Control device of photovoltaic tracking support, photovoltaic tracking support and photovoltaic system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a control device of a photovoltaic tracking support, the photovoltaic tracking support and a photovoltaic system, and belongs to the technical field of photovoltaic power generation. The control device of the photovoltaic tracking support comprises a master control unit and a plurality of slave control units. The master control unit comprises a first communication module, the slave control units comprise second communication modules, and the first communication module is in communication connection with the second communication modules corresponding to the multiple slave control units. In the embodiment of the invention, the master control unit and the slave control unit are in communication connection, and the communication instruction is sent to the slave control unit, so that the master control unit and the slave control unit do not need to be connected through an electric wire, intricate lines are reduced, and the situation that rotation of the photovoltaic tracking support is affected by winding of the lines is avoided; the wire cost can be saved; and the service life of the photovoltaic tracking bracket can be prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic power generation technology, and in particular to a control device for a photovoltaic tracking bracket, a photovoltaic tracking bracket, and a photovoltaic system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, photovoltaic (PV) tracking brackets commonly employ a multi-motor drive scheme. This involves setting up independent motors and motor control units at two to four locations on the bracket as drive points. The motor control units send drive signals to the motors, causing the bracket to rotate. Multiple motor control units are connected via a four-core cable, including two 24V power supply lines and two 485 wired communication lines. However, the use of this four-core cable makes the structure of the PV tracking bracket more complex, and the increased length of the core cables also increases their cost. Furthermore, the aging of the core cables can affect the lifespan of the PV tracking bracket or the entire PV system.

[0003] It should be noted that the above content is not necessarily prior art, nor is it intended to limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a control device for a photovoltaic tracking bracket, a photovoltaic tracking bracket, and a photovoltaic system to solve or alleviate one or more of the technical problems mentioned above.

[0005] As one aspect of the embodiments of this application, this application provides a control device for a photovoltaic tracking bracket, including: a main control unit and a plurality of slave control units; the main control unit includes a first communication module, and the slave control units include a second communication module, wherein the first communication module is communicatively connected to the second communication modules corresponding to the plurality of slave control units.

[0006] In one implementation, the first communication module and the second communication module are connected via ZigBee communication.

[0007] In one embodiment, the main control unit includes a first motor drive module; the slave control unit includes a second motor drive module; the first motor drive module and the second motor drive module are used to drive the tracking bracket to rotate.

[0008] In one embodiment, the system further includes a network control unit, which includes a third communication module; the main control unit also includes a fourth communication module, and the third and fourth communication modules are communicatively connected.

[0009] In one implementation, the third communication module and the fourth communication module are connected to each other based on the LoRa communication method.

[0010] In one embodiment, the network control unit includes a meteorological data acquisition module and a data processing module; the meteorological data acquisition module is used to acquire meteorological data, and the data processing module is used to determine the tracking operation that the photovoltaic support needs to perform based on the acquired meteorological data, and send the corresponding tracking operation instruction to the main control unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the network control unit is communicatively connected to a meteorological data acquisition device, which includes an anemometer and / or an irradiance meter.

[0012] In one embodiment, the main control unit includes a first power module; the slave control unit includes a second power module; the network control unit includes a third power module; and the first power module, the second power module, and / or the third power module are electrically connected to the photovoltaic modules mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0013] As another aspect of the embodiments of this application, this application provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket, comprising a photovoltaic tracking bracket body and a control device according to any of the above embodiments, wherein the control device controls the rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket body. As yet another aspect of the embodiments of this application, this application provides a photovoltaic system, comprising a photovoltaic module, a weather acquisition device, and a photovoltaic tracking bracket according to any of the above embodiments, wherein the photovoltaic module is mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0014] In this embodiment, the main control unit and the slave control unit are connected by communication, and communication commands are sent to the slave control unit. This eliminates the need for wire connections between the main control unit and the slave control unit, reduces complex wiring, and avoids the impact of wire tangling on the rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket. This can save on wiring costs and extend the service life of the photovoltaic tracking bracket. Attached Figure Description

[0015] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the photovoltaic tracking bracket provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic structural block diagram of the main control unit in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic structural block diagram of the control unit in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] Figure 4A schematic structural block diagram of the network control unit in an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other. The application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0022] In this application, when numerical intervals (i.e., numerical ranges) are involved, unless otherwise specified, the distribution of selectable numerical values ​​within the numerical interval is considered continuous, and includes the two endpoints of the numerical interval (i.e., the minimum and maximum values), as well as every numerical value between these two endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, when a numerical interval refers only to integers within that numerical interval, it includes the two endpoint integers of the numerical range, as well as every integer between the two endpoints, which is equivalent to directly listing every integer. When multiple numerical ranges are provided to describe features or characteristics, these numerical ranges can be merged. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges disclosed in this application should be understood to include any and all subranges included therein. The "numerical value" in the numerical interval can be any quantitative value, such as a number, percentage, ratio, etc. The term "numerical interval" can be broadly included to include percentage intervals, ratio intervals, proportion intervals, etc.

[0023] Exemplary embodiments according to this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0024] This application provides a control device for a photovoltaic tracking bracket, used to drive the photovoltaic tracking bracket to rotate, so that the photovoltaic modules on the photovoltaic tracking bracket can receive light at an optimal angle, thereby improving the power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic modules. Some unit modules of the control device are installed on the photovoltaic tracking bracket. Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a photovoltaic tracking bracket provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the control device for the photovoltaic tracking bracket includes a main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300. Both the main control unit 200 and the multiple slave control units 300 are fixed to the tracking bracket to adjust the tilt angle of the photovoltaic tracking bracket. The specific implementation method of the main control unit 200 and the multiple slave control units 300 jointly controlling and adjusting the tilt angle of the photovoltaic tracking bracket can adopt existing or future feasible solutions in the art.

[0025] The photovoltaic tracking bracket includes a purlin 110 for fixing and supporting photovoltaic modules, and multiple columns 120 for supporting the purlin 110. By setting up multiple columns 120 and setting up a control unit next to the columns 120, the motor 130 is controlled to adjust the angle of the purlin 110, that is, to adjust the tilt angle of the photovoltaic modules.

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic structural block diagram of the main control unit 200 in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 A schematic structural block diagram of the slave control unit 300 in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the main control unit 200 includes a first communication module 201, and the slave control unit 300 includes a second communication module 301. The first communication module 201 is communicatively connected to the second communication modules 301 corresponding to the multiple slave control units 300. The main control unit 200 and the slave control units 300 communicate with each other through the first communication module 201 and the second communication module 301. This allows the main control unit 200 to receive adjustment signals and then send the control operations required by each slave control unit 300 to the slave control units one by one.

[0027] The number of main control units 200 is at least one, preferably one, and one main control unit 200 sends execution command signals to multiple slave control units 300.

[0028] In some other examples, the number of main control units 200 can be two or more. With two main control units 200, for example, the first main control unit 200, together with multiple slave control units 300 on the left side of the purlin 110, can jointly control the left-side up-and-down movement of the photovoltaic tracking bracket; the second main control unit 200, together with multiple slave control units 300 on the right side of the purlin 110, can jointly control the right-side up-and-down movement of the photovoltaic tracking bracket, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the photovoltaic bracket. The first and second main control units 200 can be combined into one, in which case the number of main control units 200 is one.

[0029] In this embodiment, the main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300 are connected by communication, and communication commands are sent to the slave control unit 300. This eliminates the need for wire connections between the main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300, reducing complex wiring and preventing wire entanglement from affecting the rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket. This can save on wiring costs and extend the service life of the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0030] In one embodiment, the first communication module 201 and the second communication module 301 are connected for communication based on the ZigBee communication method.

[0031] This application's embodiments employ ZigBee, a widely used network communication method in the Internet of Things (IoT) field. Network setup is convenient and cost-effective. ZigBee communication is suitable for efficient short-distance transmission, and its mesh transmission method effectively improves communication reliability. Therefore, using ZigBee communication balances cost, efficiency, and reliability, making it a superior choice.

[0032] In some other examples, the first communication module 201 and the second communication module 301 can also communicate via RS485 communication transmission.

[0033] In one embodiment, the main control unit 200 includes a first motor drive module 202; the slave control unit 300 includes a second motor drive module 302; the tracking bracket achieves tracking rotation based on the drive of the first motor drive module 202 and the second motor drive modules 302 of the multiple slave control units 300.

[0034] In this embodiment, both the main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300 are driving devices for controlling the rotation of the tracking bracket. That is, at least one of the multiple control units in the photovoltaic tracking bracket is selected as the main control unit 200, and the rest are slave control units 300; rather than adding an additional main control unit 200.

[0035] The part controlled by the main control unit 200 is driven and controlled by the first motor drive module 202, and the part controlled by the slave control unit 300 is driven and controlled by the second motor drive module 302. Together, they complete the tracking rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket and realize tracking tilt based on the angle of sunlight. In addition, different tracking rotation strategies can be adopted for different weather conditions based on the information from the network control unit 400.

[0036] In one example, the main control unit 200 can be a control unit with relatively simple control content, such as a control unit that only controls the raising and lowering of a certain component in the photovoltaic tracking bracket, so that it has more data storage space to perform data storage or transmission processing.

[0037] In one example, the main control unit 200 can also be a control unit with more complex control content, while the control content of the slave control unit 300 is simple. Therefore, the instructions that the main control unit 200 needs to send are relatively simple, which makes it easier to improve the accuracy and reliability of instruction sending.

[0038] In one implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the photovoltaic tracking bracket also includes a network control unit 400, which includes a third communication module 401; the main control unit 200 also includes a fourth communication module 203, and the third communication module 401 and the fourth communication module 203 are connected in communication.

[0039] The network control unit 400 collects meteorological data and sends an angle adjustment command to the main control unit 200. The angle adjustment command can be meteorological data, so that the main control unit 200 can receive the meteorological data and process the data to obtain the operation commands that the main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300 need to adjust, and send the corresponding operation commands to the slave control units 300.

[0040] In one example, the angle adjustment command can also be an operation command that the main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300 need to adjust. The network control unit 400 performs data analysis and processing based on meteorological data to obtain the operation commands that the main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300 need to adjust, and sends the operation commands to the main control unit 200. The main control unit 200 then sends the operation commands corresponding to the slave control units 300 in the angle adjustment command to the corresponding slave control units 300.

[0041] In one implementation, the third communication module 401 and the fourth communication module 203 are connected to communicate using the LoRa communication method.

[0042] The network control unit 400 is mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket, or it can be mounted in other locations besides the photovoltaic tracking bracket, such as near the weather acquisition device.

[0043] In one example, the network control unit 400 is positioned close to the weather data acquisition device, far from the photovoltaic tracking bracket, making it less susceptible to severe weather conditions. In this long-distance configuration, using LoRa communication offers low power consumption, long-distance transmission capabilities, and a longer lifespan.

[0044] In one embodiment, the network control unit 400 includes a meteorological data acquisition module 402 and a data processing module 403; the meteorological data acquisition module 402 is used to acquire meteorological data, and the data processing module 403 is used to determine the tracking operation that the photovoltaic support needs to perform based on the acquired meteorological data, and send the angle adjustment command corresponding to the tracking operation to the main control unit 200.

[0045] The network control unit 400 receives meteorological data and analyzes it to obtain operational information. This operational information can be an angle adjustment command, indicating the required angle to which the photovoltaic tracking bracket needs to be adjusted. After receiving the angle adjustment command, the main control unit 200 analyzes it to obtain the operational commands that both the main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300 need to execute. The main control unit 200 then sends these multiple operational commands to their respective slave control units 300. The slave control units 300 then execute the operations according to the received commands.

[0046] In one example, the operation information may also include multiple operation instructions that the main control unit 200 and multiple slave control units 300 need to execute. The network control unit 400 packages the multiple operation instructions and sends them to the main control unit 200. The main control unit 200 receives the packaged data, analyzes and processes it, determines the corresponding slave control unit 300 for each instruction, and then sends the multiple operation instructions to the corresponding slave control unit 300. The slave control unit 300 executes the operation according to the received operation instructions.

[0047] In one example, if the collected meteorological data indicates heavy rain, the analysis based on the data processing module 403 can determine that the photovoltaic tracking bracket needs to be adjusted to a vertical position, and then the corresponding command is sent to the main control unit 200.

[0048] In one embodiment, the network control unit 400 is communicatively connected to a weather acquisition device, which includes an anemometer and / or an irradiance meter.

[0049] The communication connection between the network control unit 400 and the meteorological data acquisition device can adopt any technical solution for communication connection that is currently or will be used by those skilled in the art.

[0050] Meteorological data acquisition devices can also be used to obtain more accurate and comprehensive meteorological data from information acquired through networks, such as information from weather forecasting systems.

[0051] An anemometer can collect wind speed information. When the wind speed exceeds the threshold, the photovoltaic tracking bracket needs to be rotated to protect the photovoltaic modules.

[0052] An irradiance meter is an instrument used to measure solar radiation. It can collect meteorological data such as solar radiation intensity, spectral radiation, and radiation temperature to obtain information on the intensity and distribution of solar radiation.

[0053] In one embodiment, the main control unit 200 includes a first power module 204; the slave control unit 300 includes a second power module 303; and the network control unit 400 includes a third power module 404.

[0054] The main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300 are each equipped with a power module, which makes the main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300 completely independent. This reduces the amount of wiring and facilitates independent power supply between the main control unit 200 and the slave control unit 300, avoiding the situation where multiple control units lose power at the same time.

[0055] In addition, the network control unit 400 also uses an independent power supply to avoid adding wiring, and can collect meteorological data and process the data in real time.

[0056] In one embodiment, the first power module 204, the second power module 303 and / or the third power module 404 are electrically connected to the photovoltaic module mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket, so that the photovoltaic module supplies power to the first power module 204, the second power module 303 and / or the third power module 404.

[0057] In a specific example, the network control unit 400 includes an LRS350 220VAC to 24VDC switching power supply, a GD32F103RET6 microprocessor unit, an OC6801 battery charging circuit, a 3.3Ah lithium iron phosphate battery for energy storage, and a LoRa wireless communication module.

[0058] In a specific example, the main control unit 200 includes a DZTH-150 1000VDC to 28VDC switching power supply, an OC6801 battery charging circuit, a 3.3Ah lithium iron phosphate battery for energy storage, a LoRa wireless communication module, a ZigBee wireless communication module, and an EG3112 brushed motor drive circuit.

[0059] In a specific example, the control unit 300 includes a DZTH-150 1000VDC to 28VDC switching power supply, an OC6801 battery charging circuit, a 3.3Ah lithium iron phosphate battery, a ZigBee wireless communication module, and an EG3112 brushed motor drive circuit, etc.

[0060] This application also provides a photovoltaic tracking bracket, including a photovoltaic tracking bracket body and a control device for any of the above embodiments, wherein the control device controls the rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket body.

[0061] This application also provides a photovoltaic system, including a photovoltaic module, a meteorological data acquisition device, and a photovoltaic tracking bracket in any of the above embodiments, wherein the photovoltaic module is mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

[0062] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0063] For ease of description, directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right," "horizontal, vertical, horizontal," and "top, bottom" generally indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner or outer contours relative to the components themselves. For example, if a device in the drawings is inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures will subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0064] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0065] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0066] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0067] It should also be noted that the terms "one embodiment," "another embodiment," or "embodiment" used in this specification refer to specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment, which are included in at least one embodiment described in the general description of this application. The appearance of the same expression in multiple places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, the intention is to suggest that implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments also falls within the scope of this application.

[0068] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0069] It should also be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural changes made using the content of this application’s specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A control device for a photovoltaic tracking bracket, characterized in that, include: The system includes a main control unit and multiple slave control units; the main control unit includes a first communication module, and each slave control unit includes a second communication module, wherein the first communication module is communicatively connected to the second communication modules corresponding to the multiple slave control units.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first communication module and the second communication module are connected via ZigBee communication.

3. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control unit includes a first motor drive module; the slave control unit includes a second motor drive module; the first motor drive module and the second motor drive module are used to drive the photovoltaic tracking bracket to rotate.

4. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a network control unit, which includes a third communication module; the main control unit also includes a fourth communication module, and the third communication module and the fourth communication module are communicatively connected.

5. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The third communication module and the fourth communication module are connected to each other based on the LoRa communication method.

6. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The network control unit includes a meteorological data acquisition module and a data processing module; the meteorological data acquisition module is used to acquire meteorological data, and the data processing module is used to determine the tracking operation that the photovoltaic support needs to perform based on the acquired meteorological data, and send the corresponding instruction of the tracking operation to the main control unit.

7. The control device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The network control unit is communicatively connected to the meteorological data acquisition device, which includes an anemometer and / or an irradiance meter.

8. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main control unit includes a first power module; the slave control unit includes a second power module; the network control unit includes a third power module; the first power module, the second power module and / or the third power module are electrically connected to the photovoltaic modules mounted on the photovoltaic tracking bracket.

9. A photovoltaic tracking bracket, characterized in that, It includes a photovoltaic tracking bracket body and a control device as described in any one of 1 to 8, wherein the control device controls the rotation of the photovoltaic tracking bracket body.

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

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