Solar Tracker Truss Structure Assembly for Increased Panel Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar tracker assemblies face limitations in size and weight, leading to reduced positioning accuracy and increased costs due to the need for expensive drives, and require a large number of assemblies in solar parks, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A solar tracker assembly with a truss structure for the table and assembly base, allowing for larger dimensions while maintaining low weight, using truss structure modules and cross beam structures to enhance support and reduce deflections, and employing less expensive drive units for precise angle adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the table dimensions are increased to support more solar modules, then the number of solar collectors supported increases, but the table weight increases causing bending around the coupling point and reducing positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The table is divided into multiple separate tables, each supported by its own coupling point to the mast. This segmentation allows each table to maintain sufficient rigidity and positioning accuracy while collectively supporting a larger number of solar collectors across multiple tables, thus resolving the contradiction between quantity supported and positioning precision.
2Quantity of substance
If an intermediate structure is added to support larger table dimensions, then the table can carry more solar panels, but the overall weight of the solar tracker assembly increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The solar tracker assembly is segmented into multiple independent units, each with its own mast and table. By distributing the load across multiple masts rather than using a single large table with intermediate support structures, the system can carry more solar panels without significantly increasing the weight of any single moving assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If expensive drives are used to achieve precise angle adjustment of the table, then positioning precision improves, but the total costs of the solar tracker assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple smaller tables instead of one large table, allowing each table to be adjusted with simpler, less expensive drives. The segmentation reduces the precision requirements and mechanical complexity for each individual drive mechanism, thereby lowering the total cost while maintaining adequate positioning precision for solar energy collection.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a solar tracker assembly, particularly for solar collectors, with a table structure for supporting the solar collectors, particularly solar collector panels and/or solar collector assemblies, and with an assembly for carrying the table structure, wherein the table structure is rotatable relative to the assembly base at least about one axis of rotation. For allowing the table for supporting respective solar panels to have sufficiently large dimensions in order to accommodate an increased number of solar collectors in an easy way and, at the same time, to enable the table to be positioned at a precise angle with reduced effort, it is suggested that at least a portion of the table structure and/or a portion of the assembly base is formed as a truss structure.