Solar tracking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10965243-B2
Application number	US-201615765924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A solar tracking system for tracking the orientation of solar energy is disclosed. The solar tracking system may be integrated with solar cells and solar concentrators. The solar tracking system may have a first (22) and second (24) tracker module array that are opposite from another, aligned in substantially identical orientation, and form a tracker module pair array (1000). Tracker module pairs (12, 14; 12, 144) may allow motion relative to one another while maintaining substantially identical orientation. Solar concentrators may be attached to opposing tracker modules of a tracker module pair forming an array of solar concentrators. A base bar array (28) may be coupled to at least one tracker module pair. A transmission may operably rotate the base bar array and the tracker module pair array simultaneously.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar tracking system comprising:
a first tracker module array and a second tracker module array wherein the first tracker module array and second tracker module array are opposite one another, aligned in substantially identical orientation, and form a tracker module pair array comprising a plurality of interlinked tracker module pairs;
a plurality of solar concentrators wherein at least one solar concentrator is attached to and disposed between at least one tracker module pair;
a base bar array coupled to one of the tracker module arrays wherein the base bar array comprises a plurality of interlinked base bars; and
a transmission coupled to the base bar array and one of the tracker module arrays;
wherein the first and second tracker module arrays and the base bar array are configured to rotate around parallel axes at different angular speeds such that when the base bar array rotates an angle α relative to horizontal, the first and second tracker module arrays rotate a related angle θ relative to horizontal, wherein:
(i) θ>α when α>0; and
(ii) θ=α+β;
wherein α is the angle of the base bar array with the horizontal, θ is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the horizontal, and β is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the base bar array.

2. The solar tracking system of claim 1 , wherein each tracker module pair of the tracker module pair array is operably coupled to an adjacent tracker module pair of the tracker module pair array by a plurality of fitment features.

3. The solar tracking system of claim 2 , wherein the fitment features are protruding and receiving fitment features.

4. The solar tracking system of claim 1 , wherein each base bar of the base bar array is operably coupled to an adjacent base bar of the base bar array by a plurality of fitment features.

5. The solar tracking system of claim 2 , wherein the fitment features facilitate relative motion of adjacent tracker module pairs in a parallel direction to the major axis of the fitment features.

6. A solar tracking system comprising:
a tracker module pair array comprising a plurality of interlinked tracker module pairs;
wherein at least one tracker module pair has a dowel with a fixed end attached to it and a free end opposite the fixed end; and
wherein each tracker module pair is in contact with at least one adjacent tracker module pair by a plurality of fitment features;
wherein the fitment features maintain tracker module pairs at substantially identical orientation; and
wherein the fitment features allow adjacent tracker module pairs to move relative to one another;
an array of parabolic concentrators wherein each parabolic concentrator is disposed between a tracker module pair;
a base bar array comprising;
a plurality of interlinked base bars;
at least one circumscribing void; and
wherein a free end of the dowel is enveloped by the at least one circumscribing void; and
a transmission, operably coupled to the base bar array and the tracker module pair arrays;
wherein the tracker module pair array and the base bar array are configured to rotate around parallel axes at different angular speeds such that when the base bar array rotates an angle α relative to horizontal, the tracker module pair array rotates a related angle θ relative to horizontal, wherein:
(i) θ>α when α>0; and
(ii) θ=α+β;
wherein α is the angle of the base bar array with the horizontal, θ is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the horizontal, and β is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the base bar array.

7. The solar tracking system of claim 3 , wherein the transmission further comprises:
a power input shaft;
a base bar gearset and a base bar output shaft operably coupled to the base bar array; and
a tracker module gearset and a tracker module output shaft operably coupled to the tracker module pair array.

8. A solar tracking system comprising:
a row of first tracker modules and a row of second tracker modules;
wherein successive tracker modules of the row of first tracker modules and successive tracker modules of the row of second tracker modules form an array of tracker module pairs;
wherein each tracker module pair is in contact with at least one adjacent tracker module pair by a plurality of fitment features;
wherein the fitment features maintain the tracker module pairs at substantially identical orientation;
an array of solar concentrators wherein each concentrator is disposed between a tracker module pair;
a base bar array; and
a transmission with at least two gearsets, operably coupled to the base bar array and at least one tracker module;
wherein the array of tracker module pairs and the base bar array are configured to rotate around parallel axes at different angular speeds such that when the base bar array rotates an angle α relative to horizontal, the array of tracker module pairs rotates a related angle θ relative to horizontal, wherein:
(i) θ>α when α>0; and
(ii) θ=α+β;
wherein α is the angle of the base bar array with the horizontal, θ is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the horizontal, and β is the angle of the first and second tracker module arrays with the base bar array.

9. The solar tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the base bar array comprises a plurality of interlinked base bars with circumscribing voids.

10. The solar tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of interlinked base bars are maintained in substantially identical orientation.

11. The solar tracking system of claim 10 , wherein at least one circumscribing void freely envelops at least one dowel fixedly connected to a tracker module.

12. The solar tracking system of claim 11 , wherein the base bars are interlinked by a plurality of protruding and receiving fitment features.

13. The solar tracking system of claim 9 , wherein at least three tracker module pairs are operably coupled to at least three base bars.

14. The solar tracking system of claim 13 , wherein the transmission has at least two gearsets and one gearset is a base bar gearset and one gearset is a tracker module gearset.

15. The solar tracking system of claim 14 , wherein the base bar gearset is operably coupled to at least one base bar and the tracker module gearset is operably coupled to at least one tracker module.

16. The solar tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the transmission has at least one power input shaft operably coupled to a motor.

17. The solar tracking system of 16 , wherein the transmission has at least one mounting feature.

18. The solar tracking system of claim 8 , wherein at least one solar cell is placed at the focal plane of at least one solar concentrator of the solar concentrator array.

19. The solar tracking system of claim 8 , wherein each solar concentrator of the solar concentrator array is parabolic.

20. The solar tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the transmission is customizable.

21. The solar tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of fitment features facilitate relative motion of adjacent tracker module pairs in a parallel direction to the major axis of the fitment features.

22. The solar tracking system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of fitment features facilitate relative motion of adjacent base bars in a parallel direction to the major axis of the fitment features.

23. The solar tracking system of claim 4 , where

Assignees

• The Regents Of The Univ Of Michgian
• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Forrest Stephen R
• Lee Kyusang
• Qu Boning

Classifications

• F24S30/20

  for linear movement · CPC title

• F24S2030/14

  Movement guiding means · CPC title

• F24S2020/16

  Preventing shading effects · CPC title

• F24S2030/12

  Coupling means · CPC title

• F24S2023/872

  Assemblies of spaced reflective elements on common support, e.g. Fresnel reflectors · CPC title