Support frames for solar trackers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of solar tracking systems is costly and time-consuming due to the use of piers that require heavy machinery and lengthy processes, such as pile driving or micro-pile casting.
Innovation Solution
A pier design for solar tracking systems that includes a bearing housing assembly, a frame with a pair of legs and a crown, and a mounting bracket, which allows for secure coupling without fasteners, using inclined washers and crimped annular ridges to resist rotation and twisting, and a damper assembly with upper and lower mounts to stabilize the torque tube.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional piers (C-channels, W-channels, I-beams) are driven deep into the ground using heavy machinery, then the solar tracking system achieves stable support, but the installation becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The pier is divided into multiple segments (first pier segment, second pier segment, third pier segment) that can be assembled in a modular fashion. This segmentation allows for easier handling and installation without requiring heavy machinery to drive entire-length piers, while maintaining structural stability through the interconnected segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The pier segments are designed to nest within each other, with the second pier segment receiving the first pier segment and the third pier segment receiving the second pier segment. This nested configuration provides stable support while enabling modular assembly that reduces installation time and equipment requirements.
2Reliability
If traditional piers are driven deep into the ground using heavy machinery, then the solar tracking system achieves stable support, but the installation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pier is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site, reducing the need for expensive heavy machinery and specialized installation equipment. This modular approach lowers installation costs while maintaining support stability through proper segment connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The pier segments incorporate self-aligning features and connection mechanisms that facilitate easy assembly without requiring specialized equipment or highly skilled labor, thereby reducing installation costs while ensuring stable support.
3Reliability
If the mounting bracket uses fasteners to couple the bearing housing assembly, then the connection is secure, but the installation becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is designed with an integrated crimping mechanism that combines the functions of attachment and securing into a single operation. The crimped annular ridges merge the connection function into the bracket structure itself, eliminating the need for separate fasteners and reducing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical fastening system (screws, bolts, nuts) with a crimping mechanism that uses deformation of annular ridges to create secure connections. This substitution simplifies the assembly process by eliminating multiple fastener installation steps while maintaining connection security.
4Reliability
If the solar tracker uses traditional damper mounting methods, then the torque tube is stabilized, but the rotation becomes less smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The damper assembly incorporates a spherical interface between the upper damper mount and the torque tube that provides localized smooth contact. This spherical geometry ensures smooth rotation at the critical contact point while the rest of the damper mounting structure maintains torque tube stability through secure attachment to the pier.
Data Source
AI summary
A pier for a solar tracking system includes a bearing housing assembly, a frame, the frame defining an A-profile having a pair of legs and a crown at a center portion thereof, and a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket coupled to a portion of the crown of the frame at a first portion thereof and coupled to a portion of the bearing housing assembly at a second portion thereof.