Single-Axis Solar Tracker Wind Screens for Wind Load Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solar collectors face increased construction and installation costs due to the need for rigid structures to withstand wind loading, which can cause them to retreat to a stow mode at high wind speeds, reducing solar power generation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of wind screens that pivot, adjust, and connect solar collectors to divert wind, creating a continuous surface that mitigates wind-induced lift and allows the collectors to maintain optimal tracking positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the solar collector uses a rigid structure to withstand wind loading, then the structural strength is improved, but the construction and installation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
A wind screen is introduced as an intermediary element between the wind and the solar collector. The wind screen diverts wind flow around the collector, reducing wind loading on the structure. This allows the use of less rigid and cheaper support structures while still protecting against wind forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind screen provides preliminary protection by deflecting wind before it can act on the solar collector. By intercepting and redirecting wind flow in advance, the screen prevents high wind loads from reaching the collector structure, eliminating the need for expensive wind-resistant engineering.
2Reliability
If the solar collector retreats to a stow mode at high wind speeds, then the structural reliability is improved, but the solar power generation time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The wind screen acts as a protective intermediary that allows the collector to remain in tracking mode during windy conditions. By diverting wind flow, the screen maintains structural reliability without requiring the collector to retreat to stow mode, thus preserving solar power generation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind screen is designed to dynamically adapt to the collector's position and wind conditions. The screen can change orientation and configuration to maintain optimal wind diversion while allowing the collector to continue tracking the sun, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity under varying conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the solar collector uses a rigid structure to withstand wind loading, then the wind resistance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than making the collector structure itself more complex and rigid to resist wind, a separate wind screen intermediary is used. This screen handles the wind resistance function independently, allowing the collector structure to remain simple while still achieving high wind resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind protection function is segmented from the collector structure. The wind screen is a separate, dedicated component that handles wind diversion, while the collector focuses on solar energy collection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall device complexity.
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
Reduces the sensitivity of solar collectors to wind loading, lowering construction costs and increasing the time they can actively track the sun, while maintaining efficient energy collection.
Implementation Method 1
The wind screen may comprise one or more screens that couple the outer edges of the panels to the ground so as to divert the wind over the collector
Data Source
AI summary
Wind screens for reducing wind loading on one or more solar collectors are disclosed. The wind screens move with the solar collector as the collector tracks the sun in one or more dimensions. The wind screen pivotably connects to at least one solar panel of the collector. Another side of the wind screen may connect to the ground or to an adjacent collect, thus serving to divert wind over the collector. Wind screens may be made of various materials including rigid, flexible, or elastic materials and can change position, orientation, and/or effective length as the one or more collectors track the sun from East to West.