Damped bearing assembly for solar trackers

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing assembly for solar tracker rotation profiles, which comprises a bearing support that attaches to a support post, and a rotating frame. The bearing assembly comprises a sleeve arranged between the rotating frame and the rotation profile. The sleeve is a damping element, such that it absorbs impact between the rotating frame and the rotation profile during relative accelerations between the two structural elements. The surfaces of the damping sleeve and / or of the rotation profile that are to be in mutual contact may comprise an adhesive to facilitate installation and operation. The damping sleeve may comprise one or more channels at the two longitudinal ends thereof. If there is only one channel, the channel may run along the entire perimeter edge of the border that surrounds the rotation profile, closing on itself.

Description

[0001]

[0002] DAMPED BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR SOLAR TRACKER

[0003] Technical sector

[0004] The present invention relates to the technical field of solar trackers used to orient photovoltaic panels or modules. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of bearing assemblies that connect the rotation profile on which the solar panels or panels are supported and the support pillar(s) of said rotation profile to the ground.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] Solar trackers support a panel or series of photovoltaic panels in such a way as to track incident sunlight as its projection direction varies with the movement of the sun across the horizon; this tracking is known to optimize the energy efficiency of solar energy conversion into electricity by properly positioning the plane of the solar panel surface with respect to the direction of incidence of solar energy.For this purpose, said solar trackers are composed, basically and for illustrative purposes only, of a ground support structure (normally several pillars or columns, generally vertical), a support frame for the solar panels in direct contact with the latter, and one or several rotation profiles that must rotatably connect said support frames with the support pillars to provide the solar panels with the desired rotational tracking capacity. For this rotational connection, bearing assemblies widely known in the art are used. This introduction regarding the structures that make up solar trackers is only an example, and there may be other different ones, with a greater or lesser degree of similarity. It is understood, from the following explanation, that the essential aspect focuses on the bearing assembly included in said structures, so that the rest of them may vary.

[0007] In the transmission of this rotary tracking motion between the solar panels (which must pivot or rotate following the sun) and the fixed support structure, accelerations (positive and negative) occur when the movement starts or stops, and due to eventual conditions, such as wind gusts. These accelerations affect the mechanical components involved in the transmission—which have been described only in essence in the previous paragraph—such that they impact the durability and proper functioning of the trackers. This, in turn, impacts the productivity of companies dedicated to the maintenance and repair of this equipment in terms of time and cost of the materials / spare parts that must be used in these tasks.Any type of solution or improvement that contributes to a more fluid relative movement, with the least possible abruptness, between the tracker components that present substantial acceleration differences between them at different times of their operation is therefore desirable.

[0008] Thus, the present invention aims at a bearing assembly that alleviates the stresses or impacts that occur between the rotation profile of solar trackers and the structure firmly fixed to the ground or soil. The bearing assembly is applicable to the rotation profiles currently in use and is installed at the same time as the corresponding solar tracker is assembled. As will be clearly deduced from the detailed description set forth below, another application could envisage the application of the novel technical elements included in this bearing to solar trackers already installed and in operation.

[0009] Object of the invention

[0010] Considering the operating conditions and objectives outlined in the previous section, a bearing assembly has been designed for solar tracker rotating profiles. This type of bearing comprises a bearing support, which is fixed to a ground support pillar, and a rolling mount adapted to rotate relative to the bearing support and to support a rotating profile, thereby imparting the corresponding rotational motion to the latter. In this case, the bearing assembly also comprises a sleeve interposed between the rolling mount and the rotating profile; the sleeve is a shock-absorbing element or component, that is, it is adapted to absorb impacts that would normally occur between the rolling mount and the rotating profile due to the relative accelerations between the two structural elements.The rolling mount can be of any type known in the art, for example, in the form of two hemispheres as in the case used here to illustrate the invention; however, its specific embodiment does not affect the essence of the features disclosed in this document, which refer to the interposition of this shock-absorbing sleeve regardless of the specific shapes of the mount, the rotation profile, the bearing support, or any other structural element of the tracker. By its definition as a "shock-absorbing" sleeve, it is also understood that there will have to be some type of direct or indirect contact with both the rotation profile and the rolling mount so that the absorption of relative impacts or sudden movements can take place.

[0011] According to a characteristic of the invention, the surfaces of the damping sleeve and / or the turning profile that are intended to be in mutual contact may have or receive a certain quantity of one or several adhesive agents on part or all of said surfaces, to facilitate the installation and operation tasks as will be seen in more detail later.

[0012] According to another characteristic of the shock-absorbing sleeve of the invention, it may comprise one or more grooves on one or both edges that define the contours of the sleeve at its two longitudinal ends. That is, the sleeve has two inlet / outlet ends of the rotation profile, and these two ends have a contour, with a certain thickness, that totally or partially surrounds said rotation profile. In this edge of a certain thickness, which will generally be substantially perpendicular to the contact surface of the rotation profile, a slit or groove may be made that will be delimited by two side walls, one of these two walls remaining in contact with the surface of the rotation profile. One or more grooves may be made on one or both edges of the sleeve.

[0013] According to another characteristic directly related to that described in the previous paragraph, at least one of the edges has a single groove that extends along the entire perimeter contour of the edge that surrounds the turning profile, closing on itself.

[0014] It is also envisaged that in one embodiment, the sleeve may be formed as a single piece, and in another embodiment, it may be formed by a plurality of independent pieces, but when assembled between the swivel profile and the rolling mount, they constitute a functional unit in terms of their damping characteristics. These different options facilitate assembly of the sleeve according to the specific needs of the rolling mount, the bearing support, the swivel profile, etc.

[0015] Specifically, in another preferred embodiment, the shock-absorbing sleeve will be formed by two separate pieces in a configuration such that one of these two pieces would be located on one side of a plane that longitudinally intersects the rotational profile, and the other would be located on the other side of said plane. The two pieces may touch once assembled or have a separation between their ends.

[0016] Finally, according to another characteristic of the invention, the material that makes up the shock-absorbing sleeve may comprise, at least in part, rubber.

[0017] Description of the figures

[0018] A list of the drawings used to illustrate the detailed explanation of the invention is set forth below. In said drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the bearing assembly of the invention fixed to a support pillar and with a turning profile mounted thereon.

[0020] Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of Figure 1, focusing on the bearing assembly.

[0021] Figure 3 is a front view of the detail shown in Figure 2.

[0022] Figure 4 is a side view of the detail shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0023] Figure 5 is a sectional view of the bearing assembly of Figure 2 according to a vertical section plane perpendicular to the surface of the lower bearing support or the support profile.

[0024] Figure 6 is a sectional view of the bearing assembly of Figure 2 according to a cutting plane parallel to the surface of the lower bearing support and which sections the latter into two parts.

[0025] Detailed description of the invention Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the bearing assembly of the present invention mounted on a support pillar (20) and with a turning profile (50) encased therein. The support pillar (20) is shown only in its upper part, it being understood that it is an elongated profile or column that extends downwards to be fixed to the ground; in the same way, the turning profile (50) is shown only in the area close to the bearing assembly, it being understood that it extends at one or both ends and that it may additionally be mounted on other bearing assemblies of the type illustrated here or a different one. Successive figures show views of the same arrangement of Figure 1 from different perspectives or in different sections to illustrate the details.

[0026] In this case, the turning profile (50) is connected to the support pillar (20) by means of a bearing support (30, 40) comprising a lower support (30) and two upper closures (40); these two closures (40) are equal and can be exchanged on one side or the other of the lower support (30) for which reason the same reference, 40, is used for their designation. The assembly also includes a rolling mount (60), generically named, and which, in this specific case, comprises two hemispheres which, in the same way as the two upper closures (40), could be equal to each other and, therefore, interchangeable in their position around the turning profile (50).The support elements (30, 40, 60) described herein are merely an example of the constituent elements of the bearing assembly to which the novel characteristics of this invention can be applied; from the technical elements that will be detailed below, it is clearly deduced that they can be implemented in other support elements different from those illustrated herein (30, 40, 60).

[0027] Specifically, the invention includes a shock-absorbing sleeve (10) that is interposed between the rotating profile (50) and the rolling mount (60). In known bearing assemblies, the metallic rotating profile (50) and the rolling mount (60) (of any type) are normally in direct contact, at least partial, and this causes an abrupt transmission of the accelerations that are transmitted between both elements, since these are made of fundamentally rigid materials. This shock-absorbing sleeve (10) has compressibility and elastic recovery characteristics that allow it to absorb these impacts due to abrupt changes in relative speed between the profile (50) and the mount (60), while maintaining the necessary firm grip on the profile (50).To this end, the material of the shock-absorbing sleeve (10) may be, or may include, in part, some type of rubber that will withstand the elements of an outdoor environment and the various repeated impacts against the turning profile (50) and the rolling mount (60) to which it will be subjected in its daily operation. These materials are known in the art and, therefore, are not described in detail herein.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the damping sleeve (10) comprises one or more grooves (12) on one or both terminal edges surrounding the turning profile (50); these grooves (12) are defined by two side walls: one in direct contact with the external surface of the corresponding turning profile (50) and another further away from said external surface. The grooves (12) serve to protect the bulk of the material of the sleeve (10) when it is compressed between the rolling mount (60) and the profile (50) and thus prevent it from being cut by the metal edges. Furthermore, this groove (12) prevents the detachment of the damping sleeve (10). In the illustrated case, each terminal edge of the sleeve (10) comprises a single groove (12) that runs along the entire peripheral contour of the corresponding terminal edge.Other embodiments could be conceived in which the groove (12) were present in a number greater than one on one or both terminal edges, for example, two or more grooves (12) interrupted longitudinally along the perimeter contour; these interruption sections of the possible grooves (12) could also be of different lengths and the grooves (12) themselves could have different widths.

[0029] In another preferred embodiment, one or more adhesive agents are provided at the junction between the shock-absorbing sleeve (10) and the turning profile (50), preferably on the inner surface of the sleeve (10) intended to be in contact with the turning profile (50). In this way, the grip between both elements (10 and 50) is facilitated, and the groove or grooves (12) help prevent the sleeve (10) from coming loose when the latter is compressed.

[0030] As regards the assembly of the sleeve (10) during the installation of the photovoltaic panels on a solar tracker, in this case the lower support (30) would first be fixed to the support pillar (20), for example, with the appropriate screws, as can be best seen in Figure 1. The entire upper part (including the bearing assembly) would then be assembled on the rotation profile (50). To do this, the sleeve (10) is first fitted around the profile (50) so that the former must have an inner contour coinciding, at least in part, with the outer contour of said profile (50) with a view to absorbing impacts or sudden relative movements; the usual profiles (50) are rectangular in section but, based on the wording of the claims, it is understood that any other shape of section is covered.The rolling mount (60) would then be mounted in contact with the outer part of the shock-absorbing sleeve (10); the outer surface of the sleeve (10) or the inner surface of the rolling mount (60) could also have some type of adhesive, as a temporary fixing element, which could be useful especially in cases where said mount (60) is formed by several elements or pieces that are physically separated (such as the illustrated example) in order to fix its position on the sleeve (10) until the final coupling of the upper closures (40).

[0031] Finally, the aforementioned coupling between the closures (40) would be carried out by pressing the mount (60) against the sleeve (10) and, therefore, against the rotating profile (50). It should be mentioned here that the arrangement and shape of the upper closures (40), as well as their connection mode with the lower support (30), could be different from those mentioned and illustrated in the present drawings, since other embodiments of these elements are known that allow the positioning of the sleeve (10) described here; the only thing that would change would be the assembly form, or the order of the steps thereof, since the technical characteristic in the form of a shock-absorbing sleeve (10) set forth in the claims could continue to be used. For example, the upper closures (40) could be in the shape of an arc, and not a closed circle, or they could be presented in a number other than two. The same can be said of the lower support (30) and the rolling mount (60).Once the external elements (40, 60) surrounding the sleeve (10) have been adjusted, all that remains is to fix this assembly to the lower support (30), in this case also by means of the screw visible in the different figures.

[0032] As mentioned in the claims, the sleeve (10) could be provided in the form of two or more independent pieces that would be assembled around the turning profile (50), embracing the latter by all or part of its outer contour. This option would facilitate the assembly of the bearing assembly in areas further away from the ends of the turning profile (50), and different variants of the bearing assembly disclosed here could be combined in the same solar tracker.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Bearing assembly for rotating profiles (50) of solar trackers, of the type comprising a bearing support (30, 40) and a rolling mount (60) adapted to rotate with respect to the support (30, 40) and to support a rotating profile (50), said bearing assembly further comprising a shock-absorbing sleeve (10) interposed between the rolling mount (60) and the rotating profile (50) in such a way that it absorbs, at least in part, the impacts between these elements (60, 50) due to their relative displacement.

2. Bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the damping sleeve (10) intended to be in contact with the outer surface of the turning profile (50) and / or said outer contact surface of the turning profile is / are at least partially adhesived.

3. Bearing assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the damping sleeve (10) comprises, open on the surface of at least one of its edge contours surrounding the rotation profile (50), at least one groove (12) formed by two delimiting side walls where one of said side walls is in contact with the corresponding surface of the rotation profile (50).

4. Bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the at least one groove (12) runs uninterruptedly around the entire corresponding edge contour of the damping sleeve (10) surrounding the rotation profile (50).

5. Bearing assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the damping sleeve (10) is formed in one piece.

6. Bearing assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the damping sleeve (10) is composed of at least two independent parts.

7. Bearing assembly according to claim 6, wherein the damping sleeve (10) is composed of two independent pieces such that one of them surrounds a section of the external perimeter contour of the section of the turning profile (50) and the other surrounds at least part of the remaining section of said perimeter contour. external.

8. Bearing assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the material of the damping sleeve (10) comprises rubber.

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