Photovoltaic module tracking system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a photovoltaic module tracking system, comprising a support frame, a rotating beam rotatably mounted on the support frame for fixing photovoltaic modules, the rotating beam extending along an X-axis direction, and a telescopic rod and a drive device. The telescopic rod has a fixed end fixedly connected to the rotating beam and a drive end that is telescopically movable relative to the fixed end. The drive end is connected to the drive device and, under the action of the drive device, moves along a Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis direction so that the fixed end drives the rotating beam to rotate. The provision of the telescopic rod of the present invention simplifies the requirements for the construction of a concrete foundation for the entire photovoltaic module tracking system, prevents overgrown weeds from hindering the operation of the telescopic rod, and thereby improves the flexibility of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system during tracking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, and in particular to a photovoltaic component tracking system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of clean energy, photovoltaic power plants are increasingly being used. To effectively increase the annual power generation of photovoltaic power plants, photovoltaic module tracking systems have become popular in large-scale photovoltaic power plant projects. These systems adjust the orientation of the photovoltaic modules mounted on them to ensure they always face the sun, maximizing solar radiation and improving the power generation efficiency of the entire photovoltaic power plant.

[0003] Prior art photovoltaic module tracking systems typically utilize a flat, single-axis photovoltaic tracker. A drive unit drives a north-south torque beam, causing the photovoltaic modules mounted on the beam to swing in an east-west direction to achieve tracking. The drive unit, which primarily comprises a slewing reduction motor and an electric push cylinder, is rigidly connected to the tracker's rotary actuator to provide power for tracking. However, in strong winds, the drive unit is subjected to the constantly shifting impact forces without any buffering, which can reduce its lifespan. Furthermore, to withstand strong winds, the flat, single-axis photovoltaic tracker requires structural reinforcement, such as using stronger materials and increasing thickness and size. This increases both cost and installation complexity. Furthermore, the drive unit must be mounted at approximately the same height as the torque beam. Consequently, when taller photovoltaic trackers are required, the drive unit must also be constructed at a correspondingly high height, complicating installation and maintenance. Furthermore, the installation of prior art photovoltaic trackers is often restricted by geographical location; for example, overgrown areas often hinder the proper operation of the actuators.

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, a new photovoltaic module tracking system must be designed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a photovoltaic module tracking system, comprising a support frame, a rotating beam rotatably arranged on the support frame for fixing the photovoltaic module, the rotating beam extending along the X-axis direction, the photovoltaic module tracking system also comprising a telescopic rod and a driving device, the telescopic rod having a fixed end fixedly connected to the rotating beam and a driving end that can be telescopically moved relative to the fixed end, the driving end being connected to the driving device and under the action of the driving device, the driving end moves along the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, so that the fixed end drives the rotating beam to rotate.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the support frame includes a base, the driving device includes a traction mechanism, a slide rail mechanism arranged on the base and extending along the Y-axis direction, and a sliding member pulled by the traction mechanism and sliding along the slide rail mechanism, and the driving end is connected to the sliding member.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the sliding member includes a base, in which a driving shaft extending along the X-axis direction is provided, and a mounting hole for mounting the driving shaft is provided through the driving end along the X-axis direction, and the driving end can rotate relative to the driving shaft.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the sliding member also includes lower rollers arranged on both sides of the base along the Y-axis direction, and the slide rail mechanism includes a slideway for accommodating the lower rollers; the lower rollers roll in the slideway.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the sliding member also includes upper rollers arranged on both sides of the base along the Y-axis direction and located above the lower roller, and the slide rail mechanism includes a slide rail located above the slide and protruding upward; the upper roller rolls on the slide rail.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the traction mechanism includes a traction rope, a winch located on one side of the base and used to wind and drive the traction rope, and a transmission component arranged at both ends of the slide rail mechanism along the Y-axis direction and used to change the transmission direction of the traction rope; the sliding member has a fixed portion formed at both ends of the sliding member along the Y-axis direction.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the transmission assembly includes a pair of reversing wheels, and the two ends of the traction rope are respectively fixed to the fixed part and then wrapped around the reversing wheels and wound around the winch.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the telescopic rod is formed by a hollow outer tube and an inner tube that are movably connected, the fixed end is formed at the upper end of the outer tube, and the driving end is formed at the lower end of the inner tube; under the action of the driving device, the inner tube performs telescopic movement relative to the outer tube, so that the height of the telescopic rod in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction remains unchanged.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the telescopic rod further includes a wear-resistant filler filled between the inner tube and the outer tube.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the support frame further includes a positioning column fixed on the base and forming a triangular fixed structure with the base, and the rotating beam can be rotatably connected to the positioning column.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The photovoltaic module tracking system of the present invention enables the photovoltaic modules fixed thereon to face the sun, thereby obtaining maximum radiation and improving power generation efficiency. Moreover, compared with the prior art, the arrangement of the telescopic rod of the present invention simplifies the requirements for the construction of a concrete foundation of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system, prevents the situation where the operation of the telescopic rod is hindered by overgrown weeds, thereby improving the flexibility of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system during tracking, reducing the failure rate, and alleviating the workload of operation and maintenance personnel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the photovoltaic module tracking system of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A top view of the photovoltaic module tracking system of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a telescopic rod of a photovoltaic module tracking system according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a sliding member of a photovoltaic module tracking system according to the present invention;

[0021] 100-PV panel tracking system; 1-support frame; 11-base; 12-positioning column; 2-rotating beam; 3-telescopic rod; 31-fixed end; 311-clamp; 32-driving end; 321-mounting hole; 33-outer tube; 331-convex shaft; 34-inner tube; 4-traction mechanism; 41-traction rope; 42-winch; 43-transmission component; 431-reversing wheel; 5-slide mechanism; 51-slideway; 511-upper wall; 512-lower wall; 52-slide rail; 6-sliding member; 61-base; 611-drive shaft; 612-positioning part; 62-lower roller; 63-upper roller; 64-fixed part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] The present invention provides a photovoltaic module tracking system 100. For ease of description, the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 defines mutually perpendicular X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. In actual operation, to ensure that the photovoltaic modules face the sun, the X-axis direction is the north-south direction, the Y-axis direction is the east-west direction, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction.

[0024] according to Figures 1-4 The photovoltaic module tracking system 100 includes a support frame 1, a rotating beam 2 rotatably arranged on the support frame 1 for fixing the photovoltaic module, and the rotating beam 2 extends along the X-axis direction. The photovoltaic module tracking system 100 also includes a telescopic rod 3 and a driving device. The telescopic rod 3 has a fixed end 31 fixedly connected to the rotating beam 2 and a driving end 32 that can be telescopically moved relative to the fixed end 31. The driving end 32 is connected to the driving device and, under the action of the driving device, the driving end 32 moves along the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, so that the fixed end 31 drives the rotating beam 2 to rotate.

[0025] The photovoltaic module tracking system 100 of the present invention enables the photovoltaic modules fixed thereon to face the sun, thereby obtaining maximum radiation and improving power generation efficiency. In addition, compared with the prior art, the arrangement of the telescopic rod 3 of the present invention simplifies the requirements for the construction of the concrete foundation of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100, prevents the situation where the operation of the telescopic rod 3 is hindered by overgrown weeds, thereby improving the flexibility of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100 during tracking, reducing the failure rate, and alleviating the workload of operation and maintenance personnel.

[0026] Specifically, the support frame 1 includes a base 11 and a positioning column 12 fixed on the base 11 and forming a triangular fixed structure with the base 11, and the rotating beam 2 can be rotatably connected to the positioning column 12. Preferably, in this embodiment, the positioning columns 12 are provided with two and are symmetrically formed on both sides of the base 11 extending along the Y-axis direction. Any of the positioning columns 12 is connected to each other by a pair of upper ends of columns (unnumbered) and is rotatably connected to the rotating beam 2 through a bearing seat structure. The positioning column 12 can stably support the rotating beam 2 to which the photovoltaic component is fixed, so that the rotating beam 2 can rotate relative to the positioning column 12 under the drive of the fixed end 31 of the telescopic rod 3. Of course, the positioning column 12 can also be rotatably connected to the rotating beam 2 using other structures. As long as the effect of making the rotating beam 2 rotatable relative to the positioning column 12 is achieved, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

[0027] like Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the telescopic rod 3 is formed by a hollow outer tube 33 and an inner tube 34 that are movably connected. The fixed end 31 is formed at the upper end of the outer tube 33, and the driving end 32 is formed at the lower end of the inner tube 34. Under the action of the driving device, the inner tube 34 telescopes relative to the outer tube 33 so that the height of the telescopic rod 3 remains constant along the Z-axis, which is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Specifically, in this embodiment, the telescopic rod 3 is positioned between the base 11 and the rotating beam 2, ensuring that the telescopic rod 3 does not protrude below the base 11 during telescopic movement. This ensures that the telescopic rod 3 does not interfere with the rotation of the rotating beam 2 regardless of the location of the photovoltaic module tracking system 100, thereby improving the tracking flexibility of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100. Of course, the telescopic rod 3 may also be configured as other telescopic structures, such as a plurality of nested tube sections or the addition of telescopic auxiliary components. As long as the telescopic rod 3 is able to telescope, it is within the scope of the present invention. Preferably, in the present invention, the telescopic rod 3 further includes a wear-resistant filler filled between the inner tube 34 and the outer tube 33 to prevent the inner tube 34 and the outer tube 33 from being damaged due to direct friction, thereby increasing the service life of the telescopic rod 3.

[0028] In addition, a clamp 311 is formed on the fixed end 31 of the telescopic rod 3 to be fixedly connected to the rotating beam 2. Moreover, the outer tube 33 of the telescopic rod 3 also has a protruding shaft 331 protruding from the outer wall of the outer tube 33 to facilitate connection with other structures to achieve multi-row linkage.

[0029] like Figure 1 、 2 As shown, the drive device of the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 of the present invention includes a traction mechanism 4, a slide rail mechanism 5 disposed on the base 11 and extending along the Y-axis, and a slider 6 that is pulled by the traction mechanism 4 and slides along the slide rail mechanism 5. The driving end 32 is connected to the slider 6. The photovoltaic module tracking system 100 drives the slider 6 via the traction mechanism 4, thereby causing the driving end 32 connected to the slider 6 to move along with the slider 6, thereby causing the fixed end 31 of the telescopic rod 3 to rotate the rotating beam 2. The drive device of the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 of the present invention utilizes a coordinated approach of the traction mechanism 4, the slider 6, and the slide rail mechanism 5. When facing strong winds, the impact force of the strong wind is transmitted to the traction mechanism 4, the slider 6, and the slide rail mechanism 5. At this time, the traction mechanism 4, the slider 6, and the slide rail mechanism 5 jointly share the impact force of the strong wind, greatly improving the stability of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100 in strong wind conditions.

[0030] Specifically, if Figure 4As shown, the sliding member 6 includes a base 61, lower rollers 62 provided on both sides of the base 61 along the Y-axis direction, and upper rollers 63 provided on both sides of the base 61 along the Y-axis direction and located above the lower rollers 62; in addition, the sliding member 6 also has a fixing portion 64 formed at both ends of the sliding member 6 along the Y-axis direction.

[0031] The base 61 is provided with a drive shaft 611 extending along the X-axis. The drive end 32 has a mounting hole 321 extending along the X-axis for mounting the drive shaft 611. The drive end 32 is rotatable relative to the drive shaft 611. By connecting the drive end 32 to the sliding member 6 that cooperates with the sliding mechanism, the drive shaft 611 of the sliding member 6 drives the drive end 32 to move and rotate, thereby driving the telescopic rod 3 to telescope. Of course, the drive end 32 can also be connected to the sliding member 6 in other ways. As long as the drive end 32 moves along the Y-axis with the sliding member 6, so that the fixed end 31 drives the rotating beam 2 to rotate, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

[0032] In this embodiment, the lower rollers 62 are attached to the outer surfaces of the base 61 on both sides along the Y-axis and are annular for easy rolling. The base 61 has an upwardly protruding positioning portion 612, and the upper roller 63 is fixed to the positioning portion 612. The upper roller 63 is positioned relative to the lower roller 62 and protrudes outward along the X-axis. The upper roller 63 is recessed along the Z-axis to form a straddling portion (not numbered).

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the slide rail mechanism 5 includes a slideway 51 for accommodating the lower roller 62, and the lower roller 62 rolls within the slideway 51. Specifically, in this embodiment, the slideway 51 has an upper wall 511 and a lower wall 512. The lower roller 62 is clamped within the upper wall 511 and the lower wall 512 of the slideway 51 to prevent the lower roller 62 from detaching from the slideway 51 under strong winds. In addition, the slide rail mechanism 5 also includes a slide rail 52 located above the slideway 51 and protruding upward, and the upper roller 63 rolls on the slide rail 52. Specifically, during the rolling process of the upper roller 63, the recessed riding portion is mounted on the protruding slide rail 52. At this time, the two sides of the upper roller 63 in the Y-axis direction are clamped on both sides of the slide rail 52 and roll, thereby avoiding the position of the sliding member 6 from being offset when sliding along the Y-axis direction, so that the sliding member 6 always slides along the extension direction of the slide rail 52, further improving the sliding reliability of the sliding member 6 in the face of strong winds.

[0034] Furthermore, the traction mechanism 4 includes a traction rope 41, a hoist 42 located on one side of the base 11 for winding and driving the traction rope 41, and a transmission assembly 43 disposed at both ends of the slide rail mechanism 5 along the Y-axis and for changing the transmission direction of the traction rope 41. Specifically, the transmission assembly 43 includes a pair of reversing wheels 431. The ends of the traction rope 41 are respectively fixed to the fixed portion 64 of the slider 6, then pass through the reversing wheels 431 and are wound around the hoist 42. The hoist 42 drives the traction rope 41 to pull the slider 6 to move. Preferably, in this embodiment, the traction rope 41 is a steel wire rope. First, when the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 of the present invention utilizes the aforementioned traction mechanism 4, the traction rope 41 can buffer and absorb the impact of strong winds, making the driving process of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100 more flexible. This overcomes the problem of conventional drive units being directly and rigidly connected to the rotary actuator, which causes them to be constantly subjected to strong wind impacts and reduces their service life. Second, the hoist 42 of the traction mechanism 4 is not restricted in its installation position and can be installed at a lower position within the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100. For example, in this embodiment, it can be installed on one side of the base 11. This solves the problem of conventional flat single-axis photovoltaic tracking brackets requiring the drive unit to be installed at approximately the same level as the torque beam. Therefore, when the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 is required for applications in high-rise projects such as agricultural / fishery photovoltaic hybrid systems, the length of the telescopic rod 3 can be extended, while the hoist 42 can be installed at a lower position, facilitating future replacement and maintenance.

[0035] In summary, the photovoltaic module tracking system 100 of the present invention enables the photovoltaic modules fixed thereon to face the sun, thereby obtaining the maximum amount of radiation and improving the power generation efficiency; and, compared with the prior art, the present invention simplifies the requirements for the construction of the concrete foundation of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100 through the provision of the telescopic rod 3, preventing the situation where the operation of the telescopic rod 3 is hindered by overgrown weeds, thereby improving the flexibility of the entire photovoltaic module tracking system 100 during tracking, reducing the failure rate, and alleviating the workload of operation and maintenance personnel.

[0036] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0037] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments or changes that do not deviate from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic module tracking system, comprising a support frame, and a rotating beam rotatably mounted on the support frame for fixing the photovoltaic module, wherein the rotating beam extends along an X-axis direction, and wherein: The photovoltaic module tracking system further includes a telescopic rod and a driving device, wherein the telescopic rod has a fixed end fixedly connected to the rotating beam and a driving end that can be telescopically moved relative to the fixed end, the driving end being connected to the driving device and, under the action of the driving device, the driving end moves along a Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, so that the fixed end drives the rotating beam to rotate; The support frame includes a base, the driving device includes a traction mechanism, a slide rail mechanism provided on the base and extending along the Y-axis direction, and a sliding member pulled by the traction mechanism and sliding along the slide rail mechanism, the driving end is connected to the sliding member; the sliding member includes a base, a driving shaft extending along the X-axis direction is provided in the base, and a mounting hole for mounting the driving shaft is provided through the driving end along the X-axis direction, and the driving end can rotate relative to the driving shaft; the traction mechanism includes a traction rope, a winch located on one side of the base and used for winding and driving the traction rope, and a transmission component provided at both ends of the slide rail mechanism along the Y-axis direction and used to change the transmission direction of the traction rope; the sliding member has a fixing portion formed at both ends of the sliding member along the Y-axis direction.

2. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding member further includes lower rollers arranged on both sides of the base along the Y-axis direction, and the slide rail mechanism includes a slideway for accommodating the lower rollers; the lower rollers roll in the slideway.

3. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sliding member also includes upper rollers arranged on both sides of the base along the Y-axis direction and located above the lower roller, and the slide rail mechanism includes a slide rail located above the slide and protruding upward; the upper roller rolls on the slide rail.

4. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes a pair of reversing wheels. The two ends of the traction rope are respectively fixed to the fixing parts and then passed through the reversing wheels and wound around the winch.

5. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic rod is formed by a hollow outer tube and an inner tube that are movably connected. The fixed end is formed at the upper end of the outer tube, and the driving end is formed at the lower end of the inner tube. Under the action of the driving device, the inner tube performs telescopic movement relative to the outer tube, so that the height of the telescopic rod in the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, remains unchanged.

6. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The telescopic rod further includes a wear-resistant filler filled between the inner tube and the outer tube.

7. The photovoltaic module tracking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame further includes a positioning column fixed on the base and forming a triangular fixed structure with the base, and the rotating beam is rotatably connected to the positioning column.

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