Solar Tracker Reduction Gearbox With ±90° Hard-Limit Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar photovoltaic tracking systems face limitations in adjusting the photovoltaic panel to angles beyond ±65°, which restricts their ability to withstand extreme weather conditions and poses safety hazards from hailstones, and they cannot rotate the panel to be perpendicular to the ground for effective snow clearance and land utilization.
Innovation Solution
A reduction gearbox with a housing, gear, worm, and limiting stoppers that allow a hard limiting angle of ±95° or more, enabling the panel to rotate to ±90°, featuring symmetrical limiting protrusions and stoppers to ensure stable meshing and robust support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single-limit stopper structure with gear limiting stopper is used, then the slewing drive has a hard limiting angle of about ±65°, but the photovoltaic panel cannot be rotated to be perpendicular to the ground, limiting the arrangement scope
Solution Approach 1:
The single limiting stopper structure is segmented into two separate limiting stoppers positioned at different locations. Each stopper provides a hard limit at different angles, enabling the system to achieve both the original ±65° tracking range and the extended capability to rotate to perpendicular position (±90° or more), thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The limiting mechanism is extended from a single angular dimension to multiple angular dimensions by adding another limiting stopper at a different position. This dimensional expansion of the limiting structure allows the photovoltaic panel to access additional angular positions including the perpendicular orientation, thereby increasing arrangement scope while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Device complexity
If the hard limiting angle is set at ±65°, then the slewing drive structure is simple, but the photovoltaic panel cannot protect itself from severe hailstorm damage
Solution Approach 1:
The limiting structure is divided into multiple independent limiting stoppers rather than using a single complex adjustable mechanism. This segmentation maintains structural simplicity while enabling the panel to reach protective angles (perpendicular position) that shield it from hailstone impact, thus protecting against harmful factors without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If the slewing drive cannot rotate to ±90°, then the current limiting structure works, but snow clearance and land utilization are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the limiting mechanism into multiple stoppers that allow rotation to ±90° or beyond, the system maintains the reliability and stability of the limiting structure while enabling the photovoltaic panel to achieve vertical positioning. This vertical position optimizes snow clearance efficiency and land utilization without compromising the mechanical stability of the sleving drive.
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 solution enables the panel to be rotated perpendicular to the ground, enhancing snow clearance and land utilization, while maintaining stable gear-worm meshing and reducing limiting failures, thus improving system resilience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a gear ring of the gear is meshed with the worm
Implementation Method 2
a gear, and a worm, where a gear ring of the gear is meshed with the worm
Implementation Method 3
a hard limiting structure is disposed between the limiting stopper and the gear; a first limiting protrusion and a second limiting protrusion that are symmetrical are disposed on at least one side of a gear ring of the gear, and the limiting stopper constitutes the hard limiting structure together with the first limiting protrusion and the second limiting protrusion
Data Source
AI summary
A reduction gearbox for solar photovoltaic tracking includes a housing, an end cover, a gear, and a worm. A first limiting stopper is disposed on the top of the housing. A first limiting protrusion and a second limiting protrusion are disposed on a side of a gear ring of the gear, and the first limiting stopper, the first limiting protrusion and the second limiting protrusion define a hard limiting structure. The sum of an included angle between outer end surfaces of the first and second limiting protrusions and a central angle of the first limiting stopper is less than or equal to 170°. The difference between a central angle of the gear ring of the gear and a central angle of the worm is greater than or equal to 180°.