Flexible photovoltaic support based on composite material

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of photovoltaic power generation, and relates to a flexible photovoltaic support. A flexible photovoltaic support based on a composite material comprises a support base structure and a flexible inhaul cable structure. The two ends of the flexible inhaul cable structure are fixed to the support base structure. The flexible inhaul cable structure is composed of a flexible inhaul cable and a flexible conversion connecting piece, the flexible inhaul cable comprises three sections, the middle section is a carrier cable, the two end sections are anchoring inhaul cables, and the carrier cable and the anchoring inhaul cables are connected through the flexible conversion connecting piece. By utilizing the characteristics of corrosion resistance, insulativity, light weight, high strength and the like of FRP and other materials, the service life of the bracket is prolonged, and the bracket has extremely strong adaptability to complex environments, such as non-flat fields, slopes, mud flats, high-pressure environments, saline-alkali soil, acid rain corrosion areas and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of photovoltaic power generation technology and relates to a flexible photovoltaic support. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been widely applied and is one of the fastest-growing and most promising clean energy sources in the current energy structure. However, large-scale PV power plants are characterized by large land areas. With scarce land resources and terrains meeting power plant construction standards gradually becoming saturated, many sites with poor terrain conditions, such as slopes, tidal flats, and saline-alkali land, are not fully utilized due to the limitations imposed by traditional fixed PV supports. Since 2021, flexible PV supports have gradually emerged in the public eye. Due to their unique structure, flexible PV supports offer large spanning capabilities, require less material, and are economical, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including sewage treatment plants, agricultural-photovoltaic integration, fishery-photovoltaic integration, mountain PV, and parking lot PV. With the national emphasis on fishery-photovoltaic integration and agricultural-photovoltaic integration, flexible PV supports have broad development prospects. Developing a flexible PV support based on composite materials is one effective way to adapt to more special installation environments.

[0003] Currently, the service life of traditional flexible photovoltaic supports is significantly insufficient: (1) The design service life of photovoltaic modules is 25 years. During this period, flexible photovoltaic supports also need to achieve a service life of more than 25 years in order to maximize the power generation of the entire power generation module. However, most flexible photovoltaic supports are still made of materials such as steel, aluminum alloy and steel strand. Since the power station is installed outdoors, if it encounters acid rain or saline-alkali environment, iron-containing materials are more prone to corrosion than composite materials (FRP), which affects the service life of the support; (2) Most traditional flexible photovoltaic supports are made of alloy materials, and the structure may be conductive. To ensure the safety of the staff, traditional flexible photovoltaic supports are not suitable for environments that may generate high voltage. (3) In traditional flexible photovoltaic supports, the initial lateral tension generated by the prestressed flexible cables will cause a large bending moment at the end of the vertical column of the large-span flexible photovoltaic support, which is not conducive to the overall stability of the structure and does not make full use of the axial compressive strength of the column.

[0004] Therefore, how to quickly and efficiently build a large-span flexible photovoltaic support system with a long service life in a special environment is a key technical problem that meets practical needs and urgently needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing flexible photovoltaic (PV) support structures in terms of service life by proposing a flexible PV support structure based on composite materials. This structure offers advantages such as strong environmental adaptability, convenient assembly and disassembly, rapid construction, strong corrosion resistance, and good insulation. It is suitable for special environments, such as uneven terrain, slopes, tidal flats, high-voltage areas, acid rain zones, and saline-alkali land, enabling the rapid construction of large-span flexible PV support structures with long service lives.

[0006] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: a flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials, including a support base structure and a flexible cable structure; the two ends of the flexible cable structure are fixed to the support base structure; the flexible cable structure consists of flexible cables and flexible conversion connectors, the flexible cables include three sections, the middle section is a load-bearing cable made of high elastic modulus composite material, the two end sections are anchor cables made of braided composite material, and the load-bearing cable and the anchor cables are connected by flexible conversion connectors.

[0007] Preferably, the support foundation structure includes a strip foundation, inclined columns, cable saddles, transverse supports, and support connectors; several parallel inclined columns are arranged on the strip foundation, with adjacent inclined columns having a height difference and being spaced apart; the lower end of each inclined column is connected to the strip foundation, and the upper end is fitted with a cable saddle; adjacent inclined columns are connected by transverse supports and clamps; the inclined columns at both ends of the strip foundation are connected by column supports and transverse supports; the lower end of the column supports is fixed to the strip foundation by support connectors.

[0008] Preferably, the inclined column is composed of an FRP sleeve and the concrete inside it, and the inclined column forms a 45-degree angle with the strip foundation.

[0009] Preferably, one end of the flexible conversion connector is a catenary anchoring device, and the other end is a tension cable anchoring device; the catenary anchoring device is composed of a variable cross-section sleeve filled with modified resin; the modified resin is used to anchor the catenary; the tension cable anchoring device includes a connecting sleeve, a flange, and an anchoring clip; the flange serves as an anchor ring and, together with the anchoring clip, anchors the tension cable; the catenary anchoring device and the tension cable anchoring device are connected by bolts.

[0010] Preferably, the catenary is made of any one of glass fiber reinforced plastic, basalt fiber reinforced resin, or carbon fiber reinforced matrix composite material, and is used to install photovoltaic modules.

[0011] Preferably, the anchoring cable is made of any one of aramid fiber, glass fiber reinforced nylon, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene composite material, and is manufactured by a weaving process.

[0012] Preferably, the cable saddle includes a cable saddle base plate, a triangular rib plate, and a cable saddle pulley assembly, which are connected by welding; the cable saddle pulley assembly includes an arc-shaped clamp plate and a pulley device; the cable saddle base plate is fixed to the top of the inclined column with bolts.

[0013] Preferably, a wind-resistant support is provided between adjacent load-bearing cables; the wind-resistant support includes a support diagonal member, a support upper chord, and a support connector; the support diagonal member and the support upper chord are connected to the support connector by bolts; the support connector includes a support connecting clamp and a support connecting lug.

[0014] Preferably, the free end of the anchor cable passes over the saddle at the top of the inclined column and is fixed to the strip foundation by an anchoring device.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] (1) This utility model is a flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials. The outer sleeve of the inclined column and the middle section of the flexible cable are made of composite materials such as CFRP / BFRP / GFRP. This material has the characteristics of wide application range, convenient transportation, good corrosion resistance and good insulation. It is suitable for uneven sites, slopes, tidal flats, high pressure environment, saline-alkali land and acid rain environment, etc., and can greatly improve the service life of the flexible photovoltaic support.

[0017] (2) The inclined column adopts the commonly used round column, but the round column is changed from the previous vertical installation to the current 45° inclined installation. Through the cable saddle at the upper end of the inclined column, the angle formed by the inclined column and the two sides of the anchor cable is the same, so that the resultant force on the inclined column is along the axial direction of the inclined column, achieving the following two purposes: (i) When the vertical column of the traditional flexible photovoltaic support is subjected to horizontal tension, the resultant force is not along the central axis of the column, resulting in a large bending moment at the end of the column. This utility model makes the tension on both sides of the inclined column the same and the angle consistent by the load-bearing cable passing around the cable saddle, thereby ensuring that the direction of the resultant force is along the central axis of the inclined column and reducing the risk of overturning at the end of the column. The load-bearing cables of this force transmission system can apply greater prestress than traditional supports, thereby improving the in-plane stiffness and span of the photovoltaic support; (ii) the inclined columns are axially compressed, which can effectively avoid the disadvantage of poor shear resistance of FRP-confined concrete, so as to make full use of its strong compressive bearing capacity; this type of structure can apply greater prestress to the load-bearing cables, making it suitable for large spans and terrains where swaying columns cannot be used in the middle.

[0018] (3) Wind-resistant supports are installed between adjacent flexible cables, which can improve the overall stability of the structure and prevent the FRP material from bearing excessive load in the lateral direction, thus causing adverse effects. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall effect after the photovoltaic modules are installed.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the support base structure of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the details of the column structure;

[0022] Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing the details of the cable saddle and column support structure;

[0023] Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram showing the detailed structure of the cable saddle pulley components;

[0024] Figure 5(a) is a schematic diagram of the side of the inclined column;

[0025] Figures 5(b) and 5(c) are detailed diagrams of the anchorage connection between the inclined column and the transverse support;

[0026] Figure 6(a) is a top view of the support foundation structure and the flexible cable structure after the anchoring connection is completed;

[0027] Figure 6(b) is a schematic diagram of the connection and anchorage between the bottom flexible cable and the foundation beam;

[0028] Figure 7(a) is a structural diagram of the flexible transition connector;

[0029] Figure 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the load-bearing cable anchoring device in the flexible conversion connector;

[0030] Figure 7(c) is a schematic diagram of the cable anchoring device in the flexible conversion connector;

[0031] Figure 7(d) is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the anchoring clip in the cable anchoring device;

[0032] Figure 8(a) is a schematic diagram of the connection between the wind-resistant support and the catenary;

[0033] Figure 8(b) is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wind-resistant support connector;

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 1-Foundation structure; 100-Foundation; 110-Strip foundation; 111-Outer strip foundation; 112-Inner strip foundation; 120-Foundation connecting beam; 200-Inclined column; 210-FRP sleeve; 220-Concrete inclined column; 300-Cable saddle; 310-Cable saddle pulley assembly; 311-Arc clamp; 312-Pulley device; 3121-Sliding sleeve; 3122-Round rod; 320-Cable saddle base plate; 330-Triangular rib; 400-Transverse support structure; 410-Cuff; 420-Connecting ear plate; 430-Column support; 440-Transverse connecting rod; 500-Support connector; 510-Support restraint device; 520-Support base plate;

[0036] 2-Flexible cable structure; 600-Flexible cable; 610-Bearing cable; 620-Anchoring cable; 700-Flexible conversion connector; 710-Bearing cable anchoring device; 711-Variable cross-section sleeve; 712-Modified resin; 720-Cable anchoring device; 721-Sleeve; 722-Flange; 723-Anchoring clamp; 800-Anchoring device; 810-Anchoring pulley assembly; 820-Anchoring clamp; 830-Anchoring base plate; 900-Wind-resistant support; 910-Support upper chord; 920-Support diagonal bar; 930-Support connector; 931-Support connecting clamp; 932-Support connecting lug;

[0037] 3. Photovoltaic modules. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, further illustrates a flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to the present invention. The drawings and embodiments are implemented under the guidance of the technical solution of the present invention, providing detailed implementation methods and specific operation processes. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0039] This embodiment uses a flexible photovoltaic support structure with a planar dimension of 20m × 10m and a building height of 2m as an example for illustration. The flexible photovoltaic support structure provided in this embodiment, based on composite materials, mainly includes a support base structure 1 and a flexible cable structure 2. Photovoltaic modules 3 are installed on the flexible cable structure 2.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the support foundation structure 1 includes a foundation 100, inclined columns 200, cable saddles 300, lateral supports 400, and support connectors 500. The flexible cable structure 2 consists of flexible cables 600 and flexible conversion connectors 700. The flexible cable 600 includes three sections: the middle section is a load-bearing cable 610 made of high-elasticity modulus composite material, and the two ends are anchor cables 620 made of braided composite material. The load-bearing cable 610 and the anchor cables 620 are connected by the flexible conversion connectors 700. The anchor cables 620 at both ends of the flexible cable 600 bypass the inclined columns 200 on both sides and are anchored to the foundation through anchoring devices 800. The middle load-bearing cable 610 is constrained by several wind-resistant supports 900. The height difference between adjacent flexible cables 600 provides different tilt angles for the photovoltaic modules 3, which can be installed according to the diagram to ultimately form an array of photovoltaic modules 3.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, foundation 100 consists of strip foundations 110 and foundation connecting beams 120. Strip foundation 110 comprises parallel outer strip foundations 111 and inner strip foundations 112, connected by the foundation connecting beams 120. Several parallel inclined columns 200 are installed on the strip foundations 110, with the lower ends of the inclined columns 200 connected to the inner strip foundations 112.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the inclined columns 200 are mainly composed of concrete inclined columns 220. An FRP sleeve 210 is installed on the outside of the concrete inclined columns 220. The FRP sleeve 210 can also serve as a formwork for the concrete inclined columns 220. The FRP sleeve 210 is integrally cast with the strip foundation 110 or cast in sections to ensure its connection performance. The casting methods for each inclined column 200 are basically the same.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), a cable saddle 300 is provided at the top of the inclined column 200. The cable saddle 300 includes a cable saddle pulley component 310, a cable saddle base plate 320, and a triangular rib plate 330. The cable saddle pulley component 310 includes an arc-shaped clamping plate 311 and a pulley device 312. The triangular rib plate 330 is perpendicular to the arc-shaped clamping plate 311, improving the out-of-plane stiffness of the arc-shaped clamping plate 311. The arc-shaped clamping plate 311 contains a pulley device 312, which is formed by the interlocking connection of a sliding sleeve 3121 and a round rod 3122. The pulley device 312 is used to change the direction of force on the flexible cable 600 and reduce the friction between the cable saddle and the flexible cable 600, so that the direction of the resultant force on the inclined column 200 is consistent with the inclination angle of the inclined column 200. The cable saddle base plate 320 is connected to the top of the inclined column 200 by pre-embedded bolts to ensure the connection performance between the cable saddle and the inclined column 200.

[0044] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 5(a), there is a height difference between adjacent inclined columns 200, with taller and shorter inclined columns arranged alternately. This height difference is used to achieve different installation angles for the photovoltaic modules. A lateral support 400 is provided between adjacent inclined columns 200. The lateral support 400 includes a clamp 410, connecting lugs 420, a column support 430, and a lateral connecting rod 440. The lateral support 400 effectively prevents the inclined columns 200 from tilting laterally. A clamp 410 is installed at the upper end of the inclined column 200, and connecting lugs 420 are welded to both sides of the clamp 410. The connecting lugs 420 are used to connect the column support 430 and the lateral connecting rod 440, and the connection method is bolted. The installation gap between the clamp 410 and the inclined column 200 is filled with adhesive to ensure the clamp is fixed to the inclined column.

[0045] As shown in Figures 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c), the upper end of the edge column support 430 is connected to the inclined column 200, and the other end is anchored to the foundation 100 via a support connector 500. The support connector 500 includes a support restraint device 510 and a support base plate 520. The connection method between the support base plate 520 and the foundation 100 is basically the same as the base plate connection method described above, and it is also fixed to the foundation 100 with bolts. The support restraint device 510 is mainly used to restrain the column support 430.

[0046] As shown in Figure 6(a), the catenary cable 610 is made of any one of glass fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), basalt fiber reinforced resin (BFRP), or carbon fiber reinforced matrix composite (GFRP) and is used to install photovoltaic modules. The anchor cable 620 is made of any one of aramid fiber, glass fiber (GFRP) reinforced nylon (PA), or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite material and is manufactured by a braiding process. The anchor cable 620 and the catenary cable 610 are made of different materials and are connected by a flexible conversion connector 700. The free end of the anchor cable 620 is connected to the foundation 100 through an anchoring device 800.

[0047] As shown in Figure 6(b), the free end of the flexible cable 600 is connected to the foundation 100 through the anchoring device 800. The anchoring device 800 consists of an anchoring pulley component 810, an anchoring clamp 820, and an anchoring base plate 830. The anchoring pulley component 810 is basically the same as the pulley device 312 in the cable saddle and is used to change the direction of the flexible cable 600. The anchoring pulley component 810 is connected to the anchoring base plate 830, and the anchoring clamp 820 is connected to the anchoring base plate 830 by bolts. The entire anchoring device 800 has the following functions: (1) it allows the cable of the flexible cable 600 to pass around the sliding sleeve, forming a reasonable force transmission system; (2) the anchoring clamp 820 and the anchoring base plate 830 have semi-circular grooves, which form a larger contact area with the free end of the flexible cable 600 and can provide sufficient anchoring force.

[0048] As shown in Figure 7(a), the flexible conversion connector 700 includes a load-bearing cable anchoring device 710 and a cable anchoring device 720. As shown in Figure 7(b), the main structure of the load-bearing cable anchoring device 710 is a variable cross-section sleeve 711, which anchors the load-bearing cable 610 by filling with modified resin 712. Preferably, the variable cross-section sleeve 711 has a circular hole at its center, which gradually increases in size, and adopts a variable stiffness anchoring filling method, that is, the elastic modulus of the modified resin filled in each section gradually increases along the free end direction of the load-bearing cable 610, thereby increasing the anchoring performance of the load-bearing cable 610. As shown in Figure 7(c), the cable anchoring device 720 includes a sleeve 721, a flange 722, and an anchoring clip 723. The variable cross-section sleeve 711 has bolt holes reserved at its end for connection with the flange 722, and the connection method is bolt connection. The flange 722 has a hole in the center, and the flange 722 can be used as an anchor ring to form an anchoring device for the anchor cable 620 together with the anchoring clip 723. As shown in Figure 7(d), the anchoring clip 723 has an annular groove inside, and the variable cross-section structure on the outside can further enhance the anchoring performance of the anchor cable 620.

[0049] As shown in Figure 8(a), as a flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials, the overall stability of the flexible photovoltaic support should be ensured. The design of the catenary 610 should ensure that its main stress form is longitudinal tension, so as to make full use of the performance of FRP material. Wind-resistant supports 900 are set between the flexible cables 600 to improve the overall stability of the flexible photovoltaic support and prevent the flexible cables 600 from shaking violently. The wind-resistant supports 900 include the upper chord 910, the diagonal brace 920, and the connecting member 930. The arrangement of the wind-resistant supports 900 can adopt the arrangement shown in the attached figure. Other arrangements of the wind-resistant supports 900 can be adopted on the premise of ensuring the same windproof effect and without affecting the stress performance of the catenary 610.

[0050] As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the support connector 930 includes a support connecting clamp 931 and a support connecting ear plate 932, which are integrally cast. The support connecting clamp 931 should be designed with sufficient longitudinal length so that the force transmitted by the support members is distributed to the load-bearing cable 610, avoiding force concentration on the load-bearing cable 610. The connection between the support connecting clamp 931 and the load-bearing cable 610 can be fixed with bolts. The support connecting ear plate 932 is used to connect the support diagonal member 920 and the support upper chord member 910, and the connection method can be bolted. The support diagonal member 920 and the support upper chord member 910 are basically the same as the members of the column support 430. The members of the wind-resistant support 900 can use a smaller cross-section, just enough to ensure that the wind-resistant support 900 can effectively restrain the deformation between the flexible cables 600.

[0051] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to these examples, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and any improvements and modifications made to the present invention by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials, characterized in that: It includes a support base structure and a flexible cable structure; the two ends of the flexible cable structure are fixed to the support base structure; the flexible cable structure consists of flexible cables and flexible conversion connectors, the flexible cables include three sections, the middle section is a load-bearing cable made of high elastic modulus composite material, the two end sections are anchor cables made of braided composite material, and the load-bearing cable and the anchor cables are connected by flexible conversion connectors.

2. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support foundation structure includes a strip foundation, inclined columns, cable saddles, transverse supports, and support connectors. Several parallel inclined columns are arranged on the strip foundation, with adjacent inclined columns having a height difference and being spaced apart. The lower end of each inclined column is connected to the strip foundation, and the upper end is fitted with a cable saddle. Adjacent inclined columns are connected by transverse supports and cable saddles. The inclined columns at both ends of the strip foundation are connected by column supports and transverse supports. The lower end of the column supports is fixed to the strip foundation by support connectors.

3. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inclined column is composed of an FRP sleeve and the concrete inside, and the inclined column forms a 45-degree angle with the strip foundation.

4. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cable saddle includes a cable saddle base plate, a triangular rib plate, and a cable saddle pulley assembly, which are connected by welding; the cable saddle pulley assembly includes an arc-shaped clamp plate and a pulley device; the cable saddle base plate is fixed to the top of the inclined column with bolts.

5. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible conversion connector has a catenary anchoring device at one end and a tension cable anchoring device at the other end; the catenary anchoring device consists of a variable cross-section sleeve and modified resin filled inside it; the modified resin is used to anchor the catenary; the tension cable anchoring device includes a connecting sleeve and a flange; the catenary anchoring device and the tension cable anchoring device are connected by bolts.

6. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The catenary cable is made of any one of glass fiber reinforced plastic, basalt fiber reinforced resin, or carbon fiber reinforced matrix composite material and is used to install photovoltaic modules.

7. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The anchoring cable is made of any one of aramid fiber, glass fiber reinforced nylon, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene composite material, and is manufactured through a weaving process.

8. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The free end of the anchor cable passes over the saddle at the top of the inclined column and is fixed to the strip foundation by the anchoring device.

9. The flexible photovoltaic support based on composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: Wind-resistant supports are installed between adjacent load-bearing cables; the wind-resistant supports include support diagonal members, support upper chord members, and support connectors; the support diagonal members and support upper chord members are connected to the support connectors by bolts; the support connectors include support connecting clamps and support connecting lugs.

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