to generate clean energy, e.g., via the fuel cell. In this way all the energy used by the building in this innovative system is clean and renewable ideally without any “dirty” batteries or combustible, non-renewable energy sources being used.

From the point of view of the switching function (i.e., where the integration unit relays the electrical energy to), the integration unit has only two states or can be considered a bi-state device. The bi-state device is normally set to relay energy to the internal grid and changes states (when there is a surplus) to the surplus state whereby it relays the energy to the hydrogen production unit. However, in some embodiments (shown as optional using a broken line), the integration unit has a third switching option whereby the surplus energy is relayed to an external grid, at step 222.

The integration / control unit has yet another state which is referred to herein as a shortage state. The integration unit moves to the shortage state when the electrical energy levels produced by the renewable energy device(s) is below, block 224, the threshold. As discussed elsewhere, in the shortage state, hydrogen storage unit transfers at least a portion of the hydrogen molecules stored in storage to the fuel cell, at step 226, to generate electricity (direct current [DC] or alternating current [AC] if run through an inverter), at step 228.

When the switching and controlling functions are embodied in separate entities then the switching aspect can be said to be in the normal state (relaying energy to the internal grid), while the control aspect is in the shortage state, whereby it directs the storage to transfer at least a portion of the hydrogen molecules to the fuel cell and instructs the fuel cell to generate electricity which is fed into the electrical grid of the building or domicile. In some configurations, the electrical energy is fed back into the integration unit and from there sent to the electrical grid (or elsewhere).

Once the generated electrical energy surpasses the predetermined threshold, the integration unit 106 transfers the surplus electrical energy to the hydrogenproducing unit 108. In the hydrogen-producing unit 108, the electrical energy is utilized to produce hydrogen molecules from water via, for example, a chemical process such as electrolysis. The produced hydrogen molecules are then transported into the hydrogen storage unit 110 for later use.

When the electrical energy generated by the solar photovoltaics 102a-102b and the wind turbines 104a- 104b is below the predetermined threshold (due to, for example, cloudy and/or windless conditions), the hydrogen molecules stored in the hydrogen storage unit 110 move to the fuel cell 112, which in turn produces electrical energy from the hydrogen molecules to compensate for the lack of sufficient electrical energy from the renewable energy sources. The various mechanisms for converting hydrogen to electricity are beyond the purview of the instant innovation, however, it is made clear that any method or mechanism known in the art may be employed for this purpose.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the surplus electrical energy generated by the system 100 can also be utilized to operate public power grids (referred to herein as external grids) such as street lights, traffic light systems, and the like.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.