Solar-Tracking Carport Canopy for Fast Modular Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional processes for building solar carports are costly, inefficient, and often require extensive on-site labor, leading to prohibitive costs and extended site occupation times. Additionally, existing technologies lack standardization and scalability, making it difficult to deploy large-scale solar carports effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of a solar tracking carport system that includes a supporting structure, a three-dimensionally rigid canopy deck with solar panels, a deck frame, and a drive system that allows the canopy deck to tilt and rotate to track the sun. This system is modular, prefabricated, and designed for quick deployment, reducing on-site labor and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual assembly processes are used for solar carports, then labor flexibility is maintained, but construction cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The solar carport system is divided into modular components including solar panels with integrated framing, pre-assembled canopy sections, and standardized support structures. This segmentation enables factory pre-assembly and rapid on-site deployment, directly addressing the contradiction by improving construction speed while keeping assembly system complexity manageable through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Critical assembly operations such as solar panel mounting to framing, electrical connections, and structural welding are performed in advance during factory manufacturing. This preliminary action eliminates time-consuming on-site labor for these tasks, significantly improving construction speed without requiring complex on-site assembly equipment
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom-designed solar carports are built individually, then site-specific requirements are met, but scalability and cost efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The solar carport system employs universal modular components with standardized interfaces that can be configured for different site requirements. The same basic solar panel modules, framing systems, and support structures can adapt to various span lengths, heights, and ground conditions through modular arrangement rather than custom design, achieving both site adaptability and manufacturing economy
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows configuration variations through parameter changes in modular assembly rather than custom manufacturing. By adjusting the number of modules, their arrangement patterns, and standard component specifications, the system adapts to different site requirements while maintaining standardized production processes that reduce manufacturing costs
3Productivity
If fixed-angle solar panels are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but energy production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The solar carport system incorporates movable mounting mechanisms that enable the solar panels to adjust their angle dynamically. This dynamic capability allows tracking of the sun's movement across the sky, significantly improving energy production while the complexity is managed through standardized motion mechanisms and control systems
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 solar tracking carport system enables efficient energy production by dynamically orienting solar panels to maximize sunlight exposure, while also providing a cost-effective and scalable solution for deploying large-scale solar carports. The modular design allows for rapid installation and adaptability to various site configurations.
Implementation Method 1
each of the upper blocks including at least one solar panel
Data Source
AI summary
A solar tracking carport comprises a supporting structure including a foundation and at least two columns; a three-dimensionally rigid canopy deck having a length from a first edge to a second edge of at least one car, the deck including one or more upper blocks, each upper block being rigid in its longitudinal direction, each upper block including at least one solar panel; a deck frame configured to support the one or more upper blocks, the deck frame including a torque transmitting member; a rotation enabling connection configured to rotatably connect the torque transmitting member to the at least two columns; and a drive system configured to control tilting of the deck about the supporting structure over one axis of rotation to a first maximum angle in a first direction and to a second maximum angle in a second direction.