Telescopic Guide Assembly for Misaligned Solar Panel Tables
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The misalignment of solar panel tables due to topographical differences and tracker angle variations complicates the navigation of robotic cleaning devices, leading to increased costs and complexity in bridging adjacent panels for effective cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic guide assembly that includes an inner pipe rotating and sliding within an outer pipe, with couplers for mechanical coupling to solar panel tables, allowing seamless movement of robotic devices across misaligned panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pinned and sliding bridges are used to create a smooth transition between panels, then the robotic device can navigate between misaligned solar panel tables, but the bridge design becomes highly complex requiring high amount of material and custom components, thereby increasing the cost
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge assembly incorporates a telescopic mechanism with an inner pipe that can extend and retract within an outer pipe, allowing the bridge to dynamically adjust its length and angle to accommodate varying misalignments between solar panel tables. This dynamic adjustment capability replaces the need for complex pinned and sliding mechanisms, achieving adaptability through a simpler telescopic design that reduces material requirements and custom components.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge assembly changes its geometric parameters (length and angle) by extending or retracting the inner pipe within the outer pipe. This parameter adjustment allows the bridge to adapt to different misalignment conditions between adjacent solar panel tables, providing a simple and cost-effective solution compared to fixed complex bridge designs.
2Ease of operation
If cleaning is performed only at zero tracker angle using one robotic device per tracker, then the robotic device can clean panels without navigation challenges, but a larger number of robotic devices are required, thereby increasing the cost
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge assembly enables a single robotic device to serve multiple solar panel tables by providing a navigable connection between misaligned panels. This multi-functional capability allows one robotic device to clean across multiple tables that would otherwise require separate devices, reducing the total quantity of robotic devices needed while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge assembly acts as an intermediary structure that connects adjacent solar panel tables, enabling the robotic device to transition between tables. This intermediary bridge allows the robotic device to navigate and clean multiple tables sequentially, eliminating the need for additional devices and reducing overall system cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If grading is performed to reduce contour angles, then the solar panel tables can be mounted more easily on support understructures, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the alignment adjustment function from the ground preparation process (grading) and transfers it to the bridge assembly. Instead of modifying the ground to achieve alignment, the bridge assembly itself provides the necessary alignment adjustment through its telescopic mechanism, eliminating the need for expensive grading operations while maintaining mounting ease.
Data Source
AI summary
A telescopic guide assembly for bridging a first solar panel table and a second solar panel table is disclosed. The telescopic guide assembly may include an inner pipe partially disposed within an outer pipe. The inner pipe may be configured to rotate within the outer pipe and may be further configured to partially slide-in or slide-out of the outer pipe. The telescopic guide assembly may further include a first coupler configured to mechanically couple the inner pipe with the first solar panel table at an associated first position on an inner side of the first solar panel table facing a second solar panel table, and a second coupler configured to mechanically couple the outer pipe with the second solar panel table at an associated second position on an inner side of the second solar panel table facing the first solar panel table.