Solar String Transport Container With Shock-Absorbing Lifting Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of mega solar power plants is inefficient due to lengthy assembly and installation processes, safety concerns for workers, and high costs, particularly in assembling and arranging solar strings at the power plant site, which requires a large workforce and is affected by weather instability.
Innovation Solution
A container for solar string transportation is designed with a lifting and loading mechanism that minimizes workspace, using a driving gear system with an endless chain and shock-absorbing members to efficiently load and unload solar strings, reducing the need for extensive manual labor and protecting the strings from damage during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If solar modules are assembled and installed manually at the power plant site, then flexibility in installation is maintained, but work time, labor costs, and safety risks increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Solar strings are pre-assembled in a factory setting before transportation to the power plant site. The container is pre-configured with lifting mechanisms and positioning structures that enable automated unloading and installation. This preliminary preparation of components and equipment significantly reduces on-site assembly time and improves work efficiency while maintaining installation flexibility through the modular container design.
2Productivity
If a large number of workers are deployed for manual assembly, then assembly work can be completed, but safety risks and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is equipped with automated lifting mechanisms, including a lifting device with a lifting bag, and positioning mechanisms that replace manual labor. These mechanical systems automatically lift, transfer, and position solar strings during unloading and installation, eliminating the need for workers to manually handle heavy components. This substitution dramatically improves safety by removing workers from hazardous manual handling tasks while maintaining high assembly capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If solar strings are transported without specialized protection, then transportation cost is reduced, but damage from shock and vibration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates shock-absorbing structures and vibration-dampening materials in the loading areas and during transportation. The lifting mechanism includes controlled lifting and lowering operations that prevent sudden shocks. These protective measures are built into the container design beforehand, ensuring solar strings are protected from damage during transport without requiring expensive specialized handling equipment or insurance.
4Device complexity
If manual unloading and installation methods are used, then equipment complexity is minimized, but work period extends due to weather dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The container features a dynamic lifting mechanism with a lifting bag that can be inflated and deflated to adapt to different loading and unloading conditions. The positioning mechanisms can adjust their operation based on environmental conditions such as wind or rain. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain efficient operation during weather variations that would otherwise force manual work pauses, reducing the overall work period without requiring overly complex fixed infrastructure.
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 container significantly reduces the time and cost of constructing mega solar power plants by enabling rapid and safe unloading and installation of solar strings, using a dedicated crane and fewer workers, while preventing damage to the solar strings during transport.
Implementation Method 1
a lifting device having a lifting bag for lifting the solar string
Implementation Method 2
a shock absorbing member for preventing damage to the solar string
Data Source
AI summary
A container for solar string transportation includes, on the inside of a solar-string storing section, a long-side side plate, and a short-side side plate, and has an upper opening of the solar-string storing section for loading and unloading, and a pair of solar-string lifting/lowering devices along the inner wall of the long-side side plate. The solar-string lifting/lowering device includes a driving gear section set on the bottom plate side, an endless chain member that revolves around a direction changing gear section set on the upper opening side, a plurality of solar-string placing devices fixed to the endless chain member and including, on the outer side thereof, a projecting section for placing the lower surface of an end edge of the solar string, and a shock absorbing member fixed to the back of the solar-string placing devices. The shock absorbing member holds the end edge upper surface of the solar string.