Ground Mounting Assembly With Stabilizing Plates for Wind Uplift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground mounting structures for solar panels and other outdoor installations are unstable under high winds, particularly in loose or sandy soil, due to insufficient underground resistance, and traditional solutions like cement caps are costly and permanent, limiting flexibility in installation modifications.
Innovation Solution
A ground mounting assembly using posts connected to stabilizing elements such as flat plates or half-pyramid structures, with cross members for added stability, allowing for attachment of solar panels and other structures, and a method involving excavation, attachment of stabilizing elements, and backfilling to enhance stability without the need for permanent fixtures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If posts with sufficient underground surface area are used to provide adequate resistance to wind forces, then stability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element is divided into a plate portion and a point portion that can be separately driven into the ground. The plate portion attaches to the post while the point portion penetrates deeper into the ground, creating a segmented system that provides enhanced stability without requiring a single complex deep-buried structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing element extends the underground resistance in a different dimensional approach by using a plate portion that provides broad surface area resistance combined with a point portion that penetrates vertically. This multi-dimensional approach (horizontal plate area + vertical point penetration) achieves superior stability compared to traditional single-dimension posts.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cement caps are poured over the mounting structure to address instability, then stability is improved, but cost increases and adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element system is designed to be adjustable and adaptable rather than permanent. The plate and point portions can be positioned at different depths and orientations, and the entire system can be removed or repositioned without permanent installation, providing dynamic adaptability that cement caps cannot offer.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing element allows for parameter adjustments in terms of burial depth, plate orientation, and point portion penetration depth. These adjustable parameters enable the system to be optimized for different soil conditions and wind loads without requiring permanent cement encapsulation, maintaining adaptability while achieving stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional posts are used in loose or sandy soil, then installation simplicity is maintained, but stability deteriorates under wind forces
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element acts as an intermediary component between the post and the ground. Rather than relying solely on the post to provide all stability, the stabilizing element mediates the connection by providing additional anchoring through its plate and point portions, effectively bridging the weakness of loose or sandy soil conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A ground mounting assembly, system and methods for ground mounting a structure include one or a plurality of posts, each of which are attached to at least one stabilizing plate. The posts may be at least partially positioned underground, with the stabilizing plates being buried to a depth of, for example, about 1 foot. Posts in a front portion of the mounting assembly optionally may be connected to an adjacent one of posts in a back portion of the assembly by a cross member. A ground mounted post that is driven them lifted to deploy uplift members. A ground mounting system based on a double pounder pile driven mono pole is also described.