WO2023116723A1

WO2023116723A1 - Dynamic vehicle integrated turbo photovoltaics

Info

Publication number: WO2023116723A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/140448
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antoine Marcel PAULUS
Original assignee: Paulus Antoine Marcel
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2022-12-20
Publication date: 2023-06-29

Abstract

A generator pack for attachment to a vehicle, the generator pack comprising a housing, one or more pack layers located within the housing, and one or more turbine generators located within the housing for generating electrical power. Each of the pack layers comprises one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light. Each of the turbine generators comprises a shaft, a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, wherein rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft, and a generator/sattached to the shaft, wherein the generator is configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft. Movement of the vehicle effects movement of air against the blades, and the movement of air against the blades effects rotation of the blades and the shaft. The generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the batteries and vehicle.

Description

DYNAMIC VEHICLE INTEGRATED TURBO PHOTOVOLTAICS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a PCT application of the Continuation-In-Part of US Application 17/561,807, filed on December 24, 2021 and of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 17/416,025, filed on June 18, 2021, which is a 371 of PCT Application Ser. No. PCT/CA2019/000173, filed on December 20, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/782,936, filed on December 20, 2018, all of which are herein incorporated by reference for completeness of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a few years, many in the world will be switching to electric vehicles, and this will lead to a major and serious surge in the need and demand for electrical energy.

Currently, solar farms are being built in an attempt to replace or supplement the power generated using conventional, traditional power stations, but these farms are also resulting in the destruction of trees and plants and most likely will negatively affect the environment and increase the amount of CO ₂ in the atmosphere. This will in turn lead to more desertification and may result in even bigger problems in the long run.

Others have turned to floating solar farms as another option, but these have limitations and can only be deployed where water is present under the appropriate conditions. They are also not mobile, or easily transportable, or deployed, among other potential disadvantages, such as when a fire engulfed a floating solar farm installed in a dam reservoir in Japan in late 2019.

In order to assist in overcoming the looming energy shortage problems, Dynamic Vehicle Integrated Turbo Photo Voltaics (DVITPV) are introduced to bring novel solutions to the production of energy and to eliminate the need for Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles and avoid or eliminate the dependence on the grid and to accelerate the transition to EVs and avoid further pollution of the environment, among other advantages.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from detailed description and claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A generator pack for attachment to a vehicle comprises a housing, one or more pack layers, and one or more turbine generators. The pack layers are located within the housing, with each of the pack layers comprising one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light. The photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an unfolded configuration. The turbine generators are located within the housing for generating electrical power. Each of the turbine generators comprises a shaft, a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, and a generator/sattached to the shaft. Rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft. The generator/sis/are configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft. Movement of the vehicle effects movement of air against the blades, and the movement of air against the blades effecting rotation of the blades and the shaft. The generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the vehicle and attached batteries.

In yet another embodiment, the shafts are oriented vertically.

In still yet another embodiment, the shafts are oriented horizontally.

In a further embodiment, the generator pack is configured to removably attach to an outer surface of the vehicle.

In still a further embodiment, the photovoltaic panels are configured to generate electrical power from light when the photovoltaic panels are in the unfolded configuration.

In still yet a further embodiment, the generator pack is electrically connected to another one of the generator pack attached to the vehicle.

In another embodiment, a vehicle comprises a battery, a plurality of housings, and a plurality of generator packs. The battery supplies electrical power for propelling, at least in part, the vehicle. The generator packs are electrically connected together, with the generator packs removably attached to an outer surface of the vehicle. Each of the generator packs is located within one of the housings and comprises one or more pack layers and one or more turbine generators for generating electrical power. Each of the pack layers comprises one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light. The photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an unfolded configuration. Each of the turbine generators located within one of the housings and comprises a shaft, a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, and a generator attached to the shaft. Rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft. The blades and the shaft are configured to rotate upon movement of the vehicle. The generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the battery battery/batteries.

In yet another embodiment, movement of the vehicle in turn effects movement of air against the blades, the movement of air against the blades effecting rotation of the blades and the shaft

In still another embodiment, at least one of the shafts is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

In still yet another embodiment, at least one of the shafts is oriented perpendicular to a central axis of the vehicle.

In another embodiment, a generator pack for attachment to a structure comprises a housing, one or more pack layers located within the housing, and one or more turbine generators located within the housing for generating electrical power. Each of the pack layers comprises one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light. The photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an unfolded configuration. Each of the turbine generators comprises a shaft, a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, and a generator attached to the shaft. Rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft. The generator is configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft. The generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the structure and batteries.

The foregoing was intended as a summary only and of only some of the aspects of the invention. It was not intended to define the limits or requirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. Moreover, this summary should be read as though the claims were incorporated herein for completeness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 depicts a side view of an embodiment of the generator pack used in conjunction with a vehicle;

Fig. 2 depicts a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial magnified view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial magnified view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows some configurations of the generator pack;

Fig. 6 shows one embodiment of the turbine generator;

Fig. 7 shows another embodiment of the turbine generator;

Fig. 8 shows a further embodiment of the turbine generator; and

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail. In the following exemplary description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to an artisan of ordinary skill that the present invention may be practiced without incorporating all aspects of the specific details described herein. Furthermore, although steps or processes are set forth in an exemplary order to provide an understanding of one or more systems and methods, the exemplary order is not meant to be limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the steps or processes may be performed in a different order, and that one or more steps or processes may be performed simultaneously or in multiple process flows without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. In other instances, specific features, quantities, or measurements well known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. It should be noted that although examples of the invention are set forth herein, the claims, and the full scope of any equivalents, are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.

For a better understanding of the disclosed embodiment, its operating advantages, and the specified object attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or implementation.

The term “first” , “second” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath, ” “below, ” “lower, ” “under, ” “above, ” “upper, ” and the like, may be used herein for ease of explanation to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element (s) or feature (s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or in operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” or “under” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example terms “below” and “under” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on, ” “connected to, ” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “between” two elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between the two elements or layers, or one or more intervening elements or layers may also be present.

As used herein, the term “substantially, ” “about, ” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present invention refers to “one or more embodiments of the present invention. ” As used herein, the terms “use, ” “using, ” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize, ” “utilizing, ” and “utilized, ” respectively. Also, the term “exemplary” is intended to refer to an example or illustration.

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible sub-ranges and combinations of sub-ranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to” , “at least” , “greater than” , “less than” , and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into sub-ranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 articles refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 articles. Similarly, a group having 1-5 articles refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 articles, and so forth. The phrases “and ranges in between” can include ranges that fall in between the numerical value listed. For example, “1, 2, 3, 10, and ranges in between” can include 1-1, 1-3, 2-10, etc. Similarly, “1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 70, 95, or ranges including and or spanning the aforementioned values” can include 1, 5, 10, 1-5, 1-10, 10-25, 10-95, 1-70, etc.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

One or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described with references to FIGS. 1-9.

The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings. The drawings, which are not to scale, depict illustrative embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8, in another embodiment, aspects of the present invention may be used in conjunction with mobile or static electric vehicle charging stations and may be deployed to various parts of the world to charge electric vehicles (and to charge any other structures) , thus replacing the need to draw electricity from a standard electrical grid and/or providing electricity where this is no electrical grid.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, one or more generator packs 800 may be provided that may be removably attached to a vehicle 802. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the generator packs 800 may be attached to a roof 804 and/or a hood 810 of the vehicle 802; however, it is understood that the generator packs 800 may be attached to other parts of the vehicle 802 as well. Preferably, the vehicle 802 is an electric vehicle (i.e. one that uses electric motors for propulsion) . The vehicle 802 may be a road vehicle but may also include other types of vehicles, including boats, airplanes, bicycles, motorcycles, trains, etc. The generator pack 800 may comprise a housing 801 containing one or more pack layers 806. The housing 801 may provide protection to the generator pack 800 against the weather, birds, trees, etc. The generator packs 800 may be in a folded configuration, as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be in an unfolded, or deployed, configuration, as shown in Fig. 5, or similar to the configurations shown in Figs. 31a, 31b, 32, 33a, 33b, 34a, 34b, 36a, 43a, 44a, 45b, and/or 51 of US Application 17/561, 807. The pack layers 806 may comprise one or more PV panels 114 to convert solar energy into electricity. The PV panels 114 may be in a folded or unfolded configuration. Preferably, the generator packs 800 are electrically connected to battery/batteries 808 located on the vehicle 802. The battery 808 may be located at the front or rear of the vehicle 802 or on any other suitable location on the vehicle 802. The electricity generated by the PV panels 114 of the generator packs 800 may be used to charge the battery/batteries 808, which in turn may be used to supply electricity to propel the vehicle 802. It is also possible for multiple ones of the generator packs 800 to be attached to the vehicle 802 in order to increase the amount of electricity supplied to the battery/batteries 808. Furthermore, the generator packs 800 may be oriented in different orientations (e.g. vertically or horizontally) .

In another embodiment, the generator packs 800 may be integrally formed with the vehicle 802. In other words, the vehicle 802 may have one or more of the generator packs 800 embedded at or integral to one or more locations on the vehicle 802.

In addition, the generator packs 800 are also able to generate electricity from wind energy. Each of the generator packs 800 comprises one or more turbine generators 814 located within the housing 801 that are configured to generate electrical energy when the vehicle 802 is moving. For example, when the vehicle 802 is in motion, the generator packs 800 may be configured to generate electricity as air moves through the turbine generators 814. The generator packs 800 may be referred to as DVITPV (Dynamic Vehicle Integrated Turbo Photo Voltaics) . The generator packs 800 are able to generate electricity using both solar and wind energy. In one embodiment, the turbine generators 814 may be generally tubular or spindle-like in shape, although other shapes are also possible.

In one embodiment, the generator packs 800 may also be used with electric vehicle charging stations to generate electricity from one or both of wind and solar energy (e.g. when there is not enough light but sufficient wind, or vice versa) . Furthermore, the generator packs 800 may be used on buildings or other types of transport crafts (e.g. aircrafts, trains, ships, bicycles, etc. ) .

Vehicles 802 that are propelled by electric motors (e.g. electric vehicles) generally do not require bulky engines under the hood 810. It is possible therefore to fit one or more of the generator packs 800 under the hood 810, with grills 816 allowing for air to be fed to the turbine generators 814 to generate electricity. Similarly, for generator packs 800 located on the roof 804, the PV panels 114 may be used to generate electricity from solar energy. Where the generator packs 800 are used on other types of transport craft, they may be placed on suitable locations of such transport craft (e.g. on the wings or fuselage of aircraft, etc. ) . For example, for aircraft, the generator packs 800 may be used similarly to jet engines and can provide electrical power to extend the range of the aircraft. It may also be possible to use conventional fan blades (propellers) in aircraft with the generator packs 800.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 8, the turbine generators 814 may comprise a plurality of blades 818 that are configured to rotate about a shaft 820 as air passes through the blades 818. Preferably, the blades 818 are fully enclosed within the housing 801 such that the blades 818 are normally not visible. In such embodiments, the housing 801 may be perforated to allow for air to pass through the housing 801. However, it is also contemplated that in other embodiments, the blades 818, or at least a portion thereof, may be located outside of the housing 801. The turbine generators 814 further comprise a generator 822 that converts the rotational energy of the shaft 820 into electrical energy. Conventional wind turbine generators are static and generate electricity when there is wind blowing at them. With the present invention, the conditions are reversed. When the vehicle 802 is in motion, the vehicle 802 moves against the air, resulting in the air moving past the blades 818. This relative movement of the air against the blades 818 causes the blades 818 to rotate, which in turns causes the generator 822 to generate electricity.

It is possible for the turbine generators 814 to be connected to each other using gears with a pendulum effect and so once one of the turbine generators 814 has been triggered, the remaining ones of the turbine generators 814 will also activate. This could increase the efficiency of the turbine generators 814 when the wind is not particularly strong. This may be used in electric vehicle charging stations (which are typically static and not moving) .

It is also possible to create a venturi effect with the generator pack 800 using top and bottom covers thereof to suck air in. However, in general, the strength of the air flow into the blades 818 is relatively high when the vehicle 802 is in motion. Figs. 6 to 8 depict examples of turbine generators 814. For example, a number of the turbine generators 814 shown in Fig. 6 may be connected together to generate electricity for the vehicle 802 (to propel the vehicle 802 or to charge the battery 808) . The (larger) turbine generator 814 shown in Fig. 7 may be used when more electrical energy generation is required. For example, the turbine generator 814 shown in Fig. 7 may have an overall length of up to 1,000mm or more depending on the vehicle, including more than one set of turbine generators 822. The turbine generator 814 may have a diameter of 100 mm to 600 mm or more, with the size of the blades and turbine generators varying depending on the energy output required for the vehicle or unit, which would decide the size and capacity of the turbines.

Conventional wind turbines are installed on a vertical pole or support; however, in the present embodiment, with anchors at both ends or otherwise, the turbine generators 814 may be oriented either vertically or horizontally and thus may be connected to at least two of the turbines 822 at opposing ends or otherwise, thereby increasing the power generation (as shown in Fig. 8) and could also use gears or pulleys or belts.

The use of the generator packs 800 will allow the vehicles 802 and other transport craft to travel for longer and indefinite distances using solar or wind energy, or a combination of both. This will reduce or eliminate the need for charging stations, as energy would mainly be needed for the initial start and when stationary. The turbines begin charging the battery/batteries and vehicle when the vehicle is set in motion. This will allow vehicles to be fitted with two or more smaller batteries than currently used and would allow the vehicle to switch between the two batteries on alternate basis or when one battery is depleted and thus would allow the vehicle to run for indefinite time and distances eliminating the need for large batteries and charging stations or delay at the charging stations and eventually would result in the use of two or more smaller batteries to run vehicles for indefinite distances which would be a major solution for saving minerals and raw materials for batteries and reducing the weight and cost of the vehicle as well as an environmental solution. This will also help exporting such electric vehicles to literally any part of the globe and especially as a climate/environmental solution for underdeveloped countries or locations with few or no Charging Stations.

By using the generator packs 800 on the vehicles 802, when the vehicles 802 are in motion, air flow will occur through the generator packs 800, thereby generating electrical power. In essence, the movement of the vehicles 802 generates “wind” through the generator packs 800 to generate electrical power. This allows the generator packs 800 to be used in all locations regardless of sun and wind as the wind is created when the vehicle is set in motion. As an example, generally most Electric Vehicles require a battery charge of about 35 KW to travel for 100 miles. So an EV with two small batteries which has one or more DVITPV turbines to produce 35Kw/h or even less could have one battery run the car while the other battery is being charged while the EV is in motion and the system would then alternate between the two batteries to keep the vehicle running indefinitely. Thus two 10KW batteries with 20KW DVITPV turbines could run the vehicle for indefinite distances and forever. This would reduce the total battery size, weight, cost and dependence on electricity from a grid thus saving the environment while allowing the EV to travel forever without the need for any charging stations or recharge other than from its own DVITPV units uninterrupted by cold climate or other impediments. Alternately and for example a set of 20KW/hr DVITPV unit on a train can produce 460KW in a 23 hour day equal to 167, 900 KW/year or 167.9 MW/year and this could power villages and cities when fed back into overhead lines or into batteries. In general these turbine generators have a start wind speed of an average of 6 mph, which resembles very little resistance. This would not have a serious impact on the drag coefficient of the Vehicle but any drag could be compensated by using higher output motors to increase the power of the Vehicle as sufficient energy could be created for them.

The use of the generator packs 800 would reduce or eliminate the problem of reduced range and slower charging times for electric vehicles in cold climates. It has been shown that cold weather can reduce the range of electric vehicles by up to 40 percent. It has been suggested that this reduction is mainly due to the energy being used to heat coolant for the battery 808 to prevent it from freezing and to heat the passenger cabin among other factors. Another problem with electric vehicles is charge times in extreme climates. For example, in cold temperatures, charge times may be up to 36 percent longer (e.g. comparing charge times at 25 degrees Celsius and 0 degrees Celsius) .

The use of the generator packs 800 may reduce the need for larger-capacity batteries, which could reduce the extraction of certain chemicals (e.g. lithium) from the environment. This would have a positive impact on the environment generally. The use of the generator packs 800 may also help reduce the overall carbon footprint of electric vehicles compared with conventional internal combustion engines. For example, because the generator packs 800 are removably attachable to the vehicle 802, the generator packs 800 may be swapped on and off the vehicles 802 as needed. The generator packs 800 may be removable attached to the vehicles 802 using a variety of mechanisms, such as mechanical fasteners, adhesives, clips, or the like.

The following are some sample calculations involving the turbine generators 814 of Figs 6 to 8.

For example, for the turbine generator 814 shown in Fig. 6: could be of any size and such shape coupled to the shape of blades shown or other types such as the traditional propeller blades and could have more than one turbine generator connected to the blades/propeller depending on the electricity required and could vary from a small size turbine of 20 cm diameter and 9 cm thickness with a 100 W/hr output to a 10 KW/hr turbine of 60 cm diameter and19 cm thickness or more

The width of vehicle 802 is generally 1, 600 to 1, 800 cm, and the roof 804 would be around an average of 1, 500 cm and so a few 100 W/hr 20 cm diameter generators could be stacked together to form a pack to generate enough KW to charge the battery/batteries and as the roof 804 is generally about 1,000 cm in length, it is thus possible to have a few horizontally placed spindles, it is possible to have at least two turbine generators 814 (one at each end or in any other formation) per unit.

Alternatively, it would be possible to fit one or more larger wind turbine generators such as 20 KW/watt hour wind turbine generators 814 with the approximate dimensions of 62 cm diameter x 20 cm thickness onto the front of the vehicle 802 (e.g. under the hood 810) where the engine used to be. These could also be used in aircraft, where a number of such turbines (larger or smaller) could be installed in various designs and positions with various sizes to allow the aircraft to fly for extended or indefinite distances, by charging a number of onboard batteries which would alternate in powering the aircraft and this could change the travel industry to a better situation by lowering costs and enabling more travel for all mankind.

In another embodiment, where there is a plurality of batteries 808 on the vehicle 802, at least one of the batteries 808 may be used to assist in propulsion of the vehicle 802, while the remaining ones of the batteries 808 may be removed and used to provide electrical power for other vehicles 802 or for other purposes., such as powering residential or commercial units/structures/factories. Considering that average households consume about 3kWh of power per day; therefore portable batteries could be easily charged by vehicles with DVITPV instead of using power from a grid to power domestic and commercial units to reduce environmental polluting of the planet.

Referring to Fig. 9, in yet another embodiment, one or more of the generator packs 800 may be removably attached to buildings or other stationary structures in order to generate electrical energy from wind. For example, the generator packs 800 may be placed at various locations on the structure 400. This allows for the generator packs 800 to generate electrical energy in compact spaces. This embodiment may be referred to as Building Integrated Turbo Voltaics (BITV) .

In a further embodiment, the generator pack 800 may omit the pack layers 806. In other words, the generator pack 800 would utilize the turbine generators 814 solely to generate electricity.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

A generator pack for attachment to a vehicle, the generator pack comprising: a housing;

one or more pack layers located within the housing, each of the pack layers comprising

one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light,

wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an

unfolded configuration; and

one or more turbine generators located within the housing for generating electrical power, each of the turbine generators comprising:

a shaft;

a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, wherein rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft; and

a generator attached to the shaft, wherein the generator is configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft;

wherein movement of the vehicle effects movement of air against the blades, the movement of air against the blades effecting rotation of the blades and the shaft;

and

wherein the generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the vehicle.
The generator pack of claim 1, wherein the shafts are oriented vertically.
The generator pack of claim 1, wherein the shafts are oriented horizontally.
The generator pack of claim 1, wherein the generator pack is configured to removably attach to an outer surface of the vehicle.
The generator pack of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to generate electrical power from light when the photovoltaic panels are in the unfolded configuration.
The generator pack of claim 1, wherein the generator pack is electrically connected to another one of the generator pack attached to the vehicle.
A vehicle comprising:

a battery, wherein the battery supplies electrical power for propelling, at least in part, the vehicle;

a plurality of housings; and

a plurality of generator packs electrically connected together, the generator packs removably attached to an outer surface of the vehicle, each of the generator packs located within one of the housings and comprising:

one or more pack layers, each of the pack layers comprising one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light, wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an unfolded configuration; and

one or more turbine generators for generating electrical power, each of the turbine generators located within one of the housings and comprising: a shaft;

a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, wherein rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft; and

a generator attached to the shaft, wherein the generator is configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft;

wherein the blades and the shaft are configured to rotate upon movement of the vehicle; and

wherein the generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the battery.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the shafts of the turbine generators is oriented vertically.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the shafts of the turbine generators is oriented horizontally.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to generate electrical power from light when the photovoltaic panels are in the unfolded configuration.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein movement of the vehicle in turn effects movement of air against the blades, the movement of air against the blades effecting rotation of the blades and the shaft.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the shafts is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the shafts is oriented perpendicular to a central axis of the vehicle.
A generator pack for attachment to a structure, the generator pack comprising: a housing;

one or more pack layers located within the housing, each of the pack layers comprising one or more photovoltaic panels for generating electrical power from light, wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to be in one of a folded or an unfolded configuration; and

one or more turbine generators located within the housing for generating electrical power, each of the turbine generators comprising:

a shaft;

a plurality of blades attached to the shaft, wherein rotation of the blades causes rotation of the shaft; and

a generator attached to the shaft, wherein the generator is configured to generate electrical power from rotation of the shaft;

wherein the generator pack is configured to transmit electrical power from the pack layers and the turbine generators to the structure.
The generator pack of claim 14, wherein the shafts are oriented vertically.
The generator pack of claim 14, wherein the shafts are oriented horizontally.
The generator pack of claim 14, wherein the photovoltaic panels are configured to generate electrical power from light when the photovoltaic panels are in the unfolded configuration.