Tilting solar panel mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar panel mounts face challenges in safely and easily tilting solar panels between winter and summer positions, as well as daily rotations, due to unbalanced twisting moments, which can be unsafe for manual handling and require high-torque motors or geared systems.
Innovation Solution
A solar panel mount with a restoring moment element, such as torsion springs or counterweights, that counteracts gravitational moments, allowing for safe and easy tilting by minimizing external forces required, and maintaining balance across a range of angular positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If solar panels are tilted between winter and summer positions using conventional articulating mechanisms, then seasonal energy production is improved, but large unbalanced twisting moments create safety hazards and require high-torque motors or geared systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles by positioning the solar panel array's center of gravity to align vertically with the pivot axis at the nominal operating angle. This gravitational alignment creates a self-balancing effect that counteracts the unbalanced twisting moments during tilting operations, eliminating safety hazards and reducing the need for high-torque motors or complex geared systems while maintaining improved seasonal energy production
2Use of energy by moving object
If solar panels are tilted to account for seasonal Sun elevation changes, then electrical energy production is significantly increased, but manual handling becomes unsafe due to unbalanced moments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a gravitational equipotential condition by aligning the panel array's center of gravity vertically with the pivot axis at the nominal angle. This positioning ensures that gravitational forces act through the pivot point, creating no rotational moment about the pivot. As a result, manual tilting operations become safe and easy to perform while maintaining the seasonal orientation adjustments that significantly increase electrical energy production
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional articulating mechanisms are used for panel tilting, then seasonal orientation adjustment is achieved, but high-torque motors or geared systems are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for high-torque motors and complex geared systems by redesigning the articulating mechanism to utilize gravitational balancing. By positioning the center of gravity vertically above the pivot axis at the nominal operating angle, the system uses gravity itself to balance the panels during tilting operations, thereby removing the requirement for complex motorized solutions while maintaining full seasonal orientation adjustability
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 solution enables safer manual tilting and reduces the need for high-torque motors, facilitating efficient energy production by maintaining balance and reducing the external forces needed to tilt solar panels, thus enhancing energy collection efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a restoring moment element operatively connected to the solar panel carrier and configured to exert a restoring moment on the solar panel carrier opposite in direction and approximately equal in magnitude to a gravitational moment
Implementation Method 2
a pivot configured to pivotably secure the solar panel carrier with respect to a support structure so that the solar panel carrier is tiltable about a pivot axis between a first angular position, a second angular position, and a nominal angular position
Data Source
AI summary
An example device for mounting for a solar array may include a solar panel carrier configured to receive a solar array to form a panel assembly; a pivot configured to pivotably secure the solar panel carrier with respect to a support structure; and/or a restoring moment element operatively connected to the solar panel carrier and configured to exert a restoring moment on the solar panel carrier opposite in direction and approximately equal in magnitude to a gravitational moment of the panel assembly when the solar panel carrier is tilted to various angular positions. When the solar panel carrier is at a nominal angular position, a center of gravity of the panel assembly may be above and substantially vertically aligned with the pivot axis.