V-Shaped Tensile Solar Structure for Vehicle Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar and wind electricity production structures on agricultural land face challenges in supporting large-sized plants while allowing large agricultural vehicles to pass underneath, as they need to be both robust and non-bulky to accommodate vehicle traffic.
Innovation Solution
A tensile structure with a checkerboard-shaped layout of upper and lower support cables, anchored to the ground with V-shaped supports and adjustable anchor cables, allowing for inclined positioning of solar panels between the cables, enabling large plant sizes without obstructing agricultural vehicle passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the support structure is made robust and large-sized to support significant weights, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the clearance for agricultural vehicles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar support structure to a three-dimensional spatial tensile structure. The V-shaped supports create vertical dimensionality, allowing the structure to achieve greater load-bearing capacity through spatial distribution of forces while maintaining clearance height for agricultural vehicles underneath the elevated photovoltaic panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into multiple V-shaped support units distributed across the agricultural land. Each V-shaped support independently bears load, and the collective arrangement provides both structural strength and sufficient passage space for vehicles. The segmentation allows optimization of each unit's load-bearing function while preserving overall land accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the support structure is made non-bulky to allow vehicle passage, then the accessibility for agricultural vehicles is improved, but the load-bearing capacity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical dimensionality through elevated photovoltaic panels and V-shaped supports, the structure creates three-dimensional space that accommodates both vehicle passage underneath and robust load-bearing capabilities. The elevation separates the structural support function from the land surface, maintaining accessibility while achieving structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The V-shaped supports are pre-configured with adjustable anchor cables that can be tensioned to achieve optimal load-bearing configuration before full operation. This preliminary structuring ensures that the supports are ready to bear significant weights while maintaining the cleared space needed for vehicle movement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tensile structure uses adjustable anchor cables and V-shaped supports, then the adaptability to different configurations is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The V-shaped supports incorporate adjustable anchor cables that allow modification of geometric parameters (tension, angle, position) to adapt to different site conditions and load requirements. This parameter adjustability provides configuration flexibility while using relatively simple V-shaped structural elements that do not dramatically increase overall complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Plant for the production of electricity positioned on a ground (G) comprising a tensile structure which keeps suspended a plurality of upper support cables (CS), parallel to each other and placed at a first predefined height from the ground and a plurality of lower support cables (CI), parallel to each other, and placed at a second height from the ground (G) equal to or lower than the first height, allowing a plurality of solar energy receptor devices (P) to be constrained between one of these upper cables and a lower one, so as to be substantially positioned inclined with respect to horizontally. The tensile structure comprises a plurality of elongated supports (SE, SIE, SII), connected to the ground with their lower portion and connected to such cables with their upper portion. Each of such supports is substantially "V" shaped, the vertex of which is associated with the ground and a lower support cable CI is associated with one of the wings of the V and an upper support cable CS is associated with the other.