Method For Outdoor Installation Of An Array Of Solar Converters, And Carriage Used In The Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024001836-A1
Application number	US-202118037850-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 24, 2020
Publication date	Jan 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for outdoor installation of an array of solar converters, for example photovoltaic solar panels or solar mirrors, and a carriage for transport and the outdoor installation of the array of solar converters. The array of solar converters is assembled including a supporting frame having a longitudinal beam and cross members which together engage and support the solar converters. The carriage includes a lifting device and an auxiliary support structure including clamping devices which receive the longitudinal beam of the assembled array. The carriage engages the assembled array and transports it to an installation field. The lifting device raises and deposits the assembled array on predetermined support posts. The lifting device is lowered to disengage the carriage from the installed array and the carriage returns to engage another assembled array for transport and installation.

First claim

1 . A method for outdoor installation of an array of solar converters including a supporting frame and a plurality of solar converters mounted on the supporting frame,
wherein said supporting frame is to be laid on a supporting structure comprising an aligned series of supporting posts arranged in an installation field, wherein a vehicle is configured to transport the array of solar converters and for laying said array of solar converters on said supporting post, wherein the vehicle comprises a lifting device configured to support and displace the array between a raised position and a lowered position, maintaining a general plane of the array in a substantially horizontal orientation, until the array is laid on said supporting posts, said method comprising:
said supporting frame of the array includes a longitudinal beam that is to be laid on said supporting posts,
said vehicle is a carriage that comprises:
a load-bearing structure mounted on wheels;
the lifting device including a main upper structure configured to receive thereon the array of solar converters,
said lifting device is positioned on said load-bearing structure; and
an electronic control unit configured to control movement of the carriage and the lifting device, said electronic control unit is configured to execute the steps comprising:
moving the carriage with the transported array adjacent to a row of the supporting posts in the installation field;
lifting the array above said supporting posts;
moving the carriage within a space between two successive supporting posts of the row; and
lowering the array until the longitudinal beam of the supporting frame is laid on the supporting posts of the row.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said lifting device comprises:
a first lifter and a second lifter arranged on the carriage positioned spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the carriage, wherein said electronic control unit is configured to selectively control the first and second lifters in a differentiated way in order to selectively impart on the general plane of the array an orientation longitudinally inclined forwards or backwards in the longitudinal direction of the carriage.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein
said first lifter and said second lifter are positioned between said load-bearing structure of the carriage and said main upper structure, mounted to said main upper structure is an auxiliary supporting structure onto which the array is loaded and supported, said auxiliary supporting structure is configured so that it can oscillate about a longitudinal central axis on said main upper structure, and an actuator is configured to control rotation of the auxiliary supporting structure about said longitudinal central axis to impart on the general plane of the array a laterally inclined orientation.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary supporting structure supports a plurality of clamping devices positioned longitudinally at a distance apart from one another, to receive and block the longitudinal beam of the supporting frame of the array.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein each clamping device comprises a receptacle configured to receive the longitudinal supporting beam, and wherein blocking elements are selectively displaced between a closed blocking position and an open release position.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said blocking elements have an intermediate operating position, wherein the longitudinal supporting beam is prevented from coming out of the receptacle of the clamping device while maintaining a play within said receptacle.

7 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the main upper structure includes a first upper-structure portion operatively connected to the lifting device and a second upper-structure portion mounted on which is said auxiliary supporting structure, the second upper-structure portion is configured to have a limited longitudinal movement with respect to said first upper-structure portion, wherein a corresponding actuator is configured to generate the limited longitudinal movement.

8 . The method according to claim 1 ,
the wheels are orientable about vertical axes configured to enable the carriage to move at least one of forwards or backwards in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the carriage, to veer with respect to said longitudinal direction, or to translate in a direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction; and the carriage further comprises a first electric motor carried by the load-bearing structure configured to control traction of one or more of said wheels and a second electric motor associated to each of said wheels configured to control the orientation of each wheel about the respective vertical axis of oscillation.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: a driving device in communication with the electronic control unit, the driving device is configured to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor for the movement of the carriage and an actuator configured to move the lifting device.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein during transport of the array on the carriage an accessory tool is engaged with the longitudinal beam and configured to support a last row of solar converters cantilevered beyond one end of the longitudinal beam, the accessory tool comprising a transverse bar configured to support the last row of solar converters; and a clamp connected to the transverse bar and engaged with the longitudinal beam.

11 . A carriage for transport and outdoor installation of an array of solar converters, comprising:
a lifting device configured to vertically displace the array of solar converters loaded thereon between a position of maximum raising and a position of maximum lowering, the lifting device including a main upper structure configured to receive thereon the array; a load-bearing structure mounted on wheels; and an electronic control unit for controlling movement of the carriage and of the lifting device, wherein said lifting device is positioned on said load-bearing structure, wherein said lifting device includes a first lifter and a second lifter arranged on the carriage in positions spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the carriage, said first and second lifters are positioned between a base structure secured to the load-bearing structure of the carriage and said main upper structure, the first and second lifters configured to directly or indirectly carry the array, said first and second lifters are configured to be selectively driven in a differentiated way to impart on a general plane of the array an orientation longitudinally inclined forwards or backwards in the longitudinal direction of the carriage.

12 . The carriage according to claim 11 , wherein
mounted to said main upper structure is an auxiliary supporting structure onto which the array is loaded and supported, said auxiliary supporting structure is configured so that it can oscillate about a longitudinal central axis on said main upper structure, and said carriage further comprises an actuator configured to control rotation of the auxiliary supporting structure about said longitudinal central axis to impart on the general plane of the array a laterally inclined orientation.

13 . The carriage according to claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary supporting structure supports a plurality of clamping devices positioned longitudinally at a distance apart from one another, to receive and block a longitudinal beam of a supporting frame of the array.

Assignees

• Comau Spa

Inventors

• Di Stefano Giovanni
• Beccarisi Francesco
• Pollano Maurizio

Classifications

• H02S20/00

  Supporting structures for PV modules · CPC title

• B60P3/40 Primary

  for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements ({E04G21/14 takes precedence}; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02) · CPC title

• H02S20/30

  Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment · CPC title

• F24S25/12 Primary

  using posts in combination with upper profiles · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title