Centrale solaire déployable

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing deployable solar power plants face challenges in easy deployment and folding, particularly for large-scale systems, with prior solutions involving rails or vehicles increasing weight and complexity, and requiring delicate handling.

Innovation Solution

A deployable solar power plant design using large-diameter wheels on the lower edges of solar panels, positioned in non-aligned planes to allow accordion-style deployment and folding without rails, facilitated by reversible locking mechanisms for orderly deployment and folding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If rails are used to guide the lower edges of solar panels during deployment, then the deployment guidance is improved, but the weight and size of the solar power plant in folded position increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment guidanceVSAvoidweight of solar power plant
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the rails from the system entirely, extracting the harmful guiding element that caused weight and size increases. Instead of using rails to guide panel deployment, the invention uses the terrain itself as the guiding surface, with wheels rolling directly on the ground to achieve deployment without additional structural components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces wheels as intermediary elements between the solar panels and the terrain. These wheels serve as the mediating component that enables guided deployment through rolling motion on the terrain surface, replacing the need for rigid rail structures while maintaining control over the deployment process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If rails are used to guide the lower edges of solar panels during deployment, then the deployment guidance is improved, but the deployment manipulation becomes more delicate and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeployment guidanceVSAvoiddeployment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the rails that required delicate and time-consuming manipulations for installation and removal. By eliminating this complex guiding infrastructure, the deployment process becomes simpler and faster, relying instead on the natural terrain for guidance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The terrain itself serves as the guiding surface, providing automatic guidance for panel deployment without requiring external rail structures. The wheels naturally follow the terrain surface, enabling self-guided deployment that reduces manual intervention and time requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Volume of stationary object

If small wheels are used associated with lower edges of solar panels, then the compact folding is improved, but the wheels cannot support large diameter requirements for terrain mobility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefolded volumeVSAvoidwheel diameter
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions wheels in different spatial planes rather than aligning them in a single plane. This dimensional arrangement allows wheels to be distributed across multiple levels, enabling larger wheel diameters for terrain mobility while maintaining compact folded volume through strategic spatial distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent arranges wheels at different heights and positions so that they can nest or overlap in the folded configuration. This nesting arrangement allows larger diameter wheels to be accommodated within the compact folded volume, as wheels are positioned in staggered planes rather than requiring uniform spacing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP4517212B1Centrale solaire déployable
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 GROUPE ROY ENERGIE
  • EP4517212B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4517212B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP4517212B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a deployable accordion-style solar power plant (1), comprising a plurality of solar panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) movable between a deployed configuration and a folded configuration, these panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) being assembled in pairs (21, 22, 23), by a hinge (2) connecting the upper edges of each of the panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), the lower edges of each of the panels of each pair (21, 22, 23) being associated with wheels (51, 52, 53, 54). According to the invention, each of the wheels (51, 52, 53, 54) associated with one of the lower edges of the panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) forming a pair (21, 22, 23) is placed in a plane distant from the planes in which are placed the other wheels (51, 52, 53, 54) associated with the lower edges of the panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) forming this pair (21, 22, 23).