Method for assembling a floating solar system and corresponding system

Abstract

The present invention mainly proposes a distributed method and a corresponding system for manufacturing, assembling and launching a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water, said system comprising a photovoltaic panel and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising at least one float assembly, each float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panel at an inclined angle. The floating tube elements are formed from ribbons or sheets obtained from coils of thin material using a spiral tube former in case of ribbons or a roll former in case of sheets, and are mechanically joined together by an array of lightweight frame assemblies.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the general field of photovoltaics.

[0002] More specifically, one particularly important application of the present invention is, although not exclusively, in the field of floating photovoltaic solar systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Most deployed floating solar systems rely on the use of plastic floaters attached to each other to form dense "islands" that support array photovoltaic modules at fixed tilt angles. Patent document EP 3083392 (B1) provides examples of standard hollow plastic float designs, typically manufactured by blow molding. Because these plastic floats have a closed hollow shape, the volume required for packaging and shipping is large, and the associated shipping costs are relatively high.

[0004] Patent document Spanish Utility Model No. 1143535(U) presents an improved float design with a bottom and cover part that can be packaged separately and assembled together on site. Because the bottom and cover parts are stackable, the volume required to transport these plastic parts is reduced.

[0005] However, because large amounts of raw materials are required to manufacture these plastic parts, the carbon footprint and overall cost of manufacturing these floats remains relatively high.

[0006] The molding processes used to manufacture these components require a minimum wall thickness that is typically ≥ 3 mm, so the mass of plastic material required to fabricate a 1 MW floating solar plant is typically over 40 tonnes.

[0007] Because each float is designed to support only a single PV module and must be manually assembled and joined together using multiple metal or plastic fasteners, the time required to assemble this type of floating solar system is relatively long, typically exceeding 500 man-hours for each megawatt (MW) of solar power plant power installed.

[0008] Furthermore, to allow maintenance work to be performed on the floating solar plant, additional floats need to be added inside each island to create service lanes.

[0009] Patent document JP 2011066200(A), patent document US 20120279557(A1) and patent document US 10411643 present alternative float designs that rely on elongated tubular floating elements designed to carry a metal frame structure that supports an array of photovoltaic modules.

[0010] Here, the tubular floating elements of these floats are typically manufactured using an extrusion process, and therefore a minimum wall thickness of ≥ 3 mm is also usually required for the production of extruded hollow profiles (such as tubes).

[0011] This second class of float design does not address the material usage issues of standard individual plastic floats, as large amounts of raw materials are still required for the fabrication of the tubes and modular support structures of these floats.

[0012] Furthermore, the cost of transporting pre-fabricated pipe elements remains high due to the large volumes required to package and ship these items. Additionally, the metal frame structures supporting the array of photovoltaic modules are relatively heavy and complex to assemble, as the metal frame structures presented in these prior art systems comprise many elements that are designed to be manually joined together on-site using multiple fasteners.

[0013] In these two classes of prior art floating solar systems, the overall buoyancy of their floating elements must be excessively large to support the weight of an operator walking on the service lane.

[0014] To limit the cost impact of this requirement, most utility-scale floating solar systems will have a fairly limited number of service lanes.

[0015] In such configurations, it can be very difficult to perform simple maintenance tasks such as replacing or cleaning photovoltaic modules, as most of the installed photovoltaic modules are not directly accessible from the service lanes.

[0016] Maintenance workers may need to remove and / or walk on top of some modules to be able to replace photovoltaic modules that are not located next to a walkable service lane.

[0017] Finally, almost all conventional floating solar systems require an additional row of water-ballasted float elements to be installed around each "island" to avoid the risk of the system lifting when exposed to high winds. This extra boundary row of float elements adds additional cost and further increases installation time.

[0018] Unfortunately, this type of design approach is also prone to catastrophic failure, as has been widely reported in the press, as the rupture of a single connection point between the outer boundary row elements and the mooring lines can lead to the total destruction of a large portion of the floating solar plant.

[0019] Support tubes for solar tracking assemblies are also known (WO 2020 / 165272), which limit the risk of lifting in strong winds, but which still need to be improved, for example with regard to installation costs.

[0020] To address the major limitations of these prior art solutions, the present invention presents a novel float design that relies on a specific distributed manufacturing method that allows for a significant reduction in the mass of raw materials required, a significant reduction in the amount of shipping required for transportation, and a significant reduction in the time required to assemble and launch this new class of floating solar system onto the water.

[0021] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a float design that relies on flotation elements designed to be partially filled with water to improve the overall system resistance when the float is exposed to high winds, eliminating the risk of catastrophic failure.

[0022] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a particular system layout with underwater mooring lines and unobstructed water service lanes between each row of float elements. These unobstructed water service lanes uniquely allow for the use of dedicated platforms to perform maintenance work in a more efficient and safe manner.

[0023] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient and easy to implement method for maintaining clean and electrically efficient photovoltaic solar systems and their corresponding devices.

[0024] According to these objects, one object of the present invention is primarily a method for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, said system comprising photovoltaic panels each having a mechanical structure and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising at least one float assembly, each float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panels, said method comprising: - obtaining and transporting a coil of thin material in a body of water; - processing at least two elongated ribbons or at least two expanded sheets obtained from the coil on shore and in situ to deform the ribbons or bend the sheets into at least two corresponding thin-walled elongated hollow open tubular elements having respective unjoined elongated edges extending along respective major axes and positioned relative to one another, the processing comprising using a spiral tube former in the case of ribbons and a roll former in the case of sheets; - mechanically joining elongated edges of the ribbon or sheet together using a mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process to form the respective floating tube elements; - fixing an end cap to each end of each of said floating pipe elements; -To form at least one array of the float assemblies and accordingly form the floating photovoltaic system, a method is proposed, comprising the steps of joining the floating pipe elements of each group of the floating pipe elements with a frame assembly and mounting the photovoltaic panel on the frame assembly or fixing the mechanical structure of the photovoltaic panel itself on the floating pipe element, and launching the floating photovoltaic solar system into water.

[0025] A thin material is to be understood as a material having a thickness of 2 mm or less than 2 mm, preferably 1 mm or less than 1 mm.

[0026] By mechanically joining the elongated edges using a mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process, it should be understood any joining that uses mechanical fasteners such as bolts, rivets, or cold forming methods that rely on clinching tools or welding processes or structural adhesives or alternative fastening methods known in the art.

[0027] The coil is advantageously a solid metal coil, for example made of aluminium, but may also be a thin flexible sheet or ribbon of thin flexible composite material or plastic material.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment, the processing more specifically involves using a spiral tube former to deform the ribbon into a spiral shape and mechanically crimping the unjoined longitudinally adjacent elongated edges of the ribbon to produce the respective floating tube elements.

[0029] In another advantageous embodiment, more specifically, the processing involves using a roll former to bend the sheets so that their unjoined elongated edges depend on one another, and then mechanically joining them using such mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process to form the respective floating pipe elements.

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, the system comprising photovoltaic panels each having a mechanical structure and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising at least one float assembly, each float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting the photovoltaic panels, the method comprising: - obtaining and transporting a coil of thin material in a body of water; - processing on shore and in situ to transform the elongated ribbon obtained from said coil into at least two thin-walled elongated hollow open tubular elements, said open tubular elements extending along respective major axes, said processing including using a helical tubing former to form said open tubular elements; - mechanically joining the long edges of said metal ribbons together to produce said respective floating tube elements; - fixing an end cap to each end of each of said floating pipe elements; - Joining the floating pipe elements of each group of the floating pipe elements with a frame assembly to form at least an array of the float assemblies and accordingly form the floating photovoltaic system, by mounting the photovoltaic panel on the frame assembly or fixing the mechanical structure of the photovoltaic panel itself onto the floating pipe elements.

[0031] Additionally, the method further includes launching the floating photovoltaic systems into the body of water sequentially, one float assembly at a time, or each array of float assemblies already connected between each other.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment, there is again and / or additionally provided a method for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, the system comprising photovoltaic panels each having a mechanical structure and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising at least one float assembly, each float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting the photovoltaic panels, the method comprising: - obtaining and transporting a coil of thin material in a body of water; - processing the sheet obtained from said coil on shore and in situ into at least two thin-walled elongated hollow open tubular elements having respective unjoined elongated edges positioned relative to each other, said open tubular elements extending along respective major axes, said processing using a roll former; - mechanically joining the edges of each respective open pipe element to one another using a welding, mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process to form said respective floating pipe element; - whether or not the floating photovoltaic solar system is further launched into a body of water, fixing end caps to each end of each of the floating pipe elements to form at least an array of the float assemblies, and accordingly joining the floating pipe elements of each group of the floating pipe elements with a frame assembly to form the floating photovoltaic system, by mounting the photovoltaic panels on the frame assembly or fixing the photovoltaic panel structure itself on the floating pipe elements.

[0033] In some advantageous embodiments, a method for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water, according to any of the methods described above, comprising the following features: -The coil is a raw metal coil, - the method further comprises the step of inserting a buoyancy element inside said floating tube element before fixing the end cap is also and / or further proposed.

[0034] This makes it possible to manufacture floating pipe elements that are not waterproof while maintaining their floating properties. Therefore, the steps of joining the edges of each respective open pipe element to one another and of fixing the end caps do not have to be carried out perfectly and airtightly, and leakage can be tolerated; the end caps have a central or substantially central opening allowing overflow, the method including the step of leaking water into the bottom of the floating pipe element up to the overflow opening while said floating pipe element is submerged after launching, so as to increase the stability of the system, since the water acting as ballast significantly improves the resistance to capsizing in case of strong winds; - launching the system includes the steps of: arranging two elongated guide rail elements with one end on the shore and the other end fully immersed in the body of water; mechanically connecting at least two float assemblies in series and in a row to form a corresponding array of float assemblies, the arrays being arranged on the two parallel elongated guide rail elements so as to form a launching ramp for supporting and guiding the row of solar float assemblies into the body of water while forming a row of connected float assemblies, with floating tube elements arranged to slide along the rails; and driving the row fully into the body of water by pushing and / or pulling. - providing said launching ramp with a total length of more than 10 meters for supporting a plurality of at least two arrays of float assemblies, each array comprising, for example, at least two, advantageously five, photovoltaic solar panels; - positioning the elongated guide rail elements includes providing an array of vertical posts with legs of adjustable length that are driven into the ground using a post driving machine or attached to other foundation elements such as concrete blocks or ground screws to support such rail elements; the method further comprises the steps of: arranging a plurality of arrays of float assemblies on a predetermined surface of the body of water; providing a linear array of a plurality of horizontal cables positioned at a depth of at least 0.5 m below the surface of the body of water; using short vertical cables or chains to mechanically connect the array of float assemblies to the horizontal cables; and providing fixed lines connecting the horizontal cables to an array of fixed points installed on the shore and / or bottom of the body of water; - the method further comprises the steps of: arranging around at least one array of float assemblies or a group of arrays of float assemblies a pair of corresponding external (or peripheral) transverse horizontal cables and a pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables that are perpendicular to the pair of transverse horizontal cables and belong to the array of horizontal cables; and fixing such array or group of arrays with fixed cables attached to a plurality of fixed base points; - the solar float system is organized into parallel rows of at least two arrays of float assemblies, thus creating an external or intermediate parallel free water surface or channel having an width equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the installation method further includes a maintenance method comprising the step of performing maintenance work on the floating solar system by using a maintenance platform comprising a pair of buoyancy elements joined to each other by an upper frame structure to create a stable catamaran-type platform that floats on the two parallel channels along and / or between two adjacent rows of arrays of float assemblies and navigates over and between the rows of float assemblies to maintain and / or replace defective solar panels or modules.

[0035] By creating pathways between the rows of float assemblies that allow the catamaran platform to cycle over each specific row, maintenance is greatly improved.

[0036] The present invention further proposes a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water to be used with the above-mentioned method.

[0037] Also disclosed is a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, the system comprising: photovoltaic panels; and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising at least one float assembly; each float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panel; each of said floating pipe elements has a thin (i.e., <1 mm) elongated wall extending along a major axis, said floating pipe elements being formed by bending a metal ribbon or sheet extracted from a raw metal coil using a spiral pipe former or roll former to obtain an open cylinder with adjacent longitudinal edges facing each other, said floating pipe elements having means for fixing said adjacent longitudinal edges of said open cylinder by mechanical crimping, fastening, adhesive bonding or welding to longitudinally close said floating pipe elements, each end of said floating pipe elements being closed by an end cap; each float assembly including a frame assembly supporting the photovoltaic panels to form at least one array of the float assemblies to form the floating photovoltaic system; and a launching device for launching at least one array of said float assemblies into a body of water, said array forming said floating photovoltaic solar system.

[0038] In some advantageous embodiments, the following features: each float assembly comprising at least one group of three parallel floating tube elements for supporting a photovoltaic panel; the floating pipe element is not waterproof and the end cap has a central or substantially central opening that allows water to overflow when the floating pipe element is immersed; each floating tube element comprises at least one buoyancy element therein; the system comprising a plurality of mooring lines operatively connected to said array of float assemblies; the system comprises a fixed line connecting said mooring line to an array of fixed points; each floating pipe element has a length of more than 5 m; each float assembly comprises at least three frame elements extending along a direction perpendicular to the main axis of the floating tube element; - the frame element is operatively connected to the floating pipe element; - the system comprises a plurality of arrays of float assemblies forming a row of connected float assemblies, and the launching device comprises two parallel elongated guide rail elements arranged to support and guide the row of solar float assemblies into the body of water; the system comprises an array of vertical posts with legs of adjustable length that are driven into the ground or attached to foundation elements such as concrete blocks or ground screws to support such rail elements; the system comprises a plurality of horizontal cables and short vertical cables or chains mechanically connected to the array of float assemblies, and fixed lines connecting the horizontal cables to an array of fixed points installed on the shore and / or the bottom of the body of water; the system further comprises, for at least one array of float assemblies or group of arrays of float assemblies, a pair of corresponding external (or peripheral) transverse horizontal cables and a pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables perpendicular to said pair of transverse horizontal cables and belonging to said array of horizontal cables, and for fixing such array or group of arrays with fixed cables attached to a plurality of fixed base points; An embodiment of the present invention relates to a floating photovoltaic solar system, comprising a maintenance platform comprising a pair of buoyancy elements joined together by a frame structure to form a catamaran-type platform, One embodiment of the present invention relates to a floating photovoltaic solar system comprising a water flashing system, the water flashing system comprising at least one perforated water pipe attached along an upper side of a solar panel using an array of fastening clips, and an external water pump for pumping fresh water from a reservoir and / or body of water onto an upper surface of the solar panel; - the water skipping system comprises a plurality of perforated water pipes connected in series by connecting the output inlet of a first perforated water pipe to the input inlet of a subsequent float assembly.

[0039] Advantageously, another object of the present invention is to propose a maintenance process and apparatus according to the relevant parts of this specification mentioned above and / or to provide a floating layout installation configuration that uniquely allows, using a particular floating platform, to carry out maintenance operations on the installed systems in a safer manner and / or in accordance with the above description.

[0040] Another object of the present invention is to provide a water-draining process and / or system for cleaning the photovoltaic panels of a floating photovoltaic solar system as described above and / or for eliminating the risk of snow buildup on the upper surfaces of the photovoltaic panels or modules of such a system and / or for cleaning their upper surfaces in a continuous and automatic manner as described above and further below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following condensed detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and in a non-limiting sense. [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic perspective overall view illustrating the different steps of an embodiment of a method and / or system for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system according to the present invention using a spiral tube former. [Figure 2] 10 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the process steps of the present invention for forming a floating pipe element using a roll former. [Figure 3A] 3A and 3B show perspective views at an angle of a float assembly arranged to support an array of five solar panels or modules, with a frame assembly for supporting such panels, according to a first embodiment (FIGS. 3A and 3B), respectively with (FIG. 3A) and without (FIG. 3B) such panels, and according to a second embodiment (FIG. 3C), the frame assembly is reduced as the joints between the floating tube elements are obtained by the mechanical structure or frame of the photovoltaic panels themselves. [Figure 3B]3A and 3B show perspective views at an angle of a float assembly arranged to support an array of five solar panels or modules, with a frame assembly for supporting such panels, according to a first embodiment (FIGS. 3A and 3B), respectively with (FIG. 3A) and without (FIG. 3B) such panels, and according to a second embodiment (FIG. 3C), the frame assembly is reduced as the joints between the floating tube elements are obtained by the mechanical structure or frame of the photovoltaic panels themselves. [Figure 3C] 3A and 3B show perspective views at an angle of a float assembly arranged to support an array of five solar panels or modules, with a frame assembly for supporting such panels, according to a first embodiment (FIGS. 3A and 3B), respectively with (FIG. 3A) and without (FIG. 3B) such panels, and according to a second embodiment (FIG. 3C), the frame assembly is reduced as the joints between the floating tube elements are obtained by the mechanical structure or frame of the photovoltaic panels themselves. [Figure 4] 1 shows a perspective view at an angle of a float assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which three parallel floating tube elements are arranged to support an array formed from two sets of five panels substantially adjacent to each other and having their respective tops sloped in opposite directions. [Figure 5] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a float assembly of the present invention having tree flotation tube elements arranged to support an array of co-oriented solar panels. [Figure 6A] 1 shows cross-sectional views of three embodiments of elongated floating tube elements (also called float elements) for use with the present invention arranged to be partially filled with water. [Figure 6B] 1 shows cross-sectional views of three embodiments of elongated floating tube elements (also called float elements) for use with the present invention arranged to be partially filled with water. [Figure 6C]1 shows cross-sectional views of three embodiments of elongated floating tube elements (also called float elements) for use with the present invention arranged to be partially filled with water. [Figure 6D] FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an end cap according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a flow chart illustrating the first steps of a method for realizing (manufacturing and assembling) a floating photovoltaic solar system according to an embodiment of the invention described in more detail herein. [Figure 8] 3D shows a launching device comprising an array of float assemblies according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a ramp for assembling several float assemblies in a row and launching them into water. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a floating photovoltaic solar system showing a solution for anchoring an array of four float assemblies to a body of water according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 shows a top view of an example layout illustrating the interconnection and fixation of multiple arrays of float assemblies according to embodiments of the present invention in a body of water. [Figure 11A] 1A-1C show two perspective views of a platform and a system comprising a platform for performing maintenance work on a floating photovoltaic solar system, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] 1A-1C show two perspective views of a platform and a system comprising a platform for performing maintenance work on a floating photovoltaic solar system, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 shows a perspective view at an angle of a float assembly with a water skipping system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The present invention essentially provides a distributed method for manufacturing and assembling a new class of floating photovoltaic systems that minimizes material usage, reduces shipping volume, simplifies on-site assembly, and provides an optimized system layout with unobstructed water-accessible service lanes for performing maintenance operations using dedicated maintenance platforms to improve the competitiveness of floating solar plants.

[0043] In the following, the same reference numbers are preferably used to denote identical or similar elements.

[0044] Figure 1 shows the main steps of the realization of a floating photovoltaic solar system 1, including a first step (reference number 2) of obtaining and transporting at least one coil 10 of thin material, for example a coil of raw aluminum film weighing approximately 2000 kg, having a length of 5300 m, a width of 140 mm and a thickness of 1 mm.

[0045] The coil 10 is unrolled into a ribbon 11 using a tool known per se and is progressively wound on itself with a predetermined offset to create a floating tube element 101 while fixing it by crimping the elongated edges 12, 13 via two successive turns 14 and 15 of a spiral 16 which is progressively formed by a spiral tube forming machine 20 known per se (step 3).

[0046] In Figure 1 (see enlarged view referenced 17), the respective elongated edges 12 and 13 are mechanically joined to one another using a mechanical crimping process by blocking their respective peripheries inside the fold of the other edge as shown in Figure 1 using a crimping device known per se.

[0047] The spiral tube does not have to be completely waterproof as in this embodiment, and to obtain the required buoyancy, a number of containers 115, e.g. air bags, are introduced into the hollow part 18 of the tube, arranged so as to fill approximately two-thirds of the internal volume of the tube, for example two air bags of 130 liters for a tube 5 m long and 30 cm in diameter.

[0048] Once the floating pipe element 101 is completed, end caps 120 are secured to both ends of the pipe element by crimping or any other known fastening means, the end caps having a central hole 123 to allow for ballasting with, for example, water.

[0049] The next step in this process (see reference 21) is the joining of two floating pipe elements 101, i.e. a first pipe element and a second pipe element arranged parallel at a predetermined distance, to a frame assembly 200.

[0050] Each frame assembly is made, for example, from aluminium (the same metal as the pipe elements), and each of the frame assemblies is formed by a transverse elongated member 201 attached at its ends to two respective fixing collars 202.

[0051] Each collar comprises, for example, one open circle 203 connected to the tube and one structural beam member rigidly fixed to the open circle, one end corresponding to a first tube via a beam member 204 of a first predetermined height and the other end corresponding to a second tube via a second beam member 205 of a second, smaller predetermined height, each fixed at one end to the circle 203 and at the other end to a horizontal elongated member 201, and thus including an inclination of several degrees, for example 10°, relative to the photovoltaic panel 300 rigidly fixed to two parallel frame assemblies arranged from each other at a distance corresponding to or slightly smaller than the width of the panel 300.

[0052] The next step (step reference number 22) is to mount the photovoltaic panels side by side on a frame assembly to form a float assembly 1000 of five panels 300, the panels being secured on the frame assembly with fastening clips 206, for example clips commercially available under the trademark PowAR Snap from ARaymond, France.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the float assembly is launched via two elongated guide rail elements 810 and 820 arranged in parallel, with one section 801 resting on the shore 2000 and one end 802 immersed in the body of water 3000. Guide rollers 840 allow smooth displacement of the floating pipe element 101 on the rails, in a manner known per se. Finally, the float assembly 1000 is floating on the body of water 3000 and ready to be navigated to its fixed location. Figure 2 shows another embodiment in which the pipe element 102 is formed using a roll former 22 from a coil 23 of a larger width, for example 95 cm, the length of which is determined by cutting the coil at the correct distance.

[0054] The open tube edges 24 and 25 are joined together, for example with rivets or clips 26, and / or glued or welded or mechanically crimped together to obtain the finished floating tab element 102.

[0055] The following steps for forming the system correspond, for example, to those described above.

[0056] 13A and 3B show 3D views of a float assembly 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention configured to support an array of five photovoltaic panels or modules 300. FIG.

[0057] This embodiment of the solar float assembly 1000 comprises two identical hollow tube elements 101 which are operably connected together with six consecutive frame assemblies 200 regularly spaced at a distance and arranged to support two panels each.

[0058] In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, an array of five photovoltaic solar modules 300 is operatively connected to the frame assembly 200 using a plurality of module support brackets 207 designed to support the solar modules 300 at an inclined angle. In the northern hemisphere, the solar modules are preferably tilted toward the south, and in the southern hemisphere, they are tilted toward the north. In both cases, the float assembly 1000 and hollow tube element 101 have a major axis 103 oriented along the north-south direction.

[0059] FIG. 3C shows a 3D view of a float assembly 1001 according to another embodiment of the present invention that relies on a frame assembly divided into two sub-frames.

[0060] A first set of sub-frame assemblies 205 are operably connected to the first pipe element 101, and a second set of sub-frame assemblies 204 are operably connected to the second pipe element 101. In this embodiment of the invention, the two sub-frame assemblies are simply operably connected to each other via the metal frame or mechanical structure of the solar module or photovoltaic panel 300.

[0061] In this embodiment of the present invention, the second subframe assembly 204 is preferably equipped with a pair of two module support brackets 207 to improve the overall mechanical resistance of the float assembly 1000 when it is equipped with an array of solar modules.

[0062] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tilt angle of the solar modules is less than 20° to minimize the wind drag coefficient.

[0063] In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the float assembly may include a different number (N) of solar modules 300. In these alternative embodiments, N+1 frame assemblies 200 are used to support the N photovoltaic modules 300.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hollow floating pipe element 101 has a cylindrical shape.

[0065] In other embodiments of the present invention, the hollow tube may have different cross-sectional shapes such as a square, rectangular, hexagonal, or any closed polygonal profile.

[0066] The hollow tube elements 101 are operably connected to the frame assemblies 200 using a thin sheet fastening solution. The module support brackets 207 are operably connected to each frame assembly 200 using a thin sheet fastening solution.

[0067] In another embodiment of the present invention, the frame assembly can be configured to support two rows 301 and 302 of photovoltaic modules 300 tilted at an angle toward the east and west, as shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment of the present invention, a first set of sub-frame assemblies 205 is operably connected to a pair of side tube elements 101, and a second set of central sub-frame assemblies 204 is operably connected to a central third tube element 101. In this embodiment of the present invention, the sub-frame assemblies are simply operably connected to each other via the metal frames of the solar modules 300. With this design configuration, the floating tube elements 101 of the float assembly 1000 are preferably oriented along a north-south axis.

[0068] 5 shows another embodiment of a float assembly of the present invention comprising two upper tube elements 101 floating above a body of water 3000 and a third lower tube element 103 that is fully submerged. In this embodiment of the present invention, a control system may be connected to inject air into the lower tube element 103 to dynamically adjust the tilt angle α of the float assembly.

[0069] In this embodiment of the invention, the control system may include an air pump instead of a water pump to fill the tube of the float assembly with air and push out the water.

[0070] 5, the float assembly rotates toward the south as the buoyancy of the lower tube element 103 increases when the lower tube element is partially or completely filled with air. In such an embodiment of the invention, short, open-ended tubes may be connected to waterline connectors 122 located at the bottom of the tube end caps of the floating tube elements. These open-ended tubes allow water to enter and exit the floating tube elements as a control system regulates the air pressure within the tube's internal cavity.

[0071] 5 shows a side view of a float assembly arranged to support an array of photovoltaic solar modules or panels 300. It comprises three hollow floating tube elements, namely two upper tube elements 101 (forming a general plane P) and one lower tube element 103. The tube elements 101 and 103 are connected to each other by N+1 frame assemblies 210 having an asymmetrical configuration (with respect to the main axis) to hold a solar module having, for example, a substantially "V"-shaped configuration with an inclination angle α1, the upper tubes being fixed to said branches, for example, at the intermediate outer part of the first branch of the "V" for one (101) and at the terminal part of the second branch of the "V" for the other (101). Due to the asymmetry with respect to the central point M, and if the lower tube is, for example, filled with air, the pressure of force F generates a rotation (arrows in the figure) and therefore a variation in the tilt of the photovoltaic panel 300.

[0072] A more detailed description of the functioning of this embodiment can be found in patent document WO 2020 / 165272, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0073] 6A, 6B, and 6C show cross-sectional views of an elongated cylindrically shaped tube float element of an embodiment of a solar float assembly of the present invention, comprising an internal cavity that is partially filled with water 140. The remaining volume of the internal cavity 113 that is not filled with water is filled with air. In one embodiment of the present invention, each tube float element comprises an outer surface 110, a ring-shaped core 111, and an inner surface 112. The ring-shaped core 111 may be fabricated using a lightweight material such as expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam.

[0074] In another embodiment of the present invention, an air-filled cylindrical can or sphere 114 can be used to partially or completely fill the ring-shaped core 111. The outer surface 110 of the ring-shaped core 111 may be reinforced with a scratch-resistant layer such as a rubber layer, a hard plastic shell, or a thin metal sheet. The inner surface 112 of the ring-shaped core 111 may be protected with a waterproof layer such as rubber, a plastic film, or a thin metal sheet.

[0075] 6C is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a floating cylindrical pipe element with an outer surface 110 having an internal cavity 113 containing a plurality of containers 115, e.g., air bags, floating on the internal water 140 present inside the pipe element, each of the air bags having a cross-section that is, for example, 1 / 2 to 9 / 10 the size of the cross-section of the pipe element. More precisely, the floating containers 115 may have a spherical shape, an oval cylindrical shape, or a comparable shape.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 20-30 floating vessels 115 may be inserted inside a pipe element having a length of 5 meters to ensure that a minimum buoyancy is maintained in the event that some of the floating vessels 115 are perforated. The remaining volume of the internal cavity 113 that is not filled with water 140 is filled with air.

[0077] Both ends of each float tube are closed by end caps 120, shown in Figure 6D. Each end cap 120 may include one air vent 121 located at the top of the end cap 120. In some embodiments of the invention, the air vent may be connected to an air pump 124 or alternative source of pressurized air to regulate the pressure of the air located inside the tube interior cavity 113.

[0078] Additional holes, located in the center 123 or bottom 122 of the end caps, may be added to allow water to enter and partially fill the pipe elements. After the water filling process is complete, the holes 122-123 can be closed with caps to retain the volume of water within the pipes. When installed in a water reservoir that can be temporarily emptied, this solution provides a means of retaining a large volume of water inside each pipe element to stabilize the float structure, which can then be safely placed on the floor of the reservoir.

[0079] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of an exemplary distributed method for manufacturing and assembling a floating solar float according to the present invention.

[0080] In a first step 2, the float main structural elements and raw metal coils are transported onto (or close to) the installation site of the floating solar plant.

[0081] In a second step 3, the raw metal coil is processed and transformed into a tube using a spiral tube former. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the raw metal coil may be transformed into a tube using a roll former.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the edges of the metal strip are mechanically joined together using a mechanical crimping process.

[0083] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a thin sheet fastening solution can be used to join the side edges of the metal strip together.

[0084] In a third step 30, a buoyancy element is inserted inside the float tube.

[0085] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the buoyancy element comprises a bag which is filled with air and then permanently sealed.

[0086] In another embodiment of the invention, the buoyancy element may comprise a low density material such as polystyrene or polyurethane foam, as described with reference to Figure 6B.

[0087] In a fourth step 40, two end caps are attached to the end of each float tube. The end caps can be attached to the float tubes using a thin sheet mechanical fastening solution or other fastening methods known in the art.

[0088] In parallel, the float frame elements are assembled (step 50).

[0089] In a fifth step 21, a pair of completed tube elements are joined together in a linear array of frame assemblies to form the float structure of the present invention.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame elements are assembled together on-site to form a frame assembly to reduce the volume required to transport these elements to the site. The frame elements may be assembled together to form the frame assembly using thin sheet mechanical fastening solutions.

[0091] In a final step 22, an array of photovoltaic modules is mounted on each float assembly before launching the element into the water.

[0092] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a solar float equipped with photovoltaic modules is launched into water using a launching lamp as shown in FIG.

[0093] The launching ramp may comprise a pair of two rail elements 810 and 820, which may comprise rollers 840 having a sawtooth shape with a curvature complementary to the shape of the outer surface of the floating tube element 101 to support and guide the main tube element of the solar float 1000.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the launching ramp is configured with a relatively long overall length to support multiple float elements. Rail elements 810 and 820 are supported by an array of vertical posts 830. These vertical posts may have legs of adjustable length, or may simply be driven into the ground using a post driving machine, or may be mounted on other foundation elements such as concrete blocks or ground screws, depending on the type and quality of shore soil near the body of water.

[0095] 9 and 10 show side and top views, respectively, of exemplary embodiments of different solutions for anchoring an array of solar float assemblies 1000 according to the present invention to a body of water.

[0096] FIG. 9 shows four arrays 1003 of float assemblies 1000 in side view.

[0097] In this preferred embodiment of the invention, float assemblies 1000 are mechanically connected to a linear array of horizontal cables 510. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, horizontal cables 510 are positioned at a depth of at least 0.5 m below the water surface to provide clear service paths between the rows of float assemblies. A short vertical cable or chain 511 is used to mechanically connect the float assemblies 1000 to the horizontal cables 510.

[0098] Figure 10 shows a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water 3000 comprising two sets of six arrays 1003 each forming a row of four float assemblies 1000 in series, each float assembly comprising five photovoltaic panels 300 connected in series to a main electrical cable for collecting electricity from the panels and providing it, for example, to a solar inverter (not shown) on shore in a manner known per se.

[0099] In such a configuration, maintenance work such as replacing defective solar modules can be easily performed by a maintenance team using a narrow service boat or, preferably, a dedicated maintenance platform, as described below with reference to Figures 11A and 11B.

[0100] To reduce the number of horizontal cables required (see FIG. 10), one or more float assemblies may be mechanically connected to each other in series along the north-south direction, with only their upper and lower ends mechanically connected to horizontal cables 510. The east and west sides of each horizontal cable 510 are mechanically connected to vertical cables 520.

[0101] A pair of horizontal cables 510 and vertical cables 520 form the block of the tracker float assembly 1000, which is anchored by a fixed cable 540 attached to one of several fixed foundation points installed on the shore (e.g., concrete pile 550) or installed on the bottom of the body of water (e.g., 560).

[0102] Ground anchors driven into the soil or solid ballast blocks may be used as fixed foundation points. Buoys 530 may be added to the ends of horizontal cables 510 to compensate for vertical forces induced by fixed cables 540 connecting horizontal cables 510 and vertical cables 520 to foundation 550.

[0103] The fixed cable 540 may be equipped with a tensioner device to accommodate water level fluctuations.

[0104] 11A and 11B show a 3D view and a rendering, respectively, of a particular platform 900 for performing maintenance operations on a floating solar system according to the present invention.

[0105] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance platform 900 comprises a pair of buoyancy elements 910 and 920 joined together by a frame structure 940 to create a stable catamaran-type platform that can navigate through the floating solar plant of the present invention by using water access lanes 960 between the rows of float assemblies 1000.

[0106] In this configuration, two maintenance personnel can be positioned on each side of the maintenance platform to easily lift and replace defective solar panels from the solar float assembly 1000. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance platform 900 comprises two parallel racks 950 at a predetermined distance from each other arranged to be slightly less than the width of the panels, to support such panels to be removed and / or repaired, and thus store new and defective solar panels 300.

[0107] The buoyancy elements 910 and 920 preferably include side rollers 930 to guide the maintenance platform 900 along the tube of the solar float assembly 1000 .

[0108] In contrast to prior art floating solar systems comprising tightly packed blocks of interconnected plastic floats, the maintenance platform disclosed herein uniquely allows maintenance operations to be performed in a safer manner. Solar float assemblies according to the present invention are organized into independent rows according to a specific layout as shown in FIG.

[0109] Using the particular maintenance platform disclosed herein, maintenance personnel do not have to walk across the floating solar plant on relatively narrow and unstable floating access lanes to replace defective solar panels. The maintenance platform disclosed herein can also be used to clean the solar panels.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the maintenance platform may be equipped with rotating brushes and / or water jets to clean the top surfaces of the solar panels in a semi-automated manner.

[0111] In the particular case of floating solar installations requiring frequent cleaning operations (exposed to dusty environments or frequent bird falls), the movements of the maintenance platform may be controlled in a fully automated manner by an electronic control system.

[0112] In another embodiment of the invention, the solar float according to the invention can be equipped with a specific water-shedding system (not shown).

[0113] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flashing system comprising a perforated water pipe 800 attached along the top side of a solar panel 300 using an array of fastening clips 804 .

[0114] An external water pump (not shown) is used to pump fresh water from the body of water or reservoir in which the floating solar system is installed.

[0115] Multiple float assemblies may be connected in series by connecting the output inlet 802 of the perforated water pipe to the input inlet 801 of the subsequent float assembly 1000. The number and opening diameter of the water pipe perforations 803 should be optimized according to the flow rate of the selected water pump and the number of float assemblies 1000 connected in series.

[0116] This draining solution provides a means for cleaning the top surface of the solar panel 300 in a fully automated manner.

[0117] Since the temperature of water pumped at depths greater than about 1 m is always positive, this drainage system also provides a solution to prevent snow accumulation on the surface of the solar panels.

[0118] In the particular case of floating solar systems installed in locations exposed to heavy snowfall, the water drainage solution disclosed herein provides a means to use the calories stored in the deep water of the reservoir to continuously melt snowflakes as they fall onto the surface of the solar panels.

[0119] An electronic control system may be added to optimally stop or adjust the flow rate of the water pump depending on the external environmental conditions (solar irradiance, water temperature, air temperature, wind speed, etc.).

[0120] In the specific case of locations exposed to extremely cold temperatures, the water pump should always be started before the outside air temperature drops below 0°C to ensure that the water in the water pipes does not freeze. In these extremely cold locations, all water pipes in the drainage system should preferably be insulated to maximize the efficiency of the entire system and eliminate the risk of water freezing in the water pipes.

[0121] The possibility of easy maintenance and cleaning of photovoltaic panels makes it possible to install large islands of float assemblies covering large surfaces (more than 1000 square meters), typically arrays of, for example, more than 100 individual assemblies of five photovoltaic panels connected to each other.

[0122] The invention has been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and methods, but it should be understood that variations and modifications can be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0123] The present invention is not limited by the disclosed embodiments, including any shown in the drawings or illustrated herein, which embodiments are given by way of example or description and not limitation.

[0124] The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited only by the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for realizing a floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, the floating photovoltaic solar system comprising photovoltaic panels each having a mechanical structure and at least one array of float assemblies, each of the arrays of float assemblies comprising a plurality of the float assemblies, each of the float assemblies comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting the photovoltaic panels, the method comprising: - obtaining and transporting the coil in said body of water; - processing at least two elongated ribbons or at least two sheets obtained from said coils on the shore to deform said ribbons or bend said sheets into at least two corresponding thin-walled elongated hollow open tubular elements having respective unjoined elongated edges extending along respective major axes and positioned relative to one another, said processing comprising using a spiral tube former in the case of said ribbons and a roll former in the case of said sheets; - mechanically joining the elongated edges of the ribbon or sheet together using a mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process to form the floating pipe element; - fixing an end cap to each end of each of said floating pipe elements; - joining the floating tube elements of each group of the floating tube elements with a frame assembly and mounting the photovoltaic panels on the frame assembly or fixing the mechanical structure of the photovoltaic panels themselves on the floating tube elements to form at least one array of the float assemblies and thus the floating photovoltaic solar system; launching the floating photovoltaic solar system into water; A method comprising:

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises using a spiral tube former to deform the ribbon into a spiral shape and mechanically crimping unjoined longitudinally adjacent elongated edges of the ribbon to produce the floating tube element.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing is characterized in that said sheets are bent using a roll former to make their unjoined elongated edges depend on each other, and then mechanically joined together using such mechanical crimping, fastening or fixing process to form said floating pipe element.

4. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coil is a raw metal coil.

5. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of inserting a buoyancy element inside the floating pipe element before fixing the end cap.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the end cap has a central opening to allow overflow, and the method includes a step of leaking water into the bottom of the floating pipe element up to the opening while the floating pipe element is immersed, so as to increase the stability of the floating photovoltaic solar system after launching.

7. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the launching of the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises the steps of: arranging two parallel elongated guide rail elements with one end on shore and the other end immersed in the body of water; mechanically connecting at least two of the float assemblies in series and in a row to form a corresponding array of the float assemblies, wherein the arrays form a row of connected float assemblies while arranging such arrays on the two parallel elongated guide rail elements to form a launching ramp for supporting and guiding the row of float assemblies into the body of water, the floating tube elements being arranged to slide along the guide rails; and launching such row into the body of water by pushing and / or pulling such row.

8. The method described in claim 7, characterized in that the launching ramp is provided with a total length of more than 10 meters to support at least two of the arrays of the float assembly, each of the arrays comprising at least five of the photovoltaic panels.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said positioning of said elongated guide rail elements comprises providing vertical posts with legs of adjustable length that are driven into the ground using a post driving machine or attached to foundation elements to support such guide rail elements.

10. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of the arrays of the float assemblies on a predetermined surface of the body of water; providing a linear array of a plurality of horizontal cables positioned at a depth of at least 0.5 m below the surface of the body of water; using cables or chains to mechanically connect the arrays of the float assemblies to the horizontal cables; and providing fixed lines connecting the horizontal cables to fixed points installed on the shore and / or bottom of the body of water.

11. 11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of arranging a pair of transverse horizontal cables and a pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables that are perpendicular to the pair of transverse horizontal cables and belong to the array of horizontal cables around at least one of the arrays of the float assemblies or the group of arrays of the float assemblies, and fixing such array or group of arrays with fixed cables attached to a plurality of fixed base points.

12. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the floating photovoltaic solar system is organized in parallel rows of at least two of the arrays of the float assemblies, thus generating two external or intermediate parallel free water surfaces or channels having an width equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the method further comprising a step of performing maintenance work on the floating photovoltaic solar system by using a maintenance platform comprising a pair of buoyancy elements joined to each other by an upper frame structure to generate a stable catamaran-type platform that floats on the two parallel channels along and / or between two adjacent rows of the arrays of the float assemblies and navigates over and between the rows of float assemblies to maintain and / or replace defective solar modules.

13. A floating photovoltaic solar system on a body of water having a shore and a body of water, the floating photovoltaic solar system comprising photovoltaic panels and at least one array of float assemblies, each array of float assemblies comprising a plurality of the float assemblies; each said float assembly comprising at least one group of at least two floating tube elements for supporting said photovoltaic panels; each of said floating pipe elements has a thin (i.e. ≦1 mm) elongated wall extending along a major axis, said floating pipe elements being formed by bending a metal ribbon or sheet extracted from a raw metal coil using a spiral pipe former or roll former to obtain an open cylinder with adjacent longitudinal edges facing each other, and having means for fixing such adjacent longitudinal edges of such open cylinder by mechanical crimping, fastening, gluing or welding to longitudinally close said floating pipe elements, each end of the floating tube element is closed by an end cap; each said float assembly comprising a frame assembly supporting said photovoltaic panels to form at least one said array of said float assemblies to form said floating photovoltaic system; and a launching device for launching at least one array of said float assemblies forming said floating photovoltaic solar system into said body of water.

14. 14. The floating photovoltaic solar system of claim 13, wherein each of the float assemblies comprises at least one group of three parallel floating tube elements for supporting the photovoltaic panels.

15. 15. A floating photovoltaic solar system according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that the floating pipe elements are not waterproof and the end caps have a central opening that allows water overflow when the floating pipe elements are immersed.

16. 16. A floating photovoltaic solar system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that each said floating tube element comprises at least one buoyancy element therein.

17. 17. The floating photovoltaic solar system of claim 13, wherein the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises a plurality of mooring lines operably connected to the array of float assemblies.

18. 18. The floating photovoltaic solar system of claim 17, wherein the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises a fixed line connecting the mooring line to a fixed point.

19. 19. A floating photovoltaic solar system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that each of the float assemblies comprises at least three frame elements extending along a direction perpendicular to the main axis of the floating tube element.

20. 20. The floating photovoltaic solar system of any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises a plurality of the arrays of the float assemblies forming a row of connected float assemblies, and the launching device comprises two parallel elongated guide rail elements arranged to support and guide the row of float assemblies into the body of water.

21. 21. The floating photovoltaic solar system of any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises a plurality of horizontal cables and short vertical cables or chains mechanically connected to the array of float assemblies, and fixed lines connecting the horizontal cables to fixed points installed on the shore and / or the bottom of the body of water.

22. 22. The floating photovoltaic solar system of claim 21, further comprising, for at least one of the arrays of the float assemblies or the group of arrays of the float assemblies, a pair of corresponding external (or peripheral) transverse horizontal cables, and a pair of corresponding external longitudinal horizontal cables that are perpendicular to the pair of transverse horizontal cables and belong to the array of horizontal cables, and that secure such array or group of arrays with fixed cables attached to a plurality of fixed foundation points.

23. 23. A floating photovoltaic solar system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that the floating photovoltaic solar system comprises a maintenance platform comprising a pair of buoyancy elements joined together by a frame structure to form a catamaran-type platform.

24. 24. The floating photovoltaic solar system of any one of claims 13 to 23, characterized in that it comprises a water drainage system comprising at least one perforated water pipe attached along the upper side of the photovoltaic panel using fastening clips, and an external water pump for pumping fresh water from a reservoir onto the upper surface of the photovoltaic panel.

25. 25. The floating photovoltaic solar system of claim 24, wherein the water drainage system comprises a plurality of perforated water pipes connected in series by connecting the output inlet of at least one perforated water pipe to the input inlet of the subsequent float assembly.

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