Solar powered solar tracking system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar panel tracking systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks and require external power sources, limiting their efficiency and reliability in capturing solar energy, especially during adverse climate conditions and infrastructure disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A solar-powered, active solar tracking system with few moving parts that maintains solar panels perpendicular to the sun's rays without an external power source or internet connection, using a design that limits the angle of incidence between the sun's direct rays and the solar panels' normal line to less than ±8 degrees, ensuring high energy capture efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If active solar tracking systems are connected to external power sources and internet for control, then tracking precision and energy capture efficiency are improved, but vulnerability to cyber-attacks and power grid failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solar tracking system operates autonomously using only solar energy captured by the panels themselves, without external power sources or internet connectivity. The system self-regulates its tracking function through mechanical design that passively responds to solar position, eliminating dependence on vulnerable external infrastructure while maintaining high energy capture efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the vulnerable components (external power sources, internet connections, control systems) from the solar tracking system. By eliminating these external dependencies, the system achieves immunity to cyber-attacks and power grid failures while retaining core tracking functionality through pure mechanical solar-responsive design
2Productivity
If solar panels are kept stationary, then system complexity and power requirements are reduced, but energy capture efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic tracking capability through mechanical components that allow the solar panels to change orientation and position according to solar movement. The design incorporates movable joints and adjustable mounting structures that enable continuous optimization of panel angle and direction throughout the day, transforming a static system into an adaptive one that responds to changing solar positions
Solution Approach 2:
The solar tracking system employs periodic adjustment mechanisms that rotate or reposition panels at regular intervals corresponding to solar movement patterns. The mechanical design includes geared systems or cam mechanisms that automatically advance panel orientation through predetermined angular increments, maintaining optimal capture efficiency without requiring complex real-time control systems
3Productivity
If solar panels are repositioned frequently to track the sun, then energy capture efficiency is improved, but mechanical wear and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system incorporates protective measures against mechanical wear from the outset, including lubricated bearing surfaces, hardened steel contact points, and shock-absorbing mounting elements. These pre-installed protective features reduce friction and stress on moving parts during frequent repositioning operations, extending component life and minimizing maintenance needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs flexible coupling elements and elastomeric damping layers between rigid structural components. These flexible elements accommodate repeated motion cycles while absorbing mechanical stresses, preventing wear propagation to critical components and reducing the frequency of maintenance interventions
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 system captures over 99% of available diurnal solar energy, is impervious to cyber-attacks, and operates effectively without external power or internet connectivity, providing a reliable and efficient renewable energy solution.
Implementation Method 1
P-V solar panels collect solar irradiation, which is a direct current (DC) form of energy
Implementation Method 2
a mass positioner configured to change an angle between the support arm and the first shaft by moving a predetermined mass between a first position and a second position
Data Source
AI summary
A solar tracking system includes a base member, a first shaft rotatably coupled to the base member, a support arm pivotably coupled to the first shaft, a second shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end rotatably coupled to the support arm, a solar rack pivotably coupled to the second end of the second shaft, and a mass positioner configured to change an angle between the support arm and the first shaft by moving a predetermined mass between a first position and a second position.