820 results about "Sun tracking" patented technology

The present invention focuses on the development of a high-performance solar photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion system. The power circuit of the invention is made of a two-stage circuit, connecting a step-up DC-DC converter and a full-bridge inverter in serial. The present invention uses an adaptive perturbation and observation method to increase tracking speed of maximum power position and at the same time reduces energy loss. In addition, the full-bridge inverter's output has to have the same phase with the utility power in order to achieve unit power factor and increase the system efficiency. The present invention uses voltage type current control full-bridge inverter to achieve the goal of merging into utility grid. The present invention provides an active Sun tracking system, by utilizing the character of changing in open circuit output voltage with Sun radiation strength to follow the Sun, and decreases the system cost and increases system effectiveness.

The present invention includes a sun sensor assembly having an aperture that defines an area that is less than the area of the photo-detecting surface of a corresponding first photo-detector. According to another aspect, the present invention also includes a solar concentrator includes at least two sun sensor assemblies mounted on the concentrator in a manner to help the solar concentrator track the sun. According to another aspect, the present invention also includes a method of processing electrical signals from two or more photo-detectors. According to yet another aspect, the present invention includes a sun tracking system that includes a solar panel that includes a solar concentrator and control system.

Apparatuses are disclosed for adjusting the position of the photovoltaic panels. The adjustments of the photovoltaic panels can be performed in two axes: pivot and tilt. The photovoltaic panels can be pivotably mounted along the longitudinal axis of rotatable frames. The substantially parallel photovoltaic panels in a frame can be simultaneously pivoted by a pivoting drive mechanism attached to the frame. Multiple tiltable frames can be arranged in parallel to each other, thus creating a 2-D matrix of the photovoltaic panels. The tiltable frames can be supported by an elevated structure permitting the unobstructed rotation of both the frames and the panels inside the frames. A controller can synchronize the tilt and pivot, such that the combined rotation of the photovoltaic panels results in the photovoltaic panels of the entire array being substantially perpendicular to the incident solar radiation.

A solar panel tracking system that can simultaneously rotate large arrays of solar panels position in multiple rows utilizing a single drive system. The drive system comprises a single actuation device that drives multiple rotational translation stages at each solar array row for tilting the panels to the correct position. A dual beam structure within each row insure appropriate panel support during rotation and provide the framework for simplified installation and maintenance.

Systems and methods of calibrating heliostat parameters for subsequent open-loop sun-tracking, the calibration based on driving artificial light source reflections from one or more heliostats into one or more image sensors.

A desalination apparatus for desalination of seawater or salty water, and purification of non-potable water, the apparatus comprising: a solar concentrator dish; a sun tracking system comprising at least one sensor for determining the relative position of the sun in the sky and a turning and a tilting mechanism for turning and tilting the dish towards the sun; an evaporation chamber positioned at a focal point of the solar concentrator dish, with an inlet linked to a non-potable water source; a condenser fluidically linked with the evaporation chamber for condensing vapor exiting the evaporation chamber into liquid; an outlet fluidically linked to the condenser for dispensing the condensed desalinated water; and a control unit for controlling entry of non-potable water into the evaporation chamber and for controlling the turning and tilting mechanism of the apparatus, cooperating with the sun-tracking system, all of which are supported on a stand.

The invention relates to a light-gathering wind and light complementary power station with an automatic sun tracking function and a maximum power point tracking function, which comprises a light-gathering device, a photovoltaic cell array device, a tracking driving device, a photovoltaic controller with a maximum power point tracking function, and a wind generating set, wherein the light-gathering device and the photovoltaic cell array device comprise a frame consisting of a Fresnel lens light-gathering device array and a photovoltaic cell array respectively; the tracking driving device comprises an intelligent control system for driving the light-gathering device and the photovoltaic cell array device to move in a sun-tracking manner, and a mechanical control and transmission device; the photovoltaic controller with the maximum power point tracking function consists of a voltage sampling circuit, a current sampling circuit and a microprocessor in which a multiplier and a comparator are arranged; and the wind generating set consists of a wind-driven generator and a wind turbine controller. The light-gathering wind and light complementary power station has high automation degree, light weight and high photoelectric conversion efficiency. By adopting the photovoltaic controller with the maximum power point tracking function, the investment cost of photoelectric power generation can be greatly lowered, and the power generating efficiency is greatly increased.

A sun-tracking solar drive can include hardware and/or be operated in accordance with a method in which angular deviations are compensated for operation including during forward tracking and backtracking. For example, the effects of thermal expansion and mechanical slop associated with certain components can be calculated and used for calculation of target angles that can provide for increased power output and improved shading avoidance.

The present invention provides a motor driven by shape memory alloys for use in a variety of applications. In the disclosed embodiment, the motor is used to drive a photovoltaic panel so that the panel may remain in appropriate alignment with the sun throughout the day. In such a configuration, the motor assembly relies upon the intrinsic properties of shape memory alloys, in conjunction with a spring assembly, in order to generate sufficient torque in order to rotate the photovoltaic panel. In order to control the orientation of the panel, the system relies upon a sun tracking mechanism which includes an analog sensor circuit, a plurality of phototransistors and a power source. Accordingly, the device is able to rotate the photovoltaic panel in discrete and precise increments as the day progresses.

A sun tracking system includes a first, and a second photo sensors, separately mounted on a solar panel on two positions apart from one another and symmetrical with respect to a center of the panel. A first sleeve surrounds the first photosensor; a second sleeve surrounds the second photosensor. Each of the sleeves has an inclined opening with reference to the surface of the panel.

This invention deals with the general topic of adaptive non-imaging tracking of the sun. A transmission-mode electro-optical system is presented for solar energy tracking and collection. The scale of the system may range from small portable systems to large-scale industrial power plants used for the production of environmentally benign energy. It maybe integrated directly into buildings and other platforms without the need for heliostats to hold photovoltaic cells or other energy conversion devices above the building or other host platform. It makes solar energy harvesting systems practical by allowing the separation of tracking, collection, concentration, aggregation, distribution, and energy conversion. This novel system is unique and distinct from other sun tracking and energy conversion systems because it allows adaptive solid-state electronics to be used in place of conventional mechanical tracking heliostats. Furthermore, it is highly precise and therefore allows very high levels of concentration to be achieved in an dynamic environment. It is also cost effective because it leverages integrated opto-electronics instead of mechanical devices to perform sun tracking.

A method for tracking the movement of the sun from East to West across the sky during daylight hours to enable solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or arrays of such panels to capture significantly more solar energy than fixed solar panels. Readily-available sun position data (taken from ephemeris or celestial navigation tables) can be programmed into read-only memory (ROM) chips. Date and time of day information can also be programmed into ROM chips powered by long-life, rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries. Using such ROM chip data, a solar panel or an array of solar panels can track the sun position provided that during installation (with the panels aimed longitudinally towards the South), the solar panels are positioned upwards towards the noontime sun position to establish a starting point. This enables the sun tracking system of the present invention to track the sun without requiring a solar sensing device. Sun tracking provides an increase of from about 20% to 50% increased solar energy capture compared with fixed, non-tracking solar panels. Experimental data is also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the present invention.

A distributed solar power generation and hot water supplying system includes: a photovoltaic power generation self-service sun tracking system, an inverter, a controller, a storage battery, a heat-exchanging water tank and an electric heater provided therein, wherein a solar battery and a solar collector are mounted on the photovoltaic power generation self-service sun tracking system, an electricity output terminal of the photovoltaic power generation self-service sun tracking system is respectively connected to an inversing input terminal of an inverter and a surplus power supplying input terminal of a controller; an MCU-controlled power output terminal of the inverter is respectively connected for off-grid power consumption or grid-connected power generation, and to an inversing output terminal of the controller; a charging/discharging control output/input terminal inside the inverter is connected to an input/output terminal of the storage battery and a storage battery power supplying input terminal of the controller.

The invention provides a sun-tracking device with an external rotating angle and an internal rotating angle, belonging to the technical field of solar energy utilization and track. The invention is characterized in that: an inner gimbal rotating shaft is connected with the outer gimbal, the outer gimbal rotating shaft is connected with a bracket; the inner gimbal, the outer gimbal and a fixed bolster are connected with each other through a shafting forming an outer gimbal rolling shaft which can rotate as the external rotating angle, the inner gimbal can rotate as the internal rotating angle and the external rotating angle, moreover; a rotating half wheel and a rotating driving bracket are arranged on the inner gimbal and the outer gimbal respectively, controlling the tracking trajectory in a hemispheric spherical surface range. The invention has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, strong wind resistance, suitability for concentrating light, lighting, fixing sun and other kinds of tracking, and suitability for tracking control of optics and real-time programs.

A sun tracking solar energy collection system can include torque tubes formed with a plurality of rotatable shafts connected to each other in an end to end fashion. The ends of the shafts can be connected with coupling devices in the form of an integrated coupling flange and mounting devices. The coupling flange can include a mounting surface that extends generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft. Additionally, the coupling flange can include a coupling face that extends generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation, so as to provide a mating face for an adjacent coupling flange to transmit torque from one shaft to another. The mounting flanges can be used to support devices such as solar energy collection devices including photovoltaic modules or other devices.

A system is provided for maximizing solar energy utilization by moving a solar panel to track movement of the sun from sunrise to sunset. Preferably, the solar panel is inclined from the horizontal plane by a fixed angle of about ten degrees. And, movements of the solar panel are accomplished, daily, in accordance with a programmed schedule of consecutive cycles. In this schedule, each cycle has a start time (i.e. sunrise) and a start point that is determined by the sun's direction from the solar panel.

A solar panel 100 comprising a cleaning assembly 102, the solar panel 100 being mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis along a semi-circular path and the cleaning assembly 102 comprises an oblong brush 120 held across the front face 116 of the solar panel 100 and slidable back and forth along the front face 116 of the solar panel 100 (FIG. 2).

This invention presents a robust design for a sun tracking control system where a capacitor(s) is charged from the solar panel and used to power a tracking control system and motor actuator(s). The control system periodically moves the solar array to a calculated sun position. The control system also monitors the energy stored in the capacitor(s) and makes its move decisions contingent on the level of stored energy. This added level of energy based decisions provide the tracking system a robust operating behavior to accommodate real world operating conditions with a simple rule set.