US-12620925-B2 - Photovoltaic installation

US12620925B2US 12620925 B2US12620925 B2US 12620925B2US-12620925-B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a photovoltaic module ( 16 ) comprising at least one recycled blade of a horizontal axis wind turbine or a section of a recycled blade of a horizontal-axis wind turbine which forms a beam ( 25 ), characterised by a plurality of cross-members ( 26 ) secured to the beam ( 25 ), each cross-member bearing photovoltaic panels ( 18 ).

Inventors

Lionel Perret

Assignees

PLANAIR SA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220818
Priority Date: 20211027

Claims (8)

1 . A photovoltaic module comprising at least one reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade or reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade section forming a beam, a plurality of cross-members secured to the beam by clamping structures that clamp on the wind turbine blade on an upper surface and on a lower surface thereof, each cross-member carrying photovoltaic panels, wherein the cross-members are independent of one another and photovoltaic panels carried by adjacent cross-members are separated by empty spaces, and the clamping structures that clamp on the wind turbine blade being placed above and below an internal reinforcement of the wind turbine blade.
2 . The photovoltaic module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cross-members are secured to the beam at a right angle in their middle, each cross-member carrying a double row of photovoltaic panels.
3 . The photovoltaic module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clamping structures are in the middle of each cross-member.
4 . The photovoltaic module as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a first vertical pillar on which a first end of the beam bears, and a secondary pillar supporting a second end of the beam, such that the beam, the cross-members and the photovoltaic panels lie in the same horizontal plane.
5 . A photovoltaic installation comprising a plurality of horizontal photovoltaic modules as claimed in claim 4 , installed along a communication route, or a watercourse, wherein the photovoltaic modules are arranged with the beam orthogonal to the communication route or the watercourse.
6 . A photovoltaic module comprising at least one reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade or reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade section forming a beam, a plurality of cross-members secured to the beam, each cross-member carrying photovoltaic panels, wherein the cross-members are independent of one another and photovoltaic panels carried by adjacent cross-members are separated by empty spaces dimensioned such that no mechanical force is transmitted to the panel when the wind turbine blade is deformed to a predefined maximum expected deformation.
7 . The photovoltaic module of claim 6 , the deformation comprising bending and twisting components.
8 . The photovoltaic module of claim 6 , the cross-member meeting the beam at a straight angle and extending symmetrically from both sides of the beam.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2022/057755, filed on Aug. 18, 2022, which claims the benefit of priority to Switzerland Patent Application No. 070453/21, filed on Oct. 27, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a modular system for the design, installation, production, modification and easy maintenance of photovoltaic systems, in particular, but not exclusively, close to roads and highways. PRIOR ART Photovoltaic installations are already of great importance and their numbers are ever increasing thanks, among other things, to the increasingly lower price of photovoltaic panels made of silicon. However, solar installations are still visually intrusive and take up large surface areas. Apart from roofs, it is difficult to find locations that can accommodate new installations. Also known are installations for converting the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Those currently most widespread are horizontal-axis wind turbines which generally comprise a nacelle positioned at the top of a mast. The nacelle can rotate according to the wind direction at any given time and supports a turbine that the wind turns about a horizontal axis. These structures can reach considerable sizes, and the blades of more powerful turbines these days have lengths of 80 meters or more. What happens to these wind turbine blades at the end of their life is a global issue. Often, the blades are removed to make way for new, more efficient blades. Most blades are made of composites consisting of thermosetting resins and glass, aramid or carbon fibers which are not recyclable by the usual methods. The blades are generally treated as waste at the end of their service life. Methods for recycling these products are known, comprising for example thermolysis or solvolysis of the thermosetting matrix to recover the fibrous component. However, these methods involve considerable energy and economic costs and result in a recycled product of poor quality. Most often, wind turbine blades at the end of their life are incinerated, with the emission of pollutants and microparticles, or sometimes, in the absence of economical methods for grinding or crushing them, simply buried in landfills. Several countries are banning or are considering banning this practice. Old, unused blades represent a significant cost as the only non-recyclable component of a wind turbine. There is therefore a need for an efficient and economical way of reusing these products. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of several aims of the present invention is to propose a photovoltaic system that can be adapted to a wide variety of installation sites. Another aim of the invention is to propose a reuse of wind turbine blades at the end of their life to prevent them from becoming waste. This aim may be combined with others, or be independent. According to the invention, these aims are achieved in particular by means of the subject matter of the attached claims, and in particular by a photovoltaic module comprising at least one reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade or reused horizontal-axis wind turbine blade section forming a beam, characterized by a plurality of cross-members secured to the beam, each cross-member carrying photovoltaic panels. The dependent claims introduce features that are useful, advantageous or desirable, but not essential. They relate for example to the fact that the cross-members are secured to the beam at a right angle in their middle, or that they extend away from the beam at an acute angle, each cross-member may carry a double row of photovoltaic panels and may comprise a clamping structure in the middle thereof, configured to clamp the wind turbine blade or the wind turbine blade section forming the beam on the upper surface and on the lower surface. The modules may be supported in a horizontal position by a vertical pillar at one end and preferably by a secondary pillar supporting the second opposite end. The modules of the invention may be put to several uses. One noteworthy example is a “solar highway” comprising a plurality of horizontal photovoltaic modules placed one after the other along a road, the pillars of each module being installed on two opposite sides of the road, such that each module forms a bridge spanning the road. In some embodiments, the invention makes use of reused wind turbine blades. Unlike recycling, which allows materials from end-of-life products to be reintroduced into the manufacture of new products, reuse preserves the structure of the product while putting it to a different use. In the context of the invention, this includes aerodynamic structures designed for use in a wind turbine rotor which are put to another use after the initial use. Reused blades also include new products that have never been used for the initially intended applicatio