Solar Tracker Damper Assembly with Locking Valve for High Wind Events
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar tracker systems face challenges in managing high intermittent loads during extreme weather events, as traditional damper systems allow for flexing rotational movement but fail to effectively lock panels in a stable orientation to reduce drag and prevent wear.
Innovation Solution
A solar tracker system with a damper assembly that includes a torque tube, column, and a damper assembly with a locking valve mechanism, allowing for traditional damping during normal operation and torsional locking during high load events, utilizing a piston and fluid circuit with a binary damper valve and active lock to adjust resistance forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional damper systems are used to absorb external forces during normal operation, then the panels can flex and move freely, but the system fails to lock panels during high load events, causing increased wear and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The damper assembly incorporates a locking valve with a shaft that can dynamically transition between two positions: a first position allowing fluid flow and panel movement during normal operation, and a second position blocking fluid flow and locking the panel in place during high load events. This dynamic switching capability resolves the contradiction by adapting the system's mechanical properties to match operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow resistance parameter of the damper assembly by switching the locking valve between open and closed states. During normal operation, the valve allows free fluid flow providing low resistance. During high load events, the valve closes to block fluid flow, dramatically increasing resistance and preventing panel movement, thus protecting the system from damage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the damper assembly locks the panel during high wind events, then drag and wear are reduced, but the system complexity increases due to the locking valve mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The locking valve mechanism is integrated within the existing damper assembly structure, merging the locking function with the damping function. The valve shaft, seal, and spring components are incorporated into the damper's fluid circuit, allowing the system to gain locking capability without requiring a completely separate locking mechanism, thus limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking valve incorporates a spring that automatically biases the shaft to the closed (locked) position. When fluid pressure drops during high wind events, the spring automatically actuates the locking mechanism without requiring external control systems or additional actuators, enabling the system to protect itself autonomously.
3Reliability
If the locking valve uses a spring mechanism to block fluid flow, then the locking action is automatic and reliable, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase for the seal and shaft alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The locking valve uses a flexible seal (such as an O-ring or elastomeric seal) that can deform to accommodate minor manufacturing tolerances and misalignments. The seal is positioned on the shaft to create a fluid-tight barrier when the shaft moves to the closed position, and its flexibility allows it to maintain sealing effectiveness even with slight variations in shaft positioning, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
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 system effectively absorbs external loads during normal conditions while locking the panels in a stable orientation during high wind events, reducing drag and wear on the tracker system, thereby enhancing the durability and efficiency of the solar array.
Implementation Method 1
a piston at least partially positioned within the inner shell for moving fluid within the fluid circuit
Implementation Method 2
a seal attached to the shaft... in a sealed position in which the seal contacts the chamber wall and the locking valve obstructs the flow path
Data Source
AI summary
Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel attached to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an outer shell surrounding an inner shell and defining an outer fluid channel. A piston is positioned within the inner shell and moveable relative thereto. A locking valve of the damper assembly includes a shaft extending into a chamber and a seal attached to the shaft. The shaft is selectively moveable axially within the chamber along an extension axis between an unsealed position in which the seal is spaced from a chamber wall and a flow path is defined that extends from within the inner shell, through the chamber, and to the outer fluid channel, and a sealed position in which the seal contacts the chamber wall and the locking valve obstructs the flow path.