Apparatus for Supplying Power to Building Using Solar Power Source

Abstract

Equipment for supplying energy to buildings or building complexes using solar energy as a source has a first solar panel installation for converting solar energy to electricity, a second solar panel installation for converting solar energy to thermal energy, a water based electrolysis device for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity generated by the first solar panel installation, a storage device for hydrogen and an electricity storage device. In order to create a less costly and more versatile energy supply system, the arrangement of multiple independently functioning modular fuel cell blocks of different capacities composed of at least one fuel cell block of specified capacities which can be controlled and initiated either individually or in combination depending on the demand for electricity and/or thermal energy and depending on the optimal constellation of fuel cell blocks engaged.

Description

This invention concerns an equipment for supplying energy to buildings or building complexes using solar energy as source in accordance with the generic terms of claim 1.

It is known that solar installations using solar energy can supply buildings with electricity and/or thermal energy. Disadvantageous in our degree of latitude is that in the summer there is more solar energy than can be used and in the winter, just the opposite, there is not enough. Storage of these forms of energy in order that summer surpluses be transferred for winter usage is not foreseeable in the immediate future.

It was therefore suggested that, implementing equipment known from DE 34 13 772 A1 with solar based input processes, photovoltaic be used to convert solar energy to electricity for the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen to be stored to power a gas turbine generator, which would produce electricity and/or thermal energy when needed. However, gas turbine generators are, on the one hand, costly to produce and, on the other hand, relatively large requiring an inappropriate amount of space in such buildings. Furthermore, additional external energy is needed.

Further, it is known from DE 101 30 284 A1 that an energy supply system for the autarkic energy supply of buildings and building complexes must incorporate a combination of hydrogen storage tanks and fuel cells for supplying electricity in addition to the implementation of solar panels or forced heat coupling units to generate initial thermal energy. The implementation and combination of both system components, for supplying electricity and for supplying thermal energy, is networked and/or dependent on energy demand. This means that for each building or building complex a custom tailored energy supply system must be planned, constructed, and installed. This would result in inappropriate planning and production expenditures for each building to be supplied.

The task of the invention at hand is, therefore, to devise equipment for supplying energy to buildings using solar energy as a source as above described, which is less costly and can be installed with more flexibility in an equally customized way.

In order to accomplish said task for such equipment the specified attributes in claim 1 are provided.

In addition to equipment for small buildings, through the attributes of this invention, the production of electricity from stored hydrogen, through a fundamentally self-sufficient system, for one or more buildings is provided for the entire year. A substantial advantage in terms of demand-oriented economic interchangeability and feasibility of an autarkic energy supply could be achieved through the stationary modular implementation of, for instance, blocks of automotive fuel cells of different capacities. Additionally, this standardization achieves a substantial reduction of costs in such systems because such blocks can be prefabricated and pre-mounted in a range of different sizes.

The attributes of claim 2 describe the realization of individual energy modules with a simple distribution system designed for customized and economical implementation for all seasons and in all environmental conditions.

A further improvement of power generation and usage is achieved by the attributes described in claim 3.

The attributes of claims 4 through 7 describe the possibility of storage of the hydrogen (and, if desired) oxygen produced through electrolysis in small buildings.

Additional advantageous arrangements ensue from the attributes of one or more of claims 8 through 12.

Further details of the invention are to be found in the following description in which the invention is more closely described and explained through drawings of several sample installations.

The following is shown:

FIG. 1 a schematic cross-section of a building with equipment for autarkic supplying of energy using solar energy as a source, and

FIG. 2 a block diagram of modularly constructed equipment for supplying energy.

Equipment 10, described in FIG. 1, is designed for autarkic supplying of energy to building 11 using solar energy as the sole source. In FIG. 1, building 11 is, for the sake of example, a one-family house with the angle of the saddle roof 12 optimized for capturing solar rays the entire day. Beneath the saddle roof 12 is apartment 13 and beneath apartment 13 is cellar 14 in which the energy supply equipment is housed. The exterior walls 15 are constructed with optimal thermal insulation 16.

The inclined roof surfaces 21 and 22 (with the ceiling of attic 17 also constructed with optimal thermal insulation 16) are each, preferably, completely covered with a first solar panel installation 23 for converting of solar energy to electricity and a second solar panel installation 24 for converting solar energy to thermal energy. The partitioning of the roof surfaces 21 and 22 between solar panel installations 23 and 24 is done is accordance with the expected demand of direct thermal energy and electricity. Not explicitly shown in the drawing, areas of the first solar installation 23, which uses photovoltaic, are equipped with a thermal conduction device through which the first solar installation 23 can be cooled and waste heat can be utilized increasing efficiency.

For direct and indirect usage of solar energy through energy conversion, a variety of aggregates are housed in cellar 14.

An electricity storage device 26 allows for direct usage of electricity generated by the photovoltaic and/or first the solar panel installation 23, which, for instance, is composed of one or more batteries and/or capacitors. The electrolysis device 27 is attached directly to the photovoltaic installation 23 and/or the electricity storage device 26. The electrolysis device 27 splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Likewise the electricity supply system 28 of building 11 is also connected, for instance through an inverter, to the photovoltaic installation 23 and/or the electricity storage device 26.

The gases, hydrogen and oxygen, generated by the electrolysis device 27 are used differently in this example. The hydrogen is, intermittently, stored in a pressurized storage tank 31. The oxygen is, for instance, used to better the air in the apartment 13 and/or attic 17. The pressurized storage tank 31 is connected to a liquefaction device 32, which is connected to the electricity storage device 26 and/or to the photovoltaic installation 23 through the central control device 40. The liquefied hydrogen is then transferred from the liquefaction device 32 to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 33.

Equipment for autarkical supplying of energy to building 11 also has a fuel cell block system 36, which is connected to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 33, additionally serving to provide building 11 with electricity.

The thermal energy storage unit 38 for the warm water system of building 11 is supplied by the second solar panel installation 24 with thermal energy in the usual way. Additionally, waste heat from cooling of the first solar installation 23 can be captured by a heat pump and transferred to the thermal energy storage unit 38. Correspondingly the warm water system 38 can also be supplied by geo-thermal energy through a heat pump or by solar energy from the photovoltaic installation 23 and/or by electric heating by the fuel cell block. The heat pump(s) are powered by electricity from the photovoltaic installation 23 and/or the electricity storage device 26 and/or the fuel cell block system 36.

Equipment for autarkical supplying of energy to building 11 also has a central control device 40, which, according to demands dictated by the weather and the energy demand of the consumer, distributes electricity and thermal energy. Thus, for instance, the not directly consumed electricity will be directed to the electricity storage device 26. If the electricity storage device 26 is full or if the quantity of electricity exceeds the charging capacity of the electricity storage device 26, the electrolysis device 27 starts and the generated hydrogen is transferred through the liquefaction device 32 to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 33.

If the momentary energy demand exceeds the incidental solar energy, the electricity storage device 26 as well as the fuel cell block system 36 will be used to supply building 11 with energy. The distribution of each energy contribution, i.e. thermal energy and electricity, is regulated according to the needs of the consumer.

If a building with little or no warm water requirements were to be equipped with such an autarkic system, then it would be sufficient that roof 12 were covered solely with the first solar installation 23, leaving out the second solar installation 24 entirely, which would mean that the minimal warm water needs of such a building would be met through an electric warm water heater.

Further, it is possible to cover not only the roof surfaces 21 and 22 but also the exterior walls 15 with the photovoltaic installation 23.

FIG. 2 shows equipment 110 for supplying energy to a building complex 118, which is composed of multiple buildings, 111/1, 111/2, etc., of the same and/or different size and/or form. Equipment 110 has either all or some of the individual devices, which will be described in detail, arranged at a central location 120 in the form of a building, container, a free space, and/or the equivalent. The first solar panel installation 123 for conversion of solar energy to electricity may also be placed at this central location 120. The second solar panel installation 124 is either also at the central location 120 or, more practically, located on the buildings 111/1, 111/2, etc.

As with equipment 10 portrayed in FIG. 1, equipment 110 portrayed in FIG. 2 is made up of a first solar panel/photovoltaic installation 123 and an electricity storage device 126, which is composed of, for instance, one or more batteries and/or capacitors. The electrolysis device 127 is directly connected to the photovoltaic installation 123 and/or the electricity storage device 126. The electrolysis device 127 splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Likewise, the electricity supply system 128 of buildings 111/1, 111/2, etc. is also connected, for instance through an inverter, to the photovoltaic installation 123 and/or the electricity storage device 126.

The gases, hydrogen and oxygen, generated by the electrolysis device 127 in equipment 110 are treated similarly and, at least partially, used similarly. The oxygen as well as the hydrogen is stored, intermittently, in a pressurized storage tank 131 or 141. The pressurized storage tanks 131 and 141 are connected to liquefaction devices 132 and 142 respectively, which are connected to the electricity storage device 126 and/or to the photovoltaic installation 123 through the central control device 140. The liquefied hydrogen and the liquefied oxygen are then transferred from the liquefaction devices 132 and 142 to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 133 and to the liquefied oxygen storage tank 143.

Equipment 110 for the autarkical supplying of energy to the building complex 118 also has a fuel cell block system 136, which is made up of multiple modular fuel cell blocks 136/1, 136/2, etc. with different capacities. More than one of each modular fuel cell block 136/1, 136/2, etc. may be present in fuel cell block system 136. The individual modular fuel cells are connected on the input side to the pressurized hydrogen storage tank 131 and pressurized oxygen storage tank 141 and/or to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 133 and to the liquefied oxygen storage tank 143. Individual modular fuel cells output electricity directly into the electricity storage device 126 and/or directly (through an appropriate converter) into the electrical network of each building 111/1, 111/2, etc. of the building complex 118. For example, the modular fuel cell blocks could be of different sizes 136/1, 136/2, etc. with a power output of 5 KW, 10 KW, 20 KW, 50 KW, 100 KW, 200 KW, 500 KW. The composition (in number and model of each fuel cell) of the different modular fuel cell blocks 136/1 etc. depends on the estimated needed output at certain hours of operation.

The second solar panel installation 124 for generation of thermal energy can either be centrally located or, as in the above example FIG. 2, located at each of the buildings 111/1 etc. of the building complex 118. The abovementioned central control device 140 distributes electricity and thermal energy according to demands dictated by the weather and the energy demand of the consumer, as in the example above and is described in FIG. 1.

In addition to this central controlling device 140, equipment 110 has a second control device 145, which initiates the individual modular fuel cell blocks 136/1 etc. either individually or in combination according to the demand for electricity. This means that the second control device 145 monitors the energy demand over time or, for instance at specific peak times, and accordingly engages the required modular fuel cells individually or in combination, not only depending on the energy needed but also on the optimal efficiency of the fuel cell constellation. That is to say that control device 145 turns on or turns off the necessary combination of fuel cells optimally. In other words, if, for example, 30 KW are needed either one 20 KW and one 10 KW fuel cell block or one 20 KW and two 5 KW fuel cell blocks will be turned on according to efficiency and effectiveness. The modular fuel cell blocks 136/1 etc. are each capable of functioning independently because each of these blocks is individually connected to the necessary storage units of hydrogen and oxygen.

The oxygen stored in device 141 and/or 143 in equipment 110 can also be used for other purposes in any of the buildings 111/1 etc. of the building complex 118. For example, oxygen can be used to improve the condition of the air in one or more of the buildings 111/1 etc. of the building complex 118. If one of the buildings in building complex 118 is a hospital, e.g. 111/5 or another, it is also possible to use transfer the oxygen generated by the electrolysis device 127 directly to the hospital's oxygen supply system.

As is not directly displayed in FIG. 2, it is also possible that a building complex 118 can also be supported by equipment 110 when the complex is made up a single uniform large-building. In this case, the fuel cell block system 136 and its component fuel cell blocks 136/1 etc. are housed within the large-building.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. Equipment for supplying energy to buildings or building complexes using solar energy as a source, comprising:

a first solar panel installation to generate electricity from solar energy;

a water based electrolysis device to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity generated by said first solar panel installation;

storage tanks for hydrogen;

a fuel cell block system connected to said hydrogen storage tanks to generate electricity; and

an electricity storage device characterized by the arrangement of multiple independently functioning modular fuel cell blocks of different capacities composed of at least one fuel cell block of specified capacities which can be controlled and initiated either individually or in combination to optimally produce the demanded electricity.

14. The equipment according to claim 13, further comprising:

a control device, wherein:

said modular fuel cell blocks are connected through said control device, which monitors energy demand and engages or disengages one or more of said modular fuel cell blocks accordingly.

15. The equipment according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first set of storage tanks for oxygen.

16. The equipment according to claim 13, wherein:

said fuel cell blocks are connected to said oxygen storage tanks.

17. The equipment according to claim 13, wherein:

said storage tanks comprise first and the second set of storage tanks for hydrogen or oxygen connected to liquefied storage tanks.

18. The equipment according to claim 17, further comprising:

a liquefaction device connected to said first solar panel installation.

19. The equipment according to claim 13, wherein:

each modular fuel cell block is connected to said electrolysis device for the powering of said fuel cell block system.

20. The equipment according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second set of storage tanks for oxygen connected to said first solar panel installation for cooling.

21. The equipment according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second set of storage tanks for oxygen connected to the building's air conditioning.

22. The equipment according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second set of storage tanks for oxygen connected to a hospital's oxygen supply system.

23. The equipment according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second solar panel installation for the conversion of solar energy to thermal energy.

24. The equipment according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second control device for the distribution of electricity and/or thermal energy to the consumer and/or storage devices.