Solar Tracker Motor Drive with Offset Gear for Clearance Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sun-tracking solar power systems face a challenge in integrating motor drives due to limited space below solar modules, leading to reduced land utilization, restricted motion range, or increased system costs, as current solutions require clearance gaps that compromise efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A motor drive system with a gearbox and gearmotor featuring an offset gear to separate power axes, allowing for compact design and additional clearance between solar modules and the motor drive, preventing contact and enabling wider rotation without increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If motor drives are integrated below solar modules, then land utilization is improved, but clearance space is reduced leading to restricted motion range
Solution Approach 1:
The offset gear shifts the motor drive assembly from a directly below position to a laterally offset position relative to the torque tube. This dimensional change allows the motor drives to be integrated into the limited space below solar modules while maintaining adequate clearance space through the offset arrangement, thus resolving the contradiction between land utilization and motion range.
2Reliability
If clearance gaps are increased to prevent contact, then reliability is improved, but land utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By offsetting the gear laterally from the torque tube centerline, the system maintains reliable clearance gaps to prevent contact between solar modules and motor drives during operation. This lateral offset arrangement achieves contact prevention without requiring excessive vertical clearance, thereby preserving land utilization efficiency.
3Area of stationary object
If motor drives are positioned closer to solar modules, then land utilization is improved, but risk of contact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset gear positions the motor drive assembly laterally offset from the torque tube, allowing close integration below solar modules for improved land utilization while maintaining sufficient clearance in the radial direction to prevent contact damage during module rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset gear acts as an intermediary mechanical element that transmits power from the motor to the torque tube while maintaining spatial separation. This intermediary arrangement enables close positioning for land efficiency while preventing harmful contact through the offset geometry.
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
This solution enhances land utilization by maintaining the solar modules' range of motion while preventing damage from contact, reducing system costs, and ensuring efficient tracking without compromising gear strength.
Implementation Method 1
A motor drive system with a gearbox and gearmotor featuring an offset gear to separate power axes
Data Source
AI summary
A solar-tracking photovoltaic (PV) system having a motor drive vertically below a PV module, is described. In an example, the motor drive rotates a torque tube holding the PV module. The motor drive may include a gearbox having a worm drive, and a gearmotor having an offset gear. The offset gear may be coupled to a planetary gear train along an axis of a worm of the worm drive, and the offset gear may be coupled to a motor along a shaft axis offset vertically below the worm axis. Accordingly, the motor may be offset vertically below the worm drive, i.e., farther from the PV laminate than the worm drive, and a rotational clearance for the PV laminate may be increased.