Retractable Wiring System for Photovoltaic Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Assembling photovoltaic arrays is a time-consuming process due to complex wire management, which involves mechanical assembly and electrical coupling, often requiring significant time and effort to manage slack wires and prevent sagging, leading to increased installation time and reduced quality.
Innovation Solution
A photovoltaic module with a retractable wiring system that uses wire retraction mechanisms, such as springs and rotating lever arms, to maintain tension on wires, allowing them to snap back into position after installation, eliminating the need for wire clips and preventing sagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wire clips or fasteners are used to manage wires during installation, then wire accessibility and connection flexibility are improved, but installation time increases significantly due to the need to affix, remove, and adjust clips
Solution Approach 1:
The wire management system is pre-configured on the module frame before installation. Wire guides are attached to the frame in advance, and wires are routed through them during manufacturing or pre-installation preparation. This eliminates the need for installers to affix clips or fasteners at the installation site, as the wire management infrastructure is already in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire management system is designed to be self-regulating through the natural tension and routing of wires through pre-installed guides. The system automatically maintains wire organization and accessibility without requiring continuous human intervention to adjust or reposition clips during the installation process.
2Ease of operation
If slack wire is provided for connection flexibility, then ease of electrical coupling is improved, but wire sagging and aesthetic issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Wire guides are positioned at multiple locations and orientations on the module frame, creating a three-dimensional routing path for wires. This allows wires to maintain proper tension and follow a controlled spatial trajectory, preventing sagging while preserving the necessary flexibility for electrical connections between modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the wire route have different guide configurations tailored to their specific needs. Areas requiring flexibility have guides that allow movement, while areas requiring tension maintenance have guides that constrain wire position. This localized optimization resolves the contradiction between flexibility and sagging prevention in different regions of the wire path.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The retractable wiring system simplifies and speeds up the installation process, reduces the need for manual wire management, and maintains wire tension to prevent sagging and damage, enhancing installation quality and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The wire retraction mechanism may include springs that urge components connected to the wire to rotate a particular direction so as to maintain tension on the wire.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for assembling and wiring photovoltaic arrays are provided. The wiring systems can include retractable wires included in photovoltaic modules that may be extended during installation of photovoltaic modules in the array to connect to wires of adjacent photovoltaic modules, which can retract into a tightened position under the array as the installation is completed. The wires may be made retractable by wire retraction mechanisms mounted to a frame of the photovoltaic module, which maintain a desired tension on the wires of the photovoltaic module. The wire retraction mechanism may include springs that urge components connected to the wire to rotate a particular direction so as to maintain tension on the wire. The wiring systems may also have wire guides to keep the wires accessible for installation and adjustment.