Solar Panel Installation Vehicle With Overhead Hopper Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar panel installation methods, including those for solar tracking systems, require significant manual labor, are time-consuming, and often necessitate daytime installation due to visibility needs, limiting efficiency and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A solar panel installation system utilizing a robotic solar panel dispensing hopper and installation vehicle, which can automate the overhead or lateral installation of solar panels onto a torque tube-based solar tracking system, minimizing manual labor and enabling nighttime installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual installation methods are used, then installation can be performed with simple equipment, but installation time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The installation vehicle performs installation operations autonomously without requiring external assistance. The robotic arm automatically picks up solar panels from the hopper, transports them to mounting positions, and secures them to the torque tube structure, enabling the system to service itself during the installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation vehicle integrates multiple functions into a single platform: it carries a hopper for panel storage, includes a robotic arm for panel manipulation, provides navigation capabilities for movement along the torque tube, and incorporates mounting mechanisms for panel installation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate equipment for each installation task.
2Loss of time
If daytime installation is required for visibility, then workers can see and work safely, but a significant number of installation hours are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces human visual inspection and manual operations with robotic systems equipped with sensors and automated vision systems. The robotic arm uses optical sensors and cameras to detect panel positions, navigate the torque tube structure, and execute precise mounting operations, eliminating the need for human visibility during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation vehicle serves as an intermediary between the solar panels and the torque tube structure. It carries the panels in its hopper, positions them using its robotic arm, and secures them to the structure, thereby mediating the entire installation process without requiring direct human intervention or visibility.
3Loss of time
If large lights are deployed for nighttime installation, then installation can continue after dark, but costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The installation vehicle is self-sufficient for nighttime operations, using its own onboard lighting systems and sensor arrays to perform installation tasks after dark. The vehicle carries its own illumination sources that provide targeted lighting at the work area, eliminating the need for external lighting infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional visual work (requiring ambient light) to three-dimensional spatial navigation using sensor data. The robotic system uses depth sensors, LIDAR, and camera arrays to build spatial maps and navigate the torque tube structure in three-dimensional space, allowing operation independent of ambient light conditions.
4Ease of operation
If manual panel mounting is performed, then equipment requirements are minimal, but labor intensity and installation duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm performs panel mounting operations autonomously, picking up panels from the hopper, positioning them at mounting locations, and securing them to the torque tube without human intervention. The system services itself by automatically repeating the pick-place-secure cycle across multiple panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation vehicle maintains continuous productive action by keeping the hopper stocked with panels, the robotic arm continuously operational, and the mounting process uninterrupted. The vehicle moves systematically along the torque tube, ensuring that useful installation action continues without breaks, delays, or idle time throughout the installation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A solar panel installation system comprising a solar panel presentation system comprising a solar panel dispensing hopper having a hopper enclosure; and a solar panel installation vehicle operable with the solar panel presentation system, and operable to support the solar panel dispensing hopper, and to maneuver about a solar panel support assembly comprising one or more solar panel retention systems which can be oriented transverse to a torque tube of the solar panel support assembly, wherein the installation vehicle is operable to position the solar panel dispensing hopper in an overhead position relative to the one or more solar panel retention systems, and to facilitate installation of a lead solar panel in an installed position in one of the one or more panel retention systems from the overhead position.