Torsionally damped bearing, photovoltaic tracking support and photovoltaic system

Abstract

The application discloses a torsional damping bearing, a photovoltaic tracking support and a photovoltaic system, wherein the torsional damping bearing comprises a bearing outer ring, a bearing inner ring, an elastic movable component, a cover plate and a fluid; an outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring is provided with a contact position in sealing and close contact with an inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring, and a first cavity between the bearing outer ring and the bearing inner ring is divided into at least three second cavities arranged in a circumferential direction of the bearing inner ring through the contact position; the elastic movable component is arranged in the second cavities and is at least one. The cover plate is used for sealing an outer side of the first cavity; the fluid is sealed and filled in the second cavities; when the bearing inner ring rotates, the elastic movable component slides in the second cavities, changes the volume of at least two separated cavities in the second cavities, forces the fluid to slowly flow from the separated cavities with a smaller volume into the separated cavities with a larger volume through the elastic movable component, and generates damping. The application effectively suppresses torsional vibration of a rotating beam and improves the stability of the rotating beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of elastic damping components, and particularly to a torsional damping bearing. The invention also relates to a photovoltaic tracking bracket including the aforementioned torsional damping bearing. This invention relates to a photovoltaic system including the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking bracket. Background Technology

[0002] A photovoltaic (PV) tracker is a power device that can adjust the tilt angle of a photovoltaic module in real time to ensure that the module is always facing the sun. PV trackers can effectively increase the amount of solar radiation received by the photovoltaic module.

[0003] During the operation of a photovoltaic tracker, the photovoltaic tracking structure installed on the rotating beam of the main beam is easily affected by natural factors such as wind, snow, and dust. At the same time, with the application of high-power photovoltaic modules, the size and flexibility of the photovoltaic modules have increased, resulting in greater wind loads and more significant wind-induced vibration effects on the surface of the photovoltaic modules, making the photovoltaic tracker more susceptible to damage in windy weather.

[0004] Similarly, the same problem exists in rotating beam devices with torsion, leading to reduced stability of the rotating beam.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the stability of the rotating beam is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of this invention is to provide a torsional damping bearing to improve the stability of a rotating beam. Another object of this invention is to provide a photovoltaic tracking bracket including the aforementioned torsional damping bearing. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a photovoltaic system including the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a torsional damping bearing comprising:

[0008] Bearing outer ring;

[0009] The bearing inner ring has an outer ring surface that is provided with a contact position that seals and fits with the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring. The first cavity between the bearing outer ring and the bearing inner ring is divided into at least three second cavities arranged around the circumference of the bearing inner ring by the contact position.

[0010] An elastic movable component is disposed in the second cavity, and the number of such components is at least one. One of the inner ring surface of the outer ring of the bearing and the outer ring surface of the inner ring of the bearing are slidably connected to the elastic movable component, and the other is elastically abutted against the abutting end of the elastic movable component. The elastic movable component divides the second cavity into at least two partition cavities.

[0011] The cover plate is used to seal the outside of the first cavity. The inner ring and the outer ring of the bearing are both sealed to the wall of the cover plate. The elastic movable component is sealed to the cover plate.

[0012] The fluid, which is sealed and filled in the second cavity, can slide back and forth in the second cavity when the inner ring of the bearing rotates. After the fluid deforms through the abutment end, it flows through the gap formed with the outer ring or the inner ring of the bearing and flows from the partition cavity with a smaller volume on one side of the elastic movable component into the partition cavity with a larger volume on the other side of the elastic movable component, generating a damping force.

[0013] Preferably, the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring is slidably connected to the elastic movable component, and the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring has slide tracks on opposite sides for the elastic movable component to reciprocate.

[0014] Preferably, the inner ring surface of the outer ring of the bearing is provided with a limiting groove for accommodating the elastic movable component and limiting the sliding stroke of the elastic movable component, and the elastic movable component is slidably and sealingly connected to the bottom of the limiting groove.

[0015] Preferably, the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring is an annular surface.

[0016] Preferably, the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring is projected as a polygon along the axial direction of the bearing inner ring, and the center of the bearing inner ring coincides with the center of the bearing outer ring.

[0017] Preferably, the polygon is a Reuleaux triangle, or the polygon is composed of at least four line segments connected end to end in sequence.

[0018] Preferably, the contact area is an arc-shaped surface that fits against the outer ring of the bearing.

[0019] Preferably, the fluid is a viscous liquid or a compressed gas.

[0020] A photovoltaic tracking bracket includes a rotating beam and a torsional damping bearing mounted on the rotating beam, wherein the torsional damping bearing is any of the torsional damping bearings described above.

[0021] A photovoltaic system includes a photovoltaic tracking bracket and a photovoltaic module mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket, wherein the photovoltaic tracking bracket is the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0022] In the above technical solution, the torsional damping bearing provided by the present invention includes an outer ring, an inner ring, an elastic movable component, a cover plate, and a fluid. The outer ring surface of the inner ring is provided with a contact position that seals and fits with the inner ring surface of the outer ring. The first cavity between the outer ring and the inner ring is divided into at least three second cavities arranged circumferentially around the inner ring by the contact position. The elastic movable component is disposed in the second cavity, and the number is at least one. One of the outer ring surface and the inner ring surface of the inner ring are slidably connected to the elastic movable component, and the other is elastically abutting the abutting end of the elastic movable component. The cover plate is used to seal the outside of the second cavity. Both the inner and outer rings of the bearing are sealed to the wall of the cover plate. The elastic movable component is sealed to the cover plate. The elastic movable component divides the second cavity into at least two partition cavities. The fluid seal fills the second cavity. When the inner ring of the bearing rotates, the elastic movable component slides back and forth in the second cavity. The fluid flows through the gap formed by the deformation of the contact end and the outer or inner ring of the bearing, and flows from the partition cavity with a smaller volume on one side of the elastic movable component into the partition cavity with a larger volume on the other side of the elastic movable component, generating a damping force.

[0023] When the rotating beam drives the inner ring of the bearing to rotate, the elastic movable component slides synchronously along the rotation direction of the inner ring under the action of friction. This forces the fluid to flow slowly from a decreasing volume cavity on one side into a increasing volume cavity on the other side through the gap formed between the elastic movable component and the outer or inner ring of the bearing. The elastic movable component acts to impede the flow of fluid between the two cavities, thereby generating a damping force. Specifically, during the rotation of the inner ring, the position of the elastic movable component changes due to friction, causing the elastic movable component to undergo elastic deformation during sliding. This changes the contact state between the contact end of the elastic movable component and the inner or outer ring of the bearing, further altering the ability of the elastic movable component to impede the flow of fluid between the two cavities, thus adjusting the magnitude of the damping force.

[0024] As described above, in the torsional damping bearing provided in this application, the interaction between the elastic movable component and the fluid disposed in the second cavity generates a damping effect on the rotating beam installed on the torsional damping bearing, thereby effectively suppressing the torsional vibration of the rotating beam and improving the stability of the rotating beam. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1A three-dimensional structural diagram of the torsional damping bearing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a torsional damping bearing with the cover plate removed, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the torsional damping bearing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bearing inner ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the bearing inner ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the bearing inner ring, where the outer ring surface is a quadrilateral, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the fluid flow direction of a torsional damping bearing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the bearing outer ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the bearing outer ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the bearing body provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the bearing body provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the fit between the inner ring and outer ring of the bearing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fit between the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the photovoltaic tracking bracket provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photovoltaic system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] in Figure 1-15In the middle section: 1. Bearing outer ring; 1-1. Limiting groove; 2. Bearing inner ring; 2-1. Contact position; 3. Bearing body; 4. Elastic movable component; 5. Rotating beam; 6. Torsional damping bearing; 7. Cover plate; 8. Purlin; 9. Column connecting part; 10. Support column; 11. Photovoltaic module; 12. Separating cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0042] This invention provides a torsional damping bearing to improve the stability of a rotating beam. This invention also provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket including the above-described torsional damping bearing. This invention further provides a photovoltaic system including the above-described photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0043] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0044] In one specific implementation, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the torsional damping bearing provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention includes an outer bearing ring 1, an inner bearing ring 2, an elastic movable component 4, a cover plate 7, a bearing body 3, and a fluid.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the inner ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 is attached to the outer ring surface of the bearing body 3. The bearing body 3 has a beam mounting hole at its center. The shape of the beam mounting hole is determined according to the shape of the rotating beam 5. The beam mounting hole can be a rectangular hole, a square hole, etc.

[0046] For ease of installation, preferably, the bottom end of the outer ring 1 of the bearing is configured as a support platform that can be fixed to the top of the column by bolts or other means.

[0047] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 is provided with a contact position 2-1 that is sealed and fitted with the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring 1. The inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring 1 can be annular, and the protruding part of the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 forms the contact position 2-1 and slides and seals with the bearing outer ring 1.

[0048] The first cavity between the outer ring 1 and the inner ring 2 of the bearing is divided into at least three second cavities arranged circumferentially around the inner ring 2 of the bearing by contact position 2-1; the elastic movable component 4 is disposed in the second cavity, and one of the outer ring surface of the inner ring 2 and the inner ring surface of the outer ring 1 of the bearing is slidably connected to the elastic movable component 4, and the other is elastically abutting the abutting end of the elastic movable component 4.

[0049] Specifically, the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 is projected as a polygon along the axial direction of the bearing inner ring 2. The vertices of the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 are in close contact with the outer ring 1 of the bearing, thus dividing the bearing inner ring 2 into multiple independent and sealed second cavities. Specifically, the polygon is composed of at least three line segments connected end-to-end in sequence, for example, a triangle. Alternatively, the polygon is composed of at least four line segments connected end-to-end in sequence, such as a quadrilateral, pentagon, or hexagon, etc. Figure 6 As shown, the inner ring 2 of the bearing has a quadrilateral structure.

[0050] Preferably, the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 is projected along the axial direction of the bearing inner ring 2 as a polygon, either a triangle or a quadrilateral. This is because the number of sides of the bearing inner ring 2 affects the maximum angle the bearing can rotate through. For example, if the bearing inner ring 2 has a triangular structure, each second cavity corresponds to an angle of 120 degrees. Considering that the movable elastic component 4 is located in the middle of the second cavity and has a certain degree of mobility (sliding in the same direction as the bearing inner ring 2 rotates), the angle that the torsional damping bearing can rotate through in the same direction is between 60 degrees and 120 degrees. Considering that the torsional damping bearing can rotate in two directions, the range of angles that the torsional damping bearing can rotate is 120 degrees to 240 degrees, which meets the requirement of a 120-degree tracking range for the eye tracking bracket.

[0051] If the inner ring 2 of the quadrilateral bearing is replaced, the angle corresponding to each second cavity is 90 degrees. The bearing can rotate between 45 degrees and 90 degrees in the same direction. The angle range of the torsional damping bearing is between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, which meets the requirements of the tracking angle.

[0052] The cover plate 7 is used to seal the outer side of the first cavity. Both the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 1 of the bearing are sealed to the wall of the cover plate 7. Specifically, there are two cover plates 7, which can be annular sealing plates installed on both sides of the outer ring 1 of the bearing. The two ends of the annulus are designed to be sealed. At this time, the cover plate 7 is an integral structure, which can seal each second cavity during the rotation of the inner ring 2 and the bearing body 3, ensuring that the fluid does not leak out.

[0053] The flexible movable component 4 is sealed and fitted to the cover plate 7, wherein the flexible movable component 4 is made of elastic material.

[0054] Specifically, the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring 1 can be slidably connected to the elastic movable component 4. The inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring 1 has slideways on opposite sides for the elastic movable component 4 to reciprocate. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the end of the elastic movable component 4 is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the inner ring surface of the outer ring 1 of the bearing forms a slide to accommodate the limiting protrusion.

[0055] In order to allow the elastic movable component 4 to slide within a preset range, the inner ring surface of the outer ring 1 of the bearing is provided with a limiting groove 1-1 to accommodate the elastic movable component 4 and limit the sliding stroke of the elastic movable component 4. The elastic movable component 4 is slidably sealed to the bottom of the limiting groove 1-1. Specifically, the length of the limiting groove 1-1 is the stroke of the elastic movable component 4, and the opposite sides of the limiting groove 1-1 form a slide.

[0056] A fluid seal fills the second cavity. Specifically, the fluid can be a compressed gas or a liquid, particularly a viscous liquid. In addition to the elastic movable component 4, structural components can be designed to interact with the fluid within the second cavity to generate damping forces.

[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, specifically, the elastic movable component 4 divides the second cavity into at least two partition cavities 12, which are arranged sequentially along the direction of rotation of the inner ring 2 of the bearing.

[0058] During the rotation of the inner ring 2 of the bearing, the height of the plane on which the elastic movable component 4 is located will continuously change, causing the elastic movable component 4 to undergo elastic deformation and change the contact state with the inner ring 2 of the bearing. Under the action of friction, the elastic movable component 4 slides along the rotation direction. The volume of the partition cavity 12 on one side of the elastic movable component 4 decreases and the volume of the partition cavity 12 on the other side increases. The fluid passes through the contact surface between the elastic movable component 4 and the inner ring 2 or the outer ring 1 of the bearing and forms a gap through the deformation of the elastic movable component 4. The fluid slowly flows from the partition cavity 12 with a smaller volume into the partition cavity 12 with a larger volume.

[0059] The elastic movable component 4 of this application has the ability to impede the flow of viscous fluid between the two partition cavities 12, thereby adjusting the magnitude of the damping force. The interaction between the elastic movable component 4, the fluid, and the inner ring 2 of the bearing causes the torsional damping bearing 6 to generate a certain damping force.

[0060] When the rotating beam 5 rotates slowly under the drive of the motor, the interaction between the elastic movable component 4, the fluid, and the inner ring 2 of the bearing is relatively slow, and the bearing generates a small damping force, which does not affect the normal rotation of the rotating beam 5.

[0061] When the rotating beam 5 is subjected to wind load and undergoes a sudden large-angle torsion, the interaction between the elastic movable component 4, the fluid, and the inner ring 2 of the bearing is relatively fast, and the bearing generates a large damping force, which can effectively suppress the torsional vibration of the rotating beam 5 and improve the wind resistance and stability of the tracker on the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0062] Specifically, the bearing body 3 can be a plastic bearing, installed in the inner ring 2 of the bearing, and used to connect the rotating beam 5.

[0063] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, in order to facilitate the rotation of the bearing body 3, preferably, the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring 1 is an annular surface.

[0064] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, specifically, the outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring 2 is projected along the axial direction of the bearing inner ring 2 as a Reuleaux triangle. Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the center of the inner ring 2 of the bearing coincides with the center of the outer ring 1 of the bearing. The apex of the inner ring 2 divides the outer ring 1 of the bearing into multiple independent and sealed second cavities, each of which is filled with a viscous fluid or compressed air.

[0065] To improve the sealing performance of the second cavity, preferably, the contact position 2-1 is an arc-shaped surface that fits against the outer ring 1 of the bearing.

[0066] The torsional damping bearing 6 provided in this application integrates the damper into the bearing. It provides effective and uniform torsional damping when the rotating beam 5 experiences large vibrations, improving the tracker's stability and wind resistance. Simultaneously, this application omits some connecting parts, improving installation convenience and efficiency, and reducing the overall system cost.

[0067] like Figure 14 As shown, the photovoltaic tracking bracket provided in this application includes a rotating beam 5 and a torsional damping bearing 6 mounted on the rotating beam 5, wherein the torsional damping bearing 6 is any of the aforementioned torsional damping bearings. The specific structure of the torsional damping bearing 6 has been described above; this application includes the aforementioned torsional damping bearing 6 and also possesses the aforementioned technical effects.

[0068] This application provides a photovoltaic system, including a photovoltaic tracking bracket and photovoltaic modules 11 mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket. The photovoltaic tracking bracket is any of the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking brackets, wherein the number of photovoltaic modules 11 on the photovoltaic tracking bracket is determined according to actual needs. The specific structure of the photovoltaic tracking bracket has been described above; this application includes the aforementioned photovoltaic tracking bracket and also possesses the aforementioned technical effects.

[0069] like Figure 15As shown, the torsional damping bearing 6 is bolted to the connecting piece 9 on the column; the connecting piece 9 on the column is bolted to the supporting column 10. Specifically, the column can be a standard column. Purlins 8 are bolted to the rotating beam 5 and are spaced apart; photovoltaic modules 11 are bolted to the purlins 8. The rotating main beam 5 passes through the opening in the middle of the torsional damping bearing 6. The rotating beam 5 can rotate around its axis under the drive of a drive system (not limited to push rods, reducers, etc.), and during rotation, it can drive the inner ring 2 of the bearing inside the torsional damping bearing 6 to rotate. The cross-sectional shape of the rotating beam 5 is not limited to triangle, circle, square, rectangle, rectangular with rounded corners, hexagon, octagon, etc., and needs to correspond to the shape of the opening in the middle of the torsional damping bearing 6.

[0070] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0071] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A torsional damping bearing, characterized in that, include: Bearing outer ring (1); The bearing inner ring (2) has a contact position (2-1) on its outer ring surface that is sealed and fitted with the inner ring surface of the bearing outer ring (1). The first cavity between the bearing outer ring (1) and the bearing inner ring (2) is divided into at least three second cavities arranged around the bearing inner ring (2) by the contact position (2-1). The elastic movable component (4) is disposed in the second cavity, and the number of such components is at least one. The inner ring surface of the outer ring (1) of the bearing is slidably connected to the elastic movable component (4), and the outer ring surface of the inner ring (2) of the bearing is elastically abutted to the abutting end of the elastic movable component (4). The elastic movable component (4) divides the second cavity into at least two partition cavities (12). The cover plate (7) used to seal the outer side of the first cavity, the inner ring (2) of the bearing and the outer ring (1) of the bearing are both sealed to the wall of the cover plate (7), and the elastic movable component (4) is sealed to the cover plate (7); The fluid sealed and filled in the second cavity, when the inner ring (2) of the bearing rotates, the elastic movable component (4) can slide back and forth in the second cavity. After the fluid deforms through the abutment end, it forms a gap with the outer ring (1) of the bearing or the inner ring (2) of the bearing and flows from the partition cavity (12) with a smaller volume on one side of the elastic movable component (4) into the partition cavity (12) with a larger volume on the other side of the elastic movable component (4), generating a damping force.

2. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer ring (1) of the bearing has slides on both sides of the inner ring surface for the reciprocating sliding of the elastic movable component (4).

3. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner ring surface of the outer ring (1) of the bearing is provided with a limiting groove (1-1) for accommodating the elastic movable component (4) and limiting the sliding stroke of the elastic movable component (4). The elastic movable component (4) is slidably sealed to the bottom of the limiting groove (1-1).

4. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring surface of the outer ring (1) of the bearing is an annular surface.

5. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer ring surface of the bearing inner ring (2) is projected as a polygon along the axial direction of the bearing inner ring (2), and the center of the bearing inner ring (2) coincides with the center of the bearing outer ring (1).

6. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The polygon is a Reuleaux triangle, or the polygon is composed of at least four line segments connected end to end in sequence.

7. The torsional damping bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The contact position (2-1) is an arc-shaped surface that fits against the outer ring (1) of the bearing.

8. The torsional damping bearing according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The fluid is a viscous liquid or a compressed gas.

9. A photovoltaic tracking bracket, characterized in that, It includes a rotating beam (5) and a torsional damping bearing mounted on the rotating beam (5), wherein the torsional damping bearing is the torsional damping bearing (6) according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A photovoltaic system, characterized in that, It includes a photovoltaic tracking bracket and a photovoltaic module (11) installed on the photovoltaic tracking bracket, wherein the photovoltaic tracking bracket is the photovoltaic tracking bracket as described in claim 9.

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