Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
  • H02S20/00—Supporting structures for PV modules
  • H02S20/10—Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
  • E04H15/02—Tents combined or specially associated with other devices
  • E04H15/06—Tents at least partially supported by vehicles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/10—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules extending in directions away from a supporting surface
  • F24S25/12—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules extending in directions away from a supporting surface using posts in combination with upper profiles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/10—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules extending in directions away from a supporting surface
  • F24S25/16—Arrangement of interconnected standing structures; Standing structures having separate supporting portions for adjacent modules
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/10—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules extending in directions away from a supporting surface
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
  • Y02B10/10—Photovoltaic [PV]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
  • Y02B10/20—Solar thermal
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
  • Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

• the invention relates to an enhanced solar car port for the generation of renewable energy for business, domestic use and/or for the re-charging of Electric Vehicles.
• Car ports are known as covered structures providing a roof, or canopy, under which one or more vehicles may be parked, so as to provide a degree of shelter to the vehicle. It is also known to utilise the roof of such structures to locate solar panels, for example for generating electricity, and such structures may be designed to accommodate a small number of vehicles, or may cover large parking areas which accommodate large numbers of vehicles.
• Existing solar car ports are typically constructed from steel and have support structures connected to, and supporting, a roof, attached to which is a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel for generating electricity.
• PV solar photovoltaic
• Any additional associated components such as electrical components (e.g. cables and/or inverters) or water drainage equipment are either attached to the exterior of the solar car port, or housed separately to the car port.
• the present invention provides a car port, in particular a solar car port, according to claim 1.
• the invention advantageously provides a car port in which the support structure(s) consist of a hollow FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic / fibre-reinforced polymer) structure, which is resilient, easy to manufacture, and contains an interior space which can be advantageously used to house a variety of different components related to the functionality of the system, as discussed below.
• FRP fibre-reinforced plastic / fibre-reinforced polymer
• the invention provides a solar car port comprising at least one support structure, wherein the at least one support structure comprises a trunk portion situated on a surface and a branch portion coupled to the trunk portion, the trunk portion and the branch potion each having a hollow interior that when coupled together define a cavity within the support structure; and at least one tray situated on the branch portion of the support structure, the at least one tray comprising at least one solar panel for absorbing solar energy, wherein at least one electrical component connected with the at least one solar panel is situated within the cavity of the support structure.
• the invention advantageously integrates the at least one component, such as an electrical component associated with electricity generation, e.g. an inverter, within the at least one support, protecting the component from the outside environment and restricting access to the at least one component.
• Each support structure may comprise a substantially upright central trunk portion for mounting on the ground, and a branch portion for supporting the roof, the branch portion comprising at least one laterally extending branch member shaped to provide a substantially flat upper surface for supporting the roof.
• the term 'ground' herein may refer to surfaces other than the ground itself, such as an above-ground level of a multi-storey car park, for example, or a rooftop or other platform on which vehicles may be parked and the car port installed.
• the trunk portion and the branch portion each comprises at least one vent providing an air passage between the cavity within the support structure and the outside environment, wherein air is drawn into the cavity via a first vent of the support structure and flows over the at least one component before exiting the support structure via a second vent.
• This air flow can be used in particular for cooling electrical components within the support structure. This improves heat transfer away from the electrical components to optimize performance and prevent overheating. This is particularly beneficial where the at least one electrical component includes an inverter. Air may be drawn into the support structure and over the at least one component via either natural or forced convection.
• the branch portion and the trunk portion are single-piece moulded continuous fibre constructs. This advantageously provides simplicity in assembly and avoids structural vulnerabilities where components would be connected.
• the branch portion may comprise two branch members extending laterally in opposite directions.
• the branch portion and the trunk portion are each made from a continuous fibre reinforced plastic.
• the branch portion has a variable moment of inertia. This increases the overall strength and achievable spans of the branch portion, and also reduces deflection along its length.
• the branch portion may be reinforced with carbon fiber to further enhance above parameters.
• the roof may comprise a plurality of roof elements each extending in a direction so as to form a span between two spaced apart support members, each roof element arranged parallel with, and connected to, an adjacent roof element.
• Each roof element may comprise a substantially flat base and side walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the base to form a U- shaped cross-section, the roof elements (also referred to herein as 'trays') being arranged such that side walls of adjacent roof elements abut one another and are connected together along the length of the span.
• This arrangement has been found to provide rigidity to the roof and enable the roof to achieve long spans (e.g. 15-18m) between adjacent support structures.
• the solar panel is a solar PV panel.
• the solar PV panel is connected to the electricity grid via the cavity in the support structure. This synergistically protects the grid connection from the outside environment while shielding the environment from the electrical grid connection.
• the solar panel is a solar thermal panel.
• a battery system may be housed within the cavity of the support structure.
• the battery system comprises an electric vehicle (EV) charging point.
• EV electric vehicle
• the energy generated by the solar PV panels may be used to charge the battery system.
• the trunk portion and/or the branch portion of the support structure house a battery comprising: an anode; a cathode; a separator/insulator; and a liquid electrolyte.
• FRP acid resistant plastic / fibre-reinforced polymer
• the solar car port further comprises rain water collection means to collect and direct rain water to a storage tank situated within the cavity of the support structure. This allows for the repurposing of rain water falling on to the solar car port.
• the solar car port may further comprise a main tank external to the support structure which is connected to the storage tank via a connection pipe. This enables the transfer of water collected in the storage tank within the cavity of the support structure to a main tank, which may be of greater size than the storage tank.
• storage tanks from a plurality of support structures may feed into the main tank.
• the main tank may be situated underground or on the ground.
• the solar thermal panels may be used to heat water in the storage tank.
• the heated water in the storage tank may then be transferred elsewhere (e.g. to a main tank external to the support structure) and repurposed.
• Figure 1 shows a solar car port arrangement
• Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an arrangement of trays for use as the roof structure a solar car port
• Figure 3 shows a side view of a support structure, and a plan view of the footprint of the base of the structure
• Figure 4 shows an isometric view of a variable inertia beam
• Figure 5 shows an isometric view of a variable inertia beam reinforced with carbon fibre
• Figure 6 shows an isometric view of a support structure with continuous fibre reinforcement
• Figure 7 shows a magnified cut-away illustrating how additional support components may be fixed to the support structure
• Figure 8 shows schematically an arrangement of a support structure
• Figure 9 shows schematically an arrangement of a support structure
• Figure 10 shows schematically a support structure having an integrated battery
• Figure 11 shows schematically a support structure having a water collection system
• Figure 12 shows a vehicle parked under a support structure of a car port.
• the Solar Car port described in the below embodiments allows generation of renewable energy for business, domestic use and/or for the re-charging of Electric Vehicles.
• the system contains many novel and innovative design benefits as detailed further below.
• Fig. 1 shows a car port 10 comprising a plurality of support structures 12, spaced at intervals along the length of the car port, and separated by a span between support structures.
• the support structures support a roof, which is arranged to support or house solar panels or solar thermal boxes for the production of electricity or heating of water, etc.
• the support structures are typically separated by intervals (i.e. spans) of 10 to 12m, and typically these spans correspond to a number of adjacent vehicle parking spaces on the ground below.
• Various spans can be achieved between support structures, and in some cases spans of around 18m may be used.
• the roof may span between a single support structure and a building, instead of between multiple support structures.
• Each support structure 12 is arranged such that the roof is supported at an angle (typically of a few degrees) to the horizontal as appropriate to the location, preferably to maximize the exposure to sunlight. Means may be provided to adjust the angle of the solar panels relative to the roof, or the angle at which the roof is supported by the support structures relative to the ground.
• the support structure 12 comprises a hollow structure, typically moulded from glass- reinforced plastic (GRP) or fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), to form a base, or trunk, portion 14 and a roof-support, or branch, portion 13.
• GRP glass- reinforced plastic
• FRP fibre-reinforced plastic
• the trunk portion is substantially upright and broadly central to the support structure, and extends vertically around a central vertical axis of the structure (not shown). As shown in Figs.
• the trunk portion is attached to the ground to anchor the car port structure.
• the branch portion 13 extends from the trunk portion 14 to form two branches 13a, 13b extending in opposite directions outwardly from the trunk portion and providing a flat upper surface 13c that provides a support for the roof 20 (shown in an exploded view in Fig. 1 , separated from the support structures on which is rests in the assembled car port structure).
• branches 13a, 13b are substantially equal in the extent of their lateral extension from the trunk, while in other embodiments (not shown), they may vary in length such that the branch portion may extend predominantly in the direction of one or other branch only.
• the arrangement of the branches is typically such that the roof covers the length of one or two car parking spaces arranged perpendicularly to the direction of the span, plus a small additional amount of overhang to provide added weather protection for vehicles parked in such parking spaces (see also Fig. 12).
• the support structure may be formed from a single component or, as shown in Fig. 3, the trunk portion 14 and branch portion 13 may be separate components that are connected, for example bolted, together. At least some portions of the support structure may be provided with a composite core to enhance structural rigidity, and may be formed from, for example, PVC or PET foam.
• the roof itself may be formed from one or more roof elements extending between adjacent support structures in the direction of the span, and preferably from a plurality of such roof elements extending in parallel between adjacent support structures.
• Each roof element may be configured in the form of a tray 22, 24 comprising a flat base 25 and side walls 26a, b extending substantially perpendicularly from the base, as shown in cross- section in Fig. 2.
• Figs. 1 and 2 show a portion 20 of a roof, the illustrated portion comprising three parallel trays of a length arranged to extend between two adjacent support structures 12.
• a complete roof may comprise nine parallel trays, for example, each typically the length of the span between adjacent support structures, although it will be appreciated that other arrangements are possible (e.g. roof elements having the length of two or more spans, or roof elements being joined together along the span between support elements).
• trays forming the roof are arranged side by side and connected together along their side walls 26a to form the roof.
• the trays 22, 24 may be bolted together, or joined by other means, to form a rigid roof structure.
• the trays are connected together to form a complete roof span, and then connected (e.g. bolted) through their ends to the vertical support structures to form the car port.
• the trays may be made of FRP/fiberglass and may have a foam core, or a core of PET plastic (e.g. made from recycled plastic bottles) or another lightweight foam core material.
• every other tray 22, 25 may be formed with a capping flange 27, typically 50 mm wide, along the distal edges of its extending side walls 26a, b. Alternate trays 24 can then be seated against the flanges of adjacent trays. This provides increased rigidity, and can also be used to form a water-tight seal between adjacent trays. In some embodiments, this water-tight seal can also provide a run-off route to direct rain water to a storage tank within the support structure 12 on which the roof is supported. This arrangement of trays has been found to provide a strong roof structure able to support a greater weight of solar panels than conventional car port roof structures.
• each tray can be identical, and the capping flange can be formed on one side wall of each tray, such that the side wall of each tray that is provided with a capping flange abuts against the side wall of an adjacent tray that is not provided with a flange and seats against the flange of the adjacent tray.
• the roof elements are formed as trays (as shown in Fig. 2)
• such trays can be fitted in either of two orientations, i.e. (i) in an 'upright' configuration with the base 25 lowermost and the side walls extending upwards; or (ii) in an 'inverted' configuration (shown in Fig. 2), in which the base 25 is uppermost and the side walls 25 extend downwards.
• orientation may depend on the type of solar panel technology being supported by the roof, e.g. solar PV, solar thermal, or other.
• solar PV panels an inverted configuration may be preferred, to provide a flat surface allowing air flow underneath the solar PV panels to provide cooling. In that case, the solar PV panels may be bolted or clamped to the trays.
• a support structure 12 is shown in more detail.
• the support element 12 extends between the distal tips of the two branches 13a, 13b over a distance typically slightly more than the length of one or two car parking spaces, depending on the configuration of the car port relative to the parking spaces beneath it.
• the width of the support structure 12 in a perpendicular direction may typically be in the region of 400 mm.
• the trunk portion 14 and the branch portion 13 are formed as separate components, and are bolted together, or joined my other means.
• the bottom of the trunk portion 14 is anchored to the ground, in this case by bolts 16.
• Fig. 3 also shows a plan view of the footprint 30 of the trunk portion 14 of the support structure 12, showing that the trunk portion comprises a hollow structure having a substantially elliptical cross section.
• the trunk portion is anchored to the ground by providing a flange (not shown) extending inwardly from the perimeter of the bottom of the trunk portion where it meets the ground, so as to provide a substantially horizontal surface abutting the ground within the hollow trunk portion. The flange can then be fastened to the ground surface, e.g.
• the bottoms of the branches 13a, 13b are elliptical becoming concave as the branch fairs into the trunk portion.
• the top 13c of the branch portion 13 is flat but is typically angled at a few degrees to the horizontal as shown in Fig. 3.
• Inspection hatches in the side of the support structure may be provided, to enable access to bolts, cables and other equipment housed inside the support structure, which may include inverters, data recorders, cellular transmitter receivers, Wi-Fi boosters and other electronic equipment. As shown in Fig.
• the branches 13a, 13b of the branch portion 13 form a variable inertia beam, in which each branch tapers towards its distal tip such that the weight of each branch (and its moment of inertia) reduces towards its tip, reducing the load towards the extremities of the cantilever branches.
• this is achieved in the arrangement of Fig. 3 by the tapered curve on the underside of the branch portion, opposite the flat upper surface 13c.
• Fig. 4 illustrates this principle more generally, by showing a structural beam 40 of rectangular cross section, having a flat top surface and a constant width, but having a curved underside to provide the beam with a depth that varies between a value Y at each end to a maximum value greater than Y at the mid-point of the beam.
• beams of the type shown in Fig. 4 can be used to bridge the span between adjacent support structures, to support a roof having attached solar panels, or to support solar panels directly on the beams. In that case, the beam is supported at each end, rather than in the centre, and the curved shape of the beam's underside allows the use of low stretch material (e.g.
• a carbon-based material such as a fibre
• Fig. 5 illustrates this arrangement in a beam 50, similar to the beam 40 of Fig. 4, which is provided with carbon fibres 52 used to reinforce the beam on its bottom and/or top surfaces.
• long continuous carbon fibres reinforcing the underside of the beam can significantly help to support the load of the beam and reduce deflection, thereby achieving greater spans in this arrangement.
• Figs. 6 to 12 show various additional arrangements of support structures, and other features, which can be used in the car port of Fig. 1.
• Fig. 6 shows a support structure 60 of an alternative arrangement to that of Figs. 1 and 3, in that the support structure 60 is flat-sided, having flat parallel faces (one of which, 61 , is visible in Fig. 6) and is uniform in its cross-section in the direction of the span of the car port.
• lateral sides 62, 64 are perpendicular to the flat faces, rather than being contoured as in Fig. 1.
• the structure can be reinforced using continuous uni-directional composite fibres 66, 68 running along each of the lateral sides 62, 64, i.e.
• Fig. 7 shows an arrangement of a support structure 70 similar to that of Fig. 6, but additionally provided with a reinforcing structure in the form of a sleeve 73 having a substantially V-shaped cross section, that fits over the tip 72a of a branch 72 of the support structure 70.
• the sleeve may be a moulded GRP/FRP or similar structure, and is arranged to extend along the span of the car port structure between adjacent support structures, to provide additional rigidity to the overall structure.
• One or more sleeves may extend along the car port, and may be connected together as necessary, depending on the span.
• the sleeve 73 is preferably received in a recessed portion 74, 75 of the outer surface of the tip 72a of the branch 72 of the support structure 70, such that the outer surface of the sleeve 73 may be flush with the outer surface of the branch 72.
• the sleeve may be connected to the support structure using an adhesive, in particular an epoxy adhesive. It should be noted that adhesives such as this may be used to connect various components and structural elements of the car port, particularly when using GRP or other FRP materials, thereby providing a convenient manufacturing technique that may be quicker and simpler than conventional car port construction techniques.
• the adhesives used may be environmentally friendly adhesives, such as plant-based resins and glues, to minimize the environmental impact of the structure.
• an arrangement of a support structure 80 may be provided with vents in the hollow structure, to facilitate convection cooling of electrical or other components housed within the hollow structure.
• the support structures 80 of the car port may contain various types of electrical components associated with the production and storage of electricity, and/or charging of Electric Vehicles, including inverters and batteries, for example, as well as potentially other components related to the use of the support structure to provide electronic displays (e.g. for user interfaces, advertising or other signage).
• the hollow nature of the support structure advantageously provides both a space for housing such components and the means for cooling the components using convection.
• One or more inlet vents 82 may be provided towards the base of the support structure 80, and one or more exhaust vents 84 provided towards the top of the support structure.
• This arrangement allows heat generated by any electrical components 86 contained within the support structure 80 to rise and exit the structure from exhaust vents 84, thereby drawing in air from the outside through inlet vents 82 and creating a convection current 88 to cool the components 86.
• This embodiment is particularly advantageous in a solar car port, since it allows electrical components associated with electricity generation or EV charging to be accommodated within the structure and away from users or members of the public, but utilizes the hollow structure to provide the advantage of cooling such concealed components by means of the described vents. Fig.
• FIG. 9 illustrates a further advantageous arrangement in which the hollow structure of a support structure 90 is utilized to provide a battery storage compartment for storing one or more batteries 92, used to store electricity generated from the solar PV panels of the car port, and/or for use in EV charging, and/or used as backup batteries for maintaining the electrical functionality of the car port in the absence or failure of another power supply.
• the battery system may have connection means on the exterior of the support structure (e.g. in the form of an EV charging point or another type of power terminal for any of a variety of known uses), or the battery may be used to power other functionality of the car port, such as mobile device charging points or electronic displays for use as information displays, advertising spaces, user interfaces, payment points for EV charging or parking, etc.
• the battery may be charged by one or more solar PV panels situated on the roof of the car port above the support structure.
• an EV charging point may be provided within the support structure, with power supplied by a connection to the power grid, in which case any required components can be housed within a storage compartment inside the support structure, as required.
• Fig. 10 illustrates a variation of the arrangement of Fig. 9, in which the battery is integrally formed within the hollow structure of the support structure 100 itself.
• the interior of the cavity within the support structure 100 can provide a housing for: an anode 102, a cathode 104, an electrolyte 106; and a separator/insulator 108 for separating the anode and cathode, which together form the battery.
• the electrolyte can be housed within the acid-resistant FRP of the hollow support structure 100 without the need to accommodate pre-formed batteries within the structure, thereby maximizing the space dedicated to the battery, and hence the battery capacity.
• FIG 11 shows an arrangement of a support structure 110 in which the hollow structure houses one or more liquid storage tanks 1 12 for collecting, in particular, rain water falling on the roof of the car port, for re-use.
• a connection pipe 1 14 may connect the storage tank 1 12 to a ground tank 1 16 under the ground.
• storage tanks may be provided within the structure without being connected to a ground tank, or the water may be directed through the interior of the support structure to a ground tank, without the provision of storage tanks inside the structure.
• these may be located in various parts of the support structure 110 as appropriate, and may be, for example, located within the branches of the support structure.
• a collector gutter (which may be part of the roof elements/trays which may form the roof structure or a separate component on the roof) can be arranged to collect water across the span of the roof.
• the collector gutter may lead the collected water to a downpipe which runs into the cavity of the support structure, and may run along the interior of the hollow support structure.
• the downpipe may lead to either a storage tank 1 12 within the cavity of the support structure or may direct the collected water elsewhere (e.g. to a tank outside of the support structure, or a buried ground tank 116). This collected water can be used for grey water storage and re-utilized (e.g. in an adjacent building).
• the support structure is shaped such that water flowing from any point on the roof experiences a continuous downward fall from the tip 11 1 of the lower branch of the support structure to the ground, or to the storage tank, if it is channeled into the interior of the support structure at the tip 1 11 and flows along the inside of the support structure.
• the shape of the interior surface of the support structure can be used to channel water from a collector gutter to a storage tank located lower down within the support structure, without collecting within the branches of the support structure.
• Fig. 12 shows an end view of a car port, and in particular the face of a support structure 120 including inlet vents 122 and exhaust vents 124 for cooling of components located within the support structure, as described with reference to Fig. 8.
• Fig. 12 further shows a vehicle 125 located in a parking space beneath the car port, and it can be seen that in this example, the lateral extent of the branches of the support structure is approximately equal to the length of two parking spaces.
• the exterior surface of the support structure 120 can be used to provide space for advertising and/or other means for communication with a user, such as display screens providing information or instructions, flexible TFT panels flush fitted with the surface of the support structure, or user interfaces such as touch screens for processing payments for EV charging, parking, etc.
• the contoured support structures (shown in more detail in Fig. 1) can be coated with a PVC wrap, for displaying advertisements or other branding or information.
• car port can be formed from support structures having various different advantageous features, and the arrangements described in connection with the figures can be implemented in any combination.
• the hollow nature of the structure enables, without limitation, the following to be incorporated into the design of the structures: cables, conduits, electrical components, water pipes, water storage, battery integration.
• the car port and hollow support structures may be also used as a Wi-Fi or cellular telephone signal boosting apparatus since the support structures are preferably not formed using conductive materials (and are preferably formed from GRP or other FRP) and so will not act as an antenna or interfere with Wi-Fi or other signal boosting apparatus situated within the cavity of the support structures. This provides a significant advantage over conventional car port structures, which are typically constructed from steel, and which also do not provide an interior space for accommodating such equipment.
• the interior space of the support structures can be used to house cellular or Wi- Fi antennas or boosters in place of conventional antennas located elsewhere in the vicinity.
• GRP or other FRP materials to form the support structures of the car port
• suitable materials may also be used, preferably other non-electrically conductive materials, particularly where these can be used to form a hollow support structure of the type illustrated, to achieve similar advantages to those described.
• benefits of the described system include:

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
• Roof Covering Using Slabs Or Stiff Sheets (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)

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• 2017
  • 2017-09-27 GB GBGB1715611.8A patent/GB201715611D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2018
  • 2018-09-27 PL PL129269U patent/PL129269U1/pl unknown
  • 2018-09-27 AU AU2018343120A patent/AU2018343120A1/en active Pending
  • 2018-09-27 DE DE212018000285.1U patent/DE212018000285U1/de active Active
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  • 2018-09-27 RU RU2020114740U patent/RU203021U1/ru active
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• 2020
  • 2020-04-27 DK DKBA202000034U patent/DK202000034Y3/da active IP Right Grant

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