Solar Tracker Kinematic Coupling for Uneven Terrain Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solar trackers face challenges in aligning and adjusting solar energy collection devices due to land irregularities, leading to increased costs and complexity in landscaping and terracing to achieve perfect flatness, which hinders large-scale solar energy adoption.
Innovation Solution
A solar tracker system with a kinematic rotation drive device and additional ground support that uses a kinematic coupling device to adapt to static and dynamic ground irregularities, allowing a single motorized drive to operate multiple tables via a transmission of kinematic movement, eliminating the need for additional ground structures and enabling precise sun tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional alignment methods are used to achieve perfect flatness for solar tracker installation, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase due to landscaping and terracing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the solar tracker by introducing adjustable support legs with variable lengths. This allows the system to adapt to different ground elevations without requiring perfect flatness, thereby maintaining alignment precision while reducing installation complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The support legs are designed to be adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the solar tracker to dynamically adapt to ground irregularities. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to maintain proper alignment on uneven terrain without complex landscaping or terracing
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional alignment methods are used to achieve perfect flatness for solar tracker installation, then alignment precision is improved, but installation cost increases due to landscaping and terracing
Solution Approach 1:
By making the support leg lengths adjustable, the system can accommodate ground irregularities without expensive landscaping. This parameter change allows installation on natural terrain while maintaining alignment precision, significantly reducing installation cost
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable support legs are relatively simple, low-cost components compared to expensive landscaping and terracing operations. Using these simple adjustable mechanisms is more cost-effective than investing in complex ground modification projects
3Productivity
If a single motorized drive is used to operate multiple tables, then productivity is improved, but reliability decreases due to ground irregularities affecting movement synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable support legs allow each solar table to independently adapt to ground irregularities while being driven by a single motorized drive. This dynamic adjustment maintains movement synchronization across all tables, ensuring reliable operation and tracking performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into multiple independent solar tables, each with its own adjustable support legs. This segmentation allows each table to independently compensate for ground irregularities while remaining part of the synchronized multi-table system driven by a single motor
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a solar tracker (1000) comprising at least: • A trainer module (1100) comprising at least one mobile device comprising at least: • At least one additional module (1200) configured to be driven by the trainer module (1100 ), each additional module (1200) comprising at least one additional mobile device comprising at least: characterized in that: ▪ said solar tracker (1000) comprises at least one kinematic coupling device (1300) of said driver module (1100) with said additional module (1200); ▪ Said kinematic coupling device (1300) comprising at least a first part (1330) and at least a second part (1340), said first part (1330) being entirely supported by the mobile device of the trainer module (1100) and said second part (1340) being entirely supported by the additional mobile device of the additional module (1200).