Staged stowage of solar trackers and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024413785-A1
Application number	US-202418809627-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2024
Priority date	Nov 20, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems of managing dynamic response to wind in a solar tracker system are provided. The method includes determining a wind speed, comparing the wind speed to a predetermined threshold value to determine if the wind speed equals or exceeds the predetermined threshold, positioning a windward most solar tracker to a predetermined angle based on the comparing, and positioning a leeward most solar tracker to the predetermined angle based on the comparing. The solar trackers are positioned at the predetermined angle at a predetermined interval starting at the windward most solar tracker and the remaining solar trackers remain in a normal operating condition.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of managing dynamic response to wind in a solar tracker array, the method comprising:
determining a wind speed; determining the wind speed equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold; positioning a first solar tracker of the solar tracker array to a first predetermined angle; and positioning a second solar tracker of the solar tracker array to a second predetermined angle; wherein a plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker remain in a normal operating condition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined angle is different than the second predetermined angle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second predetermined angle opposes the first predetermined angle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined angle includes a gradated series of angles.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning a second plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker at a third predetermined angle, the second plurality of solar trackers comprising a predetermined interval of solar trackers starting at the first solar tracker.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the third predetermined angle comprises the first predetermined angle or the second predetermined angle.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined interval of solar trackers is every fourth solar tracker.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is one of a gradated series of wind speeds to which the determined wind speed is compared.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second windspeed; and determining the second windspeed equals or exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning a second plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker at a third predetermined angle, the second plurality of solar trackers comprising a predetermined interval of solar trackers starting at the first solar tracker.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the third predetermined angle comprises the first predetermined angle or the second predetermined angle.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning one or more of the plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker at a third predetermined angle.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the third predetermined angle comprises the first predetermined angle or the second predetermined angle.

14 . A solar tracker system, comprising:
a solar tracker array comprising solar trackers; a tracker controller operably coupled to the solar tracker array, the tracker controller configured to: determine a wind speed; determine the wind speed equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold; position a first solar tracker in the solar tracker array to a first predetermined angle; and position a second solar tracker in the solar tracker array to a second predetermined angle, the second predetermined angle being different than the first predetermined angle; wherein a plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker remain in a normal operating condition.

15 . The solar tracker system of claim 14 , wherein the second predetermined angle opposes the first predetermined angle.

16 . The solar tracker system of claim 14 , wherein the tracker controller is further configured to position a second plurality of solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker at a third predetermined angle, the second plurality of solar trackers comprising a predetermined interval of solar trackers starting at the first solar tracker.

17 . The solar tracker system of claim 16 , wherein the third predetermined angle comprises the first predetermined angle or the second predetermined angle.

18 . The solar tracker system of claim 14 , wherein the windspeed is determined using a wind speed sensor operably coupled to the tracker controller.

19 . The solar tracker system of claim 14 , wherein the windspeed is determined by receiving windspeed information over a network interface operably coupled to the tracker controller.

20 . The solar tracker system of claim 14 , further comprising a motor controller operably coupled to the solar trackers in the solar tracker array.

Assignees

• Nextracker Llc

Inventors

• Upfill-Brown Stuart
• Guha Tushar
• Morin Jacob Mark

Classifications

• F24S30/425

  Horizontal axis · CPC title

• F24S50/20

  for tracking · CPC title

• H02S20/32 Primary

  specially adapted for solar tracking · CPC title

• H02J3/388

  Arrangements for the handling of islanding, e.g. for disconnection or for avoiding the disconnection of power · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title