APPARATUS THAT PROVIDES ENERGY INDEPENDENCE THROUGH ISLANDING FROM THE GRID VIA GREEN, SUSTAINABLE, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES FOR COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES ON ELEVATED SPANS

Abstract

Repurpose decommissioned elevated highways, decommissioned elevated railways, decommissioned bridges, viaducts, and causeways and or new construction of elevated spans by making provision for providing energy from non-fossil fuel sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal and/or hydrothermal, to provide the energy needs of habitable structures and facilities built upon such decommissioned elevated bridges, elevated railways or bridges. Such is done to provide energy independence for such spans that are to be free of fossil-fuel motor vehicle traffic (or trains).

Claims

1. A method of incorporating islanding capability into an elevated span that is free of motor vehicle through traffic and/or trains traveling across, comprising: erecting equipment that supplies energy from renewable energy sources to residential structures and/or commercial facilities on the elevated span, the elevated span extending between two landings between which is a region that the elevated span extends over; and arranging the equipment so that all the energy supplied by the erected equipment is distributed to supply all demand for energy by residential structures and commercial facilities on the elevated span before being distributed elsewhere for consumption, the equipment including a converter of sources of energy into electrical power that are selected from the group consisting of wind power, hydrothermal power, geothermal power, solar photovoltaic and any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of erecting the equipment includes placing certain pieces of the equipment on the elevated span and placing other pieces of the equipment beneath the elevated span.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: erecting commercial facilities on the elevated span in a manner suited to provide associated services; selecting the associated services from the group consisting of a community center, a tennis club, a health club, a restaurant, and a retail space; and applying signage to the erected commercial facilities that identifies the selected associated services.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: erecting residential structures on the elevated span in a manner suited to render the residential structures habitable as residences; selecting the residences from the group consisting of apartments, condominiums and luxury estates; and arranging greenways neighboring the residential structures on the span.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: erecting residential structures and commercial facilities that consume energy for heating and cooling on the elevated span; and integrating at least some of the equipment into residential structures and/or commercial facilities.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: moving a tram or monorail train along at least a portion of a length of the elevated span and powering the tram or monorail train with energy supplied by the erected equipment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a glass clamshell enclosure on the elevated span and providing climate controlled moving sidewalks on the elevated span.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: erecting glass basements beneath the elevated span and attached thereto to provide under span views through the glass of the erected glass basements.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising: erecting rooftops for at least some of the residential structures and the commercial facilities that make provision for vertical farming thereupon.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising: integrating all glass walls of the residential structures and commercial facilities with photovoltaic capability.

11. An elevated span that spans between landings over a region between the landings and is free of motor vehicle through traffic and/or trains traveling across, comprising: equipment erected on the elevated span that supplies energy from renewable energy sources to erected residential structures and/or commercial facilities on the elevated span, the equipment being arranged so that all the energy supplied by the erected equipment is distributed to supply all demand for energy by the erected residential structures and commercial facilities before being distributed elsewhere for consumption, the equipment including a converter of sources of energy into electricity that are selected from the group consisting of wind power, hydrothermal power, geothermal power, solar photovoltaic and any combination thereof.

12. The elevated span of claim 11, wherein the erected equipment includes certain pieces of the erected equipment placed on the elevated and other pieces of the erected equipment being placed beneath the elevated.

13. The elevated span of claim 11, wherein the erected commercial facilities are configured in a manner suited to provide associated services, the associated services being selected from the group consisting of a community center, a tennis club, a health club, a restaurant, and a retail space; and signage applied to the erected commercial facilities that identifies the selected associated services.

14. The elevated span of claim 11, wherein the residential structures are configured in a manner suited to render the residential structures habitable as residences, the residences being selected from the group consisting of apartments, condominiums and luxury estates; and greenways arranged neighboring the residential structures on the span.

15. The elevated span of claim 11, wherein the erected equipment includes some the erected equipment being integrated into the erected residential structures and/or commercial facilities.

16. The elevated span of claim 11, further comprising: a tram or monorail train operative to move along at least a portion of a length of the elevated, the erected equipment supplying energy and powering the tram with the energy.

17. The elevated span of claim 11, further comprising: a glass clamshell enclosure on the elevated span and climate controlled moving sidewalks on the elevated span.

18. The elevated span of claim 11, further comprising: glass basements erected beneath the span and attached thereto to provide under span views through the glass of the erected glass basements.

19. The elevated span of claim 11, further comprising: erecting rooftops for at least some of the erected residential structures and the erected commercial facilities that make provision for vertical farming thereupon.

20. The elevated span of claim 11, further comprising: integrating all glass walls of the residential structures and commercial facilities with photovoltaic capability.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0040] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

[0041] The drawing is an isometric layout of the Tappan Zee bridge that is repurposed in accordance with the invention as an energy-independent and thru traffic-free community.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] Turning to the drawing, an energy independent traffic-free community is shown. It encompasses the concept for repurposing decommissioned bridges 100, such as the Tappan Zee bridge that is to be decommissioned, and applies equally for repurposing decommissioned elevated motor vehicle, railroad and other such spans (highways or railways) as over-water bridges, over-land highway spans, and viaducts. Over-land spans would use geothermal rather than hydrothermal HVAC wells and there would be no water-current-driven generators in the case of such over-land spans.

[0043] The energy independent traffic-free community may accommodate conventional residences, structures and facilities. These include luxury estates 102, greenways 104, glass clamshell enclosed and climate controlled moving sidewalks 106, retail and restaurant space 108 within the center span superstructure, wind turbines 110, energy towers 112 in that all glass walls incorporate solar photovoltaic collector capability and may be equipped with a helipad 114 on its roof, trams 116, condominiums 118, apartments 120, an under bridge view glass basements or observation decks 122 for homes and restaurants, a community center 124 with tennis courts and health clubs, vertical farming and green rooftops 126, hydrothermal heating and cooling 128, geothermal heating and cooling 130, and river current driven hydro turbines 132

[0044] The wind turbines may be vertical axis wind turbines arranged to extend to an elevation higher than that of apartments on the span. The vertical axis wind turbines may be equipped with solar voltaic capability, such as that of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0096985. If there is dry land, rather than river water, underneath the elevated, then a geothermal power plant may be positioned accordingly in the manner of any of FIG. 1E, 1F, or 1G of provisional patent application No. 62/477,378, whose contents are incorporated by reference, to generate electricity upon being driven by underground geothermal sources. If there is river water, rather than dry land, underneath the elevated, then a hydroelectric power plant with hydro turbines may be positioned accordingly to generate electricity by being driven by the river water current and preferably using hydrothermal HVAC wells in the manner of FIG. 1A, 1B or 1C of provisional patent application No. 62/477,378, whose contents are incorporated by reference, or run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or a very low head packaged small hydro station such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 8,591,178.

[0045] Garages with provisions for low-income housing will be established at the entry points to the bridge since the facilities, residences and structures on the bridge are fossil fuel vehicle traffic free. Preferably, power generated from the solar photovoltaic glass walls, wind turbines and river current driven hydro turbines generate enough energy or power to satisfy the needs of the apartments, condominiums, a community center, trams and facilities on the bridge 100 to render the community energy-independent. Vertical farming may help render the community fresh food independent.

[0046] The repurposing of decommissioned elevated traffic/railway/viaduct spans in accordance with the invention provides them with islanding capable renewable energy that is independent, green and sustainable. For new construction of elevated spans, such islanding capable renewable energy that is independent, green and sustainable may be incorporated.

[0047] Typically, elevated spans have landings on either side of a region being spanned. The landings may be equipped with a geothermal power installation underneath that transmits the geothermal power within an across the span. The geothermal power may be used to heat or cool the span itself, thereby countering the effects of extreme temperature conditions from the surrounding environment, which may mitigate thermal expansions and contractions of the span that might otherwise arise from the environmental extreme thermal conditions. Even for repurposed elevated spans, a geothermal installation could be retrofitted underneath the elevated span landings in a manner that did not disturb the landings themselves such as in a manner analogous to conventional installing of geothermal underneath paved parking lots of commercial buildings or underground without disturbing landscaping or tree forests.

[0048] As a consequence of an energy independent traffic-free community with elevated spans with residences, facilities and structures thereon all with islanding capable renewable energy, benefits result that are discussed in the following.

[0049] Freestanding buildings include single homes, condominiums, office space, multi-level living units with all structures built at roadway level and on towers. The buildings may include sustainably-landscaped clusters of stores and boutiques, a community center with a tennis/swim/health club, a helicopter pad (such as at river level) a ferry terminal, marinas, parking decks at entry points that are free of residential streets of parked cars and vehicular traffic, moving sidewalks, glass clamshell-enclosed and temperature-controlled to accommodate baby strollers and wheelchairs. Each building may be equipped with building applied photovoltaic glazing. All will have spectacular river, mountain, city and sky views from their vantage point.

[0050] All power needs of the buildings is supplied by solar voltaic panels, vertical wind-powered generator units, underwater turbines powered by river currents, hydrothermal and geothermal heat-pump wells uses river water and land-based wells to satisfy all air-conditioning and much of the heating needs.

[0051] There may be glass (or transparent plastic resin) floors for river viewing and a monorail to supplement the moving sidewalks and trams/electric powered shuttles. Further, there may be open space provided for community gardens and farms (such as vertical farming), temperature-controlled wine cellars, theaters/performance space and community room/party room with restaurant kitchen.

[0052] Bumper systems are provided to protect all intersections of the bridge pylons with the river. There may be quick-charge stations in garages for electric vehicles. Further, fish-and aquatic shelled mollusk or crustacean-farming at low draft non-navigable shoals near shores may be provided. Waste management may include conventional composting and digesters.

[0053] While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.