Concrete A-Frame Foundations for Stable Solar Trackers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Solar tracking systems face challenges in maintaining structural stability and efficiency due to dynamic loads from natural forces and system operation, while incurring high material and installation costs for foundations and supports.
Innovation Solution
The use of concrete foundations for solar tracker A-frame supports, featuring optimized bore designs and temporary support jigs, allows for reduced material usage and improved structural stability, with methods that include creating bores, inserting A-frame supports, and pouring concrete while using temporary jigs for support during curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional foundation installation methods are used for solar tracker supports, then structural stability can be achieved, but material costs and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation system is segmented into distinct functional components: the bore hole structure, the concrete foundation mass, and the A-frame support integration. This segmentation allows for optimized material usage in each zone, reducing overall material requirements while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes foundation parameters including bore depth, concrete volume, and reinforcement placement to achieve minimum viable structural stability. By carefully controlling these parameters, the foundation uses reduced material quantities while still meeting structural requirements, directly lowering material costs.
2Stability of the object's composition
If larger and more extensive foundations are used, then structural stability improves, but installation time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The A-frame support is positioned and aligned within the bore hole before concrete pouring. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the support achieves correct structural alignment without requiring additional adjustment operations after concrete hardening, thereby maintaining installation efficiency while ensuring foundation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The concrete foundation is designed to self-level and self-support during the curing process, with the A-frame support acting as its own alignment reference. This eliminates the need for complex external alignment devices or multiple adjustment operations, improving installation productivity while ensuring stable foundation composition.
3Strength
If more support material is used for A-frame structures, then structural stability increases, but material costs increase by up to 50%
Solution Approach 1:
The A-frame support structure employs asymmetric leg positioning and varying leg lengths optimized for the specific foundation configuration. This asymmetric design allows the structure to achieve maximum structural stability with minimum material by strategically placing support elements where they are most effective, rather than using uniform over-engineered dimensions throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The A-frame support and foundation system applies local quality optimization by concentrating reinforcement and material usage in specific high-stress zones rather than uniformly throughout the entire structure. This allows the support structure to achieve required stability levels with reduced overall material quantity, directly addressing the cost reduction goal.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for installing one or more solar module A-frame supports includes: creating a bore extending a depth below a ground surface, placing a temporary support jig adjacent the bore, inserting a leg of a solar module A-frame support into the bore such that a portion of the leg of the solar module A-frame support is within the bore and a portion of the leg of the solar module A-frame support contacts the temporary support jig, when the portion of the leg of the solar module A-frame support is within the bore and the portion of the leg of the solar module A-frame support contacts the temporary support jig, pouring concrete into the bore, and, after pouring concrete into the bore, removing the temporary support jig from contact with the leg of the solar module A-frame support.