Foldable floating photovoltaic structure

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of water photovoltaic structure, and particularly relates to a foldable floating photovoltaic structure, comprising a photovoltaic module, a floating body and a telescopic slide rail system; the telescopic slide rail system comprises parallel telescopic circular slide rails and a cross beam, the circular slide rail is a telescopic structure of a sleeve type; the photovoltaic module comprises a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies arranged in sequence, the upper side edges of adjacent photovoltaic assemblies are connected through a damping hinge structure, the lower side of each photovoltaic assembly is provided with a pulley, the pulley is adapted to be clamped on the circular slide rail and can slide reciprocally thereon, each photovoltaic assembly is driven to rotate around the damping hinge structure, and the folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module are realized; the floating body is fixedly installed below the cross beam. The photovoltaic structure is small in size in a storage state, is convenient to transport and store, is stable after being unfolded, can be actively folded to cope with severe weather, and improves the deployment efficiency and operation reliability of the floating photovoltaic system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of waterborne photovoltaic structure technology, and particularly relates to a foldable floating photovoltaic structure. Background Technology

[0002] Floating photovoltaic (PV) power generation technology is a novel application of PV systems deployed on water surfaces, primarily suitable for reservoirs, lakes, mining subsidence areas, and near-shore controlled waters. Its core advantages lie in not occupying land resources, while the water body has a cooling effect on the PV modules, effectively reducing their operating temperature, improving photoelectric conversion efficiency, and providing additional benefits such as suppressing water evaporation. With increasingly stringent land resource constraints, floating PV power generation technology has experienced rapid development and widespread application in recent years. Existing floating PV systems typically involve arranging floating units on the water surface and installing PV modules on supporting frames on these units, thus forming a large-area water surface power generation array.

[0003] However, existing floating photovoltaic systems still have many shortcomings. Most systems adopt a fixed and deployable structure, and the entire device is usually transported in the form of separate components during the factory and transportation process. They are then assembled one by one on site. This results in a large number of components, large volume, and inconvenient loading and unloading during transportation. The on-site installation process is complicated and the construction period is long, making it difficult to meet the application requirements of rapid deployment. The floating units and the supporting structure are mostly connected rigidly or simply spliced. The overall structure lacks flexible adjustment capabilities. When the water level changes or the local stress is uneven, structural stress concentration is likely to occur. Moreover, in the water surface environment, it is subjected to complex forces such as wind load, wave and water flow impact for a long time, which can easily cause fatigue damage at the connection points and affect the long-term reliability of the system.

[0004] Traditional floating photovoltaic (PV) systems are difficult to compress in size during transportation and storage, resulting in large space requirements and low transportation efficiency, especially in large-scale deployments or applications in remote areas where logistics costs are high. While some existing technologies attempt to improve PV modules through modularization or simple hinges, their folding forms are relatively limited, their overall rigidity after unfolding is insufficient, and they lack the ability to actively adapt to severe weather conditions. This makes it difficult to balance structural stability with ease of transport, wave resistance, and rapid deployment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a foldable PV device suitable for aquatic environments that can significantly reduce its size in the folded state for easy transportation and storage, while possessing good structural stability and resistance to environmental disturbances when unfolded, thereby improving the overall deployment efficiency and operational reliability of floating PV systems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a foldable floating photovoltaic structure to solve the technical problems of existing floating photovoltaic structures, which cannot be folded and retracted due to their fixed unfolding design. This results in large transportation and storage volume, low on-site installation efficiency, and a lack of proactive adjustment capabilities to cope with severe weather. It is also difficult to balance transportation convenience, wind and wave resistance reliability, and power generation operation stability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the specific technical solution of the present invention for a foldable floating photovoltaic structure is as follows: A foldable floating photovoltaic structure includes photovoltaic modules, a float, and a telescopic sliding rail system; The telescopic slide rail system includes at least two parallel telescopic circular slide rails and a crossbeam fixedly connected between adjacent circular slide rails; the circular slide rail is a sleeve-type telescopic structure, which is composed of a thick circular telescopic slide rail and a thin circular telescopic slide rail nested together. In the retracted state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail is housed inside the thick circular telescopic slide rail, and in the unfolded state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail extends along the axial direction. The photovoltaic module includes multiple photovoltaic modules arranged in sequence. The upper edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules are rotatably connected by a damping hinge structure. Each photovoltaic module has a corresponding pulley installed on its lower side. The pulley is fitted onto the circular slide rail and can slide back and forth along the axis of the circular slide rail, driving each photovoltaic module to rotate around the damping hinge structure, thereby realizing the folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module. The float is fixedly installed below the crossbeam of the telescopic slide rail system, providing buoyancy for the overall structure.

[0007] Furthermore, the photovoltaic module consists of five photovoltaic panels with identical parameters, and all photovoltaic panels are constrained into an integral structure by a metal frame; gaps are reserved between adjacent photovoltaic panels to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction and to drain water from the panels.

[0008] Furthermore, the damping hinge structure is equipped with a torsion spring or viscous damping unit inside, whose damping force is adjustable, and is used to generate a damping torque to resist rapid rotation when adjacent photovoltaic modules rotate relative to each other; during the process of sliding and folding or unfolding the photovoltaic module along the circular slide rail, the damping hinge structure controls the rotation speed of the photovoltaic module and works in conjunction with the sliding action of the pulley to achieve smooth folding.

[0009] Furthermore, the pulley adopts a wheel surface structure with convex sides and concave center, which fits and engages with the outer wall of the circular slide rail; a pulley protection frame is also provided on the lower side of the photovoltaic components at both ends of the photovoltaic module, the pulley protection frame is covered on the outside of the pulley to prevent the pulley from derailing and limit the sliding stroke of the photovoltaic module; a detachable pin is provided at the bottom of the pulley protection frame for quick assembly and disassembly between the photovoltaic module and the slide rail.

[0010] Furthermore, the circular slide rail adopts a symmetrical segmented arrangement structure, with the middle section being a thin circular telescopic slide rail and the two end sections being thick circular telescopic slide rails; when retracted to the shortest state, the middle thin circular telescopic slide rail is nested by the two end thick circular telescopic slide rails for half their length; the outer side of the circular slide rail is also provided with a side thin circular slide rail, which, in the retracted state, is nested inside the corresponding side thick circular telescopic slide rail.

[0011] Furthermore, a high-damping liner is provided in the nesting gap between the coarse and fine circular telescopic slide rails, and the high-damping liner is bonded to the inner wall of the coarse circular telescopic slide rail; the high-damping liner is made of polyurethane elastomer material, which is used to provide low-friction guidance when the slide rail is extended and retracted, and to dissipate vibration energy through its own viscoelastic deformation under wave excitation; the section of the circular slide rail near the crossbeam and the folding concentration position adopts a variable cross-section or variable wall thickness structure to improve the bending resistance and impact resistance of key areas.

[0012] Furthermore, the inlet end of the circular slide rail is provided with a gradually expanding guide groove, which expands in a trumpet shape along the pulley guide direction, and the outlet end is smoothly connected to the working section of the circular slide rail, which is used to correct the offset position of the pulley during installation or retraction and avoid rigid collision; the circular slide rail is made of corrosion-resistant steel.

[0013] Furthermore, the float is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crossbeam by connecting bolts; a high-damping pad or rubber gasket is provided between the connecting seat of the connecting bolt and the top surface of the float to reduce the high-frequency vibration transmitted to the slide rail when the float is impacted by waves; multiple independent buoyancy cavities are provided inside the float, and anchoring rings are provided on the outer wall of the float for connecting anchor cables or inter-array connectors; the float is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material.

[0014] Furthermore, wave sensors are installed on both sides of the photovoltaic module to collect wave height, wind speed, buoy acceleration, photovoltaic module tilt angle, and pulley displacement parameters in real time and transmit them to the controller. The floating photovoltaic structure also includes a controller, a driver, and an early warning communication module. The input of the controller is electrically connected to the wave sensors to compare the collected parameters with preset thresholds and output attitude adjustment commands based on power generation requirements. The driver is electrically connected to the output of the controller to respond to attitude adjustment commands, drive the photovoltaic module to slide along a circular rail, and cooperate with the damping hinge structure to complete folding or unfolding actions. The early warning communication module is electrically connected to the controller to send the system attitude status to the operation and maintenance platform.

[0015] A method for controlling a foldable floating photovoltaic structure includes the following steps: S1. The system is in the deployed power generation state by default. The wind and wave sensor collects wave height, wind speed, floating body acceleration, photovoltaic module tilt angle and pulley displacement parameters in real time and transmits them to the controller. The controller compares the collected parameters with preset thresholds. S2. When the controller determines that any collected parameter exceeds the preset threshold, it outputs a retraction posture adjustment command in combination with the power generation demand. S3. The driver responds to the retraction posture adjustment command and drives the photovoltaic module to slide along the circular slide rail. At the same time, the damping hinge structure controls the rotation speed of the adjacent photovoltaic modules. The two work together to make the photovoltaic module fold and retract smoothly, so as to reduce the wind-exposed area and enhance the structural rigidity. S4. When the controller determines that all collected parameters have recovered to the preset threshold range, it outputs an unfolding posture adjustment command, and the driver drives the photovoltaic module to slide in the opposite direction, which, together with the damping hinge structure, smoothly unfolds and restores the unfolded power generation state.

[0016] The foldable floating photovoltaic structure of the present invention has the following advantages: By setting the photovoltaic modules as a structure that can be folded and retracted along the sliding rail, and combining it with the sleeve-type nesting design of the telescopic sliding rail system, the overall volume is greatly reduced when stored, effectively solving the problem of large space occupation caused by the fixed deployment of traditional floating photovoltaic structures, significantly reducing transportation and storage costs, and making it particularly suitable for long-distance transportation, large-scale deployment and remote water applications.

[0017] When the wind and wave levels exceed the preset threshold, the photovoltaic modules can be actively controlled to slide and retract along the slide rail, significantly reducing the overall windward area, enhancing structural stiffness, and effectively reducing the wind and wave load. At the same time, the high-damping pads at the connection between the float and the crossbeam, as well as the high-damping linings in the nested gaps of the slide rails, can dissipate vibration energy through viscoelastic deformation under wave excitation, reducing high-frequency impacts and improving the system's resistance to wind and waves and structural fatigue life.

[0018] By deploying on the surface of water, the photovoltaic modules' operating temperature is reduced by fully utilizing the water's evaporative heat absorption characteristics, effectively improving photoelectric conversion efficiency. The damping hinge structure allows adjacent photovoltaic modules to rotate relative to each other within a certain range. Combined with the free sliding of pulleys on circular rails, the photovoltaic modules can adaptively adjust their posture according to water surface fluctuations, reducing concentrated stress caused by wave impacts and ensuring stable and efficient output in dynamic water environments.

[0019] The torsion springs or viscous damping units inside the damping hinge structure can generate damping torque to resist rapid rotation when adjacent photovoltaic modules rotate relative to each other, effectively suppressing impacts and oscillations during folding or unfolding. As the driver drives the photovoltaic module to slide along the slide rail, the damping hinge and pulley work together to achieve smooth folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module, avoiding structural damage caused by rigid collisions.

[0020] The wind and wave sensors installed at the end can collect multi-dimensional parameters such as wave height, wind speed, buoy acceleration, photovoltaic module tilt angle and pulley displacement in real time. The controller automatically outputs attitude adjustment commands according to preset thresholds and power generation requirements to realize intelligent control of folding and unfolding. The early warning communication module sends the system attitude status to the operation and maintenance platform in real time, which facilitates remote monitoring and operation and maintenance management. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the photovoltaic module structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the pulley protection frame of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the floating body and telescopic slide rail structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the floating body connection structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the telescopic slide rail of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the control signal connection of the present invention; The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Photovoltaic module; 11. Photovoltaic module; 12. Damping hinge structure; 13. Pulley; 14. Pulley protection frame; 15. Wind and wave sensor; 2. Float; 3. Telescopic slide rail system; 31. Coarse circular telescopic slide rail; 32. Fine circular telescopic slide rail; 33. Crossbeam; 34. Edge fine circular slide rail; 35. Gradually expanding guide groove; 36. High damping liner; 37. Connecting bolt; 4. Controller; 5. Driver; 6. Early warning communication module. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, a foldable floating photovoltaic structure of this invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] like Figure 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides a foldable floating photovoltaic structure, including a photovoltaic module 1, a float 2, and a telescopic slide rail system 3. The telescopic slide rail system 3 includes at least two parallel telescopic circular slide rails and a crossbeam 33 fixedly connected between adjacent circular slide rails; the circular slide rail is a sleeve-type telescopic structure, which is composed of a thick circular telescopic slide rail 31 and a thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 nested together. In the contracted state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 is housed inside the thick circular telescopic slide rail 31, and in the unfolded state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 extends out along the axial direction. The photovoltaic module 1 includes multiple photovoltaic modules 11 arranged in sequence. The upper edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules 11 are rotatably connected by a damping hinge structure 12. A pulley 13 is installed on the lower side of each photovoltaic module 11. The pulley 13 is adapted to engage on the circular slide rail and can slide back and forth along the axial direction of the circular slide rail, driving each photovoltaic module 11 to rotate around the damping hinge structure 12, thereby realizing the folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module 1. The float 2 is fixedly installed below the crossbeam 33 of the telescopic slide rail system 3, providing buoyancy for the overall structure.

[0024] Combination Figure 1-7 As shown, a foldable floating photovoltaic structure includes a photovoltaic module 1, a float 2, and a telescopic slide rail system 3.

[0025] The telescopic slide rail system 3 includes at least two parallel telescopic circular slide rails and a crossbeam 33 fixedly connected between adjacent circular slide rails. The circular slide rails adopt a sleeve-type telescopic structure, consisting of a thick circular telescopic slide rail 31 and a thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 nested together. In the retracted state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 is housed inside the thick circular telescopic slide rail 31; in the extended state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 extends axially from the thick circular telescopic slide rail 31.

[0026] The photovoltaic module 1 includes multiple photovoltaic modules 11 arranged in sequence. The upper edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules 11 are rotatably connected by a damping hinge structure 12, and a pulley 13 is correspondingly installed on the lower side of each photovoltaic module 11. The pulley 13 is adapted to engage on a circular slide rail and can slide back and forth along the axial direction of the circular slide rail. When the photovoltaic module 1 slides along the circular slide rail, each photovoltaic module 11 rotates relative to the damping hinge structure 12, realizing the overall folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module 1.

[0027] like Figure 1-5 As shown, the float 2 is fixedly installed below the crossbeam 33 of the telescopic slide rail system 3, providing buoyancy for the overall structure. This foldable floating photovoltaic structure can float stably on the water surface and switch between working and storage states by folding and unfolding the photovoltaic module 1 when needed.

[0028] The photovoltaic module 1 includes multiple photovoltaic modules 11 arranged in sequence. In this embodiment, the photovoltaic module 11 consists of five photovoltaic panels with identical parameters. All photovoltaic panels are constrained by a metal frame to form an integral structure, thereby ensuring that the photovoltaic modules 1 maintain a relatively stable positional relationship between the photovoltaic panels during folding and unfolding. Gaps are reserved between adjacent photovoltaic panels. During the operation of the floating photovoltaic structure, the photovoltaic panels generate heat when exposed to sunlight, causing their temperature to rise and resulting in thermal expansion. The gaps between adjacent photovoltaic panels can effectively accommodate the deformation caused by thermal expansion and contraction, preventing damage to the photovoltaic panels due to compression. Simultaneously, after rainfall or cleaning operations, water easily accumulates on the surface of the photovoltaic panels. These gaps can serve as drainage channels to promptly drain water from the panels, preventing water accumulation from affecting light transmittance and thus reducing power generation efficiency loss caused by water accumulation.

[0029] The damping hinge structure 12 is internally equipped with a torsion spring or viscous damping unit, and its damping force can be adjusted according to actual working conditions. When adjacent photovoltaic modules 11 rotate relative to each other, the damping hinge structure 12 can generate a damping torque to resist rapid rotation. When the photovoltaic module 1 slides along the circular slide rail to fold or unfold, the driver 5 drives the photovoltaic module 1 to move, and each photovoltaic module 11 rotates relative to each other around the rotation axis of the damping hinge structure 12 under the drive of the pulley 13. During this process, the damping hinge structure 12 generates a damping torque opposite to the direction of rotation through its internal torsion spring or viscous damping unit, thereby controlling the rotation speed of the photovoltaic module 11 and preventing the photovoltaic module 11 from rotating rapidly or impacting due to gravity or inertia. The sliding action of the damping hinge structure 12 and the pulley 13 work together to achieve smooth folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module 1.

[0030] Through the synergistic effect of the damping hinge structure 12 and the pulley 13, the photovoltaic module 11 is always in a controlled motion state during the folding or unfolding process, and will not swing violently due to external disturbances, effectively protecting the photovoltaic module 11 and its connection structure from impact damage.

[0031] like Figure 1-4As shown, pulley 13 has a wheel surface structure with protrusions on both sides and a concave center. The wheel surface of pulley 13 forms a groove shape with a lower center and higher ends in the axial direction. The outer wall of the circular slide rail is adapted to fit and engage with this groove shape. The pulley 13 clamps the circular slide rail through its protrusions on both sides, ensuring the stability of the photovoltaic module 11 during the sliding process and preventing the pulley 13 from swaying or derailing during the sliding process. A pulley protection frame 14 is also provided on the lower side of the photovoltaic module 11 at both ends of the photovoltaic module 1. The pulley protection frame 14 covers the outside of the pulley 13, providing shielding and limiting the pulley 13. When the photovoltaic module 1 slides along the circular slide rail, the pulley protection frame 14 can prevent the pulley 13 from falling off the circular slide rail, and at the same time limit the sliding stroke of the photovoltaic module 1, preventing the photovoltaic module 1 from sliding beyond the design stroke range. The bottom of the pulley protection frame 14 is equipped with a detachable pin. When it is necessary to disassemble the photovoltaic module 1, the detachable pin can be removed, and the photovoltaic module 1, together with the pulley 13, can be removed from the circular slide rail. When installing the photovoltaic module 1, the pulley 13 is placed on the circular slide rail, and then the detachable pin is inserted to fix it. The detachable pin enables quick assembly and disassembly between the photovoltaic module 1 and the circular slide rail, facilitating on-site installation and subsequent maintenance and repair.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the circular slide rail adopts a symmetrical segmented arrangement structure, specifically configured with a thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 in the middle section and thick circular telescopic slide rails 31 at both ends, forming a "thick-thin-thick" symmetrical arrangement. A thin circular slide rail 34 is also provided on the outer side of the circular slide rail. When the circular slide rail is retracted to its shortest state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 in the middle is nested by half the length of each of the thick circular telescopic slide rails 31 at both ends. Half the length of the thin circular telescopic slide rail 32 is housed inside one of the thick circular telescopic slide rails 31 at one end, and the other half is housed inside the other thick circular telescopic slide rail 31 at the other end. In the retracted state, the thin circular slide rails 34 are nested inside the corresponding thick circular telescopic slide rails 31 on the side. Through this symmetrical segmented arrangement structure, the circular slide rail has sufficient length in the extended state to support the unfolding and flattening of the photovoltaic module 1, and in the retracted state, the volume is minimized through the nesting of multiple segments.

[0033] A high-damping liner 36 is provided within the nested gap between the coarse circular telescopic slide rail 31 and the fine circular telescopic slide rail 32. This high-damping liner 36 is bonded to the inner wall of the coarse circular telescopic slide rail 31. The high-damping liner 36 is made of polyurethane elastomer material. By filling the gap between the coarse circular telescopic slide rail 31 and the fine circular telescopic slide rail 32 with the high-damping liner 36, a low-friction guiding interface is formed, allowing the fine circular telescopic slide rail 32 to slide smoothly and with low frictional resistance during extension or retraction. Simultaneously, when water waves are transmitted to the floating photovoltaic structure, the circular slide rails are subjected to alternating tensile, compressive, and bending loads, resulting in minute relative motion between the coarse circular telescopic slide rail 31 and the fine circular telescopic slide rail 32. During this relative motion, the high-damping liner 36 dissipates the vibrational energy into heat energy through the viscoelastic deformation of the polyurethane elastomer material itself, thereby effectively attenuating the vibrational energy transmitted to the photovoltaic module 1.

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the circular slide rail sections near the crossbeam 33 and at the folding concentration points adopt a variable cross-section or variable wall thickness structure. That is, at the connection point of the crossbeam 33 and in the section where the stress is concentrated during the folding process, the section modulus of bending resistance in this area is increased by changing the cross-sectional dimensions or wall thickness, thereby improving the bending resistance and impact resistance, and preventing local buckling or fracture under wind and wave loads.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the inlet end of the circular slide rail is provided with a gradually expanding guide groove 35. This gradually expanding guide groove 35 expands in a trumpet shape along the guide direction of the pulley 13, meaning the opening size at the inlet end is larger than the outlet end, and the outlet end smoothly connects to the working section of the circular slide rail. During the installation or retraction of the photovoltaic module 1, the pulley 13 is guided from the inlet end of the circular slide rail into the working section. Due to factors such as water surface floating or installation operation accuracy, the pulley 13 may have a certain lateral offset relative to the center of the slide rail. At this time, the trumpet-shaped expansion of the inlet of the gradually expanding guide groove 35 can receive the offset pulley 13, and as the pulley 13 moves forward along the guide groove, the gradually narrowing groove wall gradually corrects the pulley 13 to a position aligned with the working section of the slide rail, ultimately allowing the pulley 13 to smoothly enter the working section of the circular slide rail. This avoids rigid collisions between the pulley 13 and the inlet end of the slide rail, protects the structural integrity of the pulley 13 and the slide rail, reduces the requirements for installation alignment accuracy, and improves the convenience of on-site installation.

[0036] The circular slide rail is made of corrosion-resistant steel. Since the floating photovoltaic structure is deployed in a water environment for a long time, the slide rail is constantly exposed to water vapor and may even be directly submerged in water. The circular slide rail made of corrosion-resistant steel can resist the erosion of dissolved oxygen, salt and other corrosive media in the water while ensuring reliable structural strength, thus having high durability and service life.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, the float 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crossbeam 33 by connecting bolts 37. The connecting bolts 37 connect the float 2 and the telescopic slide rail system 3 into a single unit, with the float 2 submerged in water to provide buoyancy support. A high-damping pad or rubber gasket is provided between the connecting seat of the connecting bolt 37 and the top surface of the float 2. When waves cause the float 2 to move up and down, the buoyancy force on the float 2 changes periodically, generating a high-frequency impact force. Before this high-frequency impact force is transmitted to the crossbeam 33 and the circular slide rail through the connecting bolts 37, it is first absorbed and attenuated by the elastic deformation of the high-damping pad or rubber gasket, thereby reducing the high-frequency vibration transmitted to the slide rail when the float 2 is impacted by waves, protecting the slide rail system from impact damage.

[0038] The floating body 2 contains multiple independent buoyancy chambers. Even if one buoyancy chamber is accidentally damaged and flooded, the remaining independent buoyancy chambers can still provide sufficient buoyancy to ensure that the overall structure does not sink, thereby improving the safety of the system. Anchor rings are installed on the outer wall of the floating body 2, which are used to connect anchor cables or inter-array connectors. The anchor cables can fix the floating photovoltaic structure to a predetermined position on the water surface, and the inter-array connectors can connect multiple floating photovoltaic structures into a large-scale surface power generation array.

[0039] Float 2 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which combines high strength with excellent chemical corrosion resistance, impact resistance, and durability, and can withstand the erosion of various acids and alkalis in water. At the same time, HDPE has excellent moisture resistance and outdoor weather resistance, and with the addition of stabilizers, it can be exposed to sunlight for extended periods without aging.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, wave sensors 15 are also installed at both ends of the photovoltaic module 1. These wave sensors 15 are used to collect multi-dimensional parameters in real time, including wave height, wind speed, acceleration of the floating body 2, tilt angle of the photovoltaic module 1, and displacement of the pulley 13, and transmit the collected parameters to the controller 4. The floating photovoltaic structure also includes the controller 4, the driver 5, and the early warning communication module 6. The input terminal of the controller 4 is electrically connected to the wave sensor 15. The controller 4 receives the wave height, wind speed, acceleration of the floating body 2, tilt angle of the photovoltaic module 1, and displacement of the pulley 13 parameters transmitted by the wave sensor 15, compares each collected parameter with a preset threshold, and comprehensively judges whether attitude adjustment is needed based on the current power generation demand, and then outputs the corresponding attitude adjustment command.

[0041] The output of the driver 5 is electrically connected to the output of the controller 4. After receiving the attitude adjustment command from the controller 4, the driver 5 responds to the command by driving the photovoltaic module 1 to slide along the circular slide rail. During the sliding process of the photovoltaic module 1, the damping hinge structure 12 simultaneously controls the rotation speed of the adjacent photovoltaic module 11, and the two work together to complete the folding or unfolding action of the photovoltaic module 1.

[0042] The early warning communication module 6 is electrically connected to the controller 4. The controller 4 sends the current attitude status of the system (including the deployment degree of the photovoltaic module 1, real-time values ​​of each sensor, etc.) to the early warning communication module 6. The early warning communication module 6 then transmits this attitude status information wirelessly to the operation and maintenance platform for remote monitoring by operation and maintenance personnel. When an abnormal parameter is detected, the controller 4 simultaneously sends an alert message to the operation and maintenance platform through the early warning communication module 6, so that operation and maintenance personnel can promptly grasp the equipment status and take appropriate action.

[0043] Combination Figure 1-7 As shown, a control method for the foldable floating photovoltaic structure described above includes the following steps: S1. The system is in the default deployed power generation state. The wave sensor 15 collects wave height, wind speed, acceleration of the float 2, tilt angle of the photovoltaic module 1, and displacement parameters of the pulley 13 in real time, and transmits the collected parameters to the controller 4. The controller 4 compares the collected parameters with preset thresholds.

[0044] S2. When controller 4 determines that any of the collected parameters exceeds the preset threshold, controller 4, in conjunction with the current power generation demand, comprehensively judges whether a retraction action needs to be performed. If it is determined that retraction is required, controller 4 outputs a retraction attitude adjustment command.

[0045] S3, in response to the retraction posture adjustment command, drives the photovoltaic module 1 to slide along the circular slide rail in the retraction direction. During this process, the damping hinge structure 12 controls the rotation speed of the adjacent photovoltaic module 11, allowing the photovoltaic module 11 to rotate smoothly at a controlled speed. The sliding action of the driver 5 and the damping control of the damping hinge structure 12 work together to make the photovoltaic module 1 fold and retract smoothly. After the photovoltaic module 1 is retracted, the overall windward area is greatly reduced and the structural rigidity is enhanced, thereby effectively resisting harsh wind and wave environments.

[0046] S4. When the controller 4 determines that all collected parameters have returned to the preset threshold range, the controller 4 outputs a deployment attitude adjustment command. The driver 5 responds to the deployment attitude adjustment command, causing the photovoltaic module 1 to slide in the opposite direction along the circular slide rail. Simultaneously, the damping hinge structure 12 again exerts its damping control function, allowing the photovoltaic module 11 to deploy smoothly. After the photovoltaic module 1 returns to the fully deployed state, the system re-enters the deployed power generation state and continues to perform normal power generation operations.

[0047] Through the above control methods, the foldable floating photovoltaic structure can maintain its unfolded power generation state under normal weather conditions to obtain maximum power generation, actively retract under severe weather conditions to ensure structural safety, and automatically resume power generation state after the weather improves, thus achieving an intelligent balance between power generation efficiency and structural safety.

[0048] In practical implementation, the actuator 5 can be a linear drive device commonly used in the field, such as a linear motor, servo motor, stepper motor, electric actuator, hydraulic cylinder, or pneumatic cylinder. The actuator 5 transmits power to the photovoltaic module 1 through a lead screw drive, rope traction, or rack and pinion drive, driving it to slide back and forth along a circular slide rail. The specific type and transmission method of the actuator 5 can be flexibly selected according to the actual application scenario and cost requirements, and are not considered as the core technical content of this invention, nor do they limit the scope of protection of this invention. The sliding speed of the photovoltaic module 1 can be controlled by the controller 4 by adjusting the output power or rotation speed of the actuator 5 to achieve smooth folding and unfolding actions.

[0049] It is understood that the present invention has been described through some embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure, characterized in that, It includes a photovoltaic module (1), a floating body (2), and a telescopic sliding rail system (3); The telescopic slide rail system (3) includes at least two parallel telescopic circular slide rails and a crossbeam (33) fixedly connected between adjacent circular slide rails; the circular slide rail is a sleeve-type telescopic structure, which is composed of a thick circular telescopic slide rail (31) and a thin circular telescopic slide rail (32). In the contracted state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail (32) is housed inside the thick circular telescopic slide rail (31), and in the unfolded state, the thin circular telescopic slide rail (32) extends out along the axial direction; The photovoltaic module (1) includes multiple photovoltaic modules (11) arranged in sequence. The upper edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules (11) are rotatably connected by a damping hinge structure (12). Each photovoltaic module (11) has a pulley (13) installed on its lower side. The pulley (13) is adapted to engage on the circular slide rail and can slide back and forth along the axial direction of the circular slide rail, driving each photovoltaic module (11) to rotate around the damping hinge structure (12), thereby realizing the folding and unfolding of the photovoltaic module (1). The float (2) is fixedly installed below the crossbeam (33) of the telescopic slide rail system (3) to provide buoyancy for the overall structure.

2. The foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module (11) consists of five photovoltaic panels with the same parameters. All photovoltaic panels are constrained by a metal frame to form an integral structure. There are gaps between adjacent photovoltaic panels to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction and to drain water from the panels.

3. The foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping hinge structure (12) is equipped with a torsion spring or viscous damping unit inside, whose damping force is adjustable, and is used to generate a damping torque to resist rapid rotation when adjacent photovoltaic modules (11) rotate relative to each other; during the process of the photovoltaic module (1) sliding and folding or unfolding along the circular slide rail, the damping hinge structure (12) controls the rotation speed of the photovoltaic module (11) and works in conjunction with the sliding action of the pulley (13) to achieve smooth folding.

4. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulley (13) has a wheel surface structure with raised sides and concave center, which fits and engages with the outer wall of the circular slide rail; a pulley protection frame (14) is also provided on the lower side of the photovoltaic components (11) at both ends of the photovoltaic module (1). The pulley protection frame (14) covers the outside of the pulley (13) to prevent the pulley (13) from derailing and to limit the sliding stroke of the photovoltaic module (1); a detachable pin is provided at the bottom of the pulley protection frame (14) for quick assembly and disassembly between the photovoltaic module (1) and the slide rail.

5. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circular slide rail adopts a symmetrical segmented arrangement structure, with the middle section being a thin circular telescopic slide rail (32) and the two end sections being thick circular telescopic slide rails (31). When retracted to the shortest state, the middle thin circular telescopic slide rail (32) is nested by the two end thick circular telescopic slide rails (31) for half the length. The outer side of the circular slide rail is also provided with a side thin circular slide rail (34). In the retracted state, the side thin circular slide rail (34) is nested inside the corresponding side thick circular telescopic slide rail (31).

6. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, A high-damping liner (36) is provided in the nesting gap between the coarse circular telescopic slide rail (31) and the fine circular telescopic slide rail (32). The high-damping liner (36) is bonded to the inner wall of the coarse circular telescopic slide rail (31). The high-damping liner (36) is made of polyurethane elastomer material, which is used to provide low-friction guidance when the slide rail is extended and retracted, and to dissipate vibration energy through its own viscoelastic deformation under wave excitation. The section of the circular slide rail near the crossbeam (33) and the folding concentration position adopts a variable cross section or variable wall thickness structure to improve the bending resistance and impact resistance of key areas.

7. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circular slide rail is provided with a gradually expanding guide groove (35) at the inlet end. The gradually expanding guide groove (35) expands in a trumpet shape along the pulley guide direction. The outlet end is smoothly connected to the working section of the circular slide rail. It is used to correct the offset position of the pulley (13) during installation or retraction to avoid rigid collision. The circular slide rail is made of corrosion-resistant steel.

8. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The float (2) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crossbeam (33) by connecting bolts (37); a high damping pad or rubber pad is provided between the connecting seat of the connecting bolt (37) and the top surface of the float (2) to reduce the high-frequency vibration transmitted to the slide rail when the float (2) is impacted by waves; multiple independent buoyancy cavities are provided inside the float (2), and anchoring rings are provided on the outer side wall of the float (2) for connecting anchor cables or inter-array connectors; the float (2) is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material.

9. A foldable floating photovoltaic structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module (1) is also equipped with wind and wave sensors (15) on both sides, which are used to collect wave height, wind speed, floating body acceleration, photovoltaic module tilt angle and pulley displacement parameters in real time and transmit them to the controller; the floating photovoltaic structure also includes a controller (4), a driver (5) and an early warning communication module (6); the input end of the controller (4) is electrically connected to the wind and wave sensor (15), which is used to compare the collected parameters with the preset threshold and output attitude adjustment commands in combination with power generation requirements; the driver (5) is electrically connected to the output end of the controller (4), which is used to respond to the attitude adjustment commands to drive the photovoltaic module (1) to slide along the circular slide rail, and cooperate with the damping hinge structure (12) to complete the folding or unfolding action; the early warning communication module (6) is electrically connected to the controller (4), which is used to send the system attitude status to the operation and maintenance platform.

10. A control method for a foldable floating photovoltaic structure as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The system is in the default state of unfolded power generation. The wind and wave sensor (15) collects wave height, wind speed, floating body acceleration, photovoltaic module tilt angle and pulley displacement parameters in real time and transmits them to the controller (4). The controller (4) compares the collected parameters with the preset threshold. S2. When the controller (4) determines that any collected parameter exceeds the preset threshold, it outputs a contraction posture adjustment command in combination with the power generation demand. S3, the driver (5) responds to the retraction posture adjustment command and drives the photovoltaic module (1) to slide along the circular slide rail. At the same time, the damping hinge structure (12) controls the rotation speed of the adjacent photovoltaic module (11). The two work together to make the photovoltaic module (1) fold and retract smoothly, so as to reduce the wind-receiving area and enhance the structural rigidity. S4. When the controller (4) determines that all collected parameters have recovered to the preset threshold range, it outputs the unfolding posture adjustment command, and the driver (5) drives the photovoltaic module (1) to slide in the opposite direction, and with the help of the damping hinge structure (12), it unfolds smoothly and restores the unfolded power generation state.

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