Support for solar energy collectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9455664-B2
Application number	US-201514714002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A solar energy collection system can include support devices made with bearings formed from sheet material. These bearings can be optionally formed so as to provide tool-less connections to their associated bearing housings. The bearings can be formed with an open configuration allowing a shaft to be inserted into an open bite of the bearing. Optionally, the bearing can be made from an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene plastic material. Additionally, two open-type bearing assemblies can be mounted axially offset and opposed to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sun-tracking photovoltaic solar collector array, the array comprising:
a plurality of solar devices;
a support assembly supporting the solar devices so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, the support assembly comprising:
a torque tube supporting the plurality of solar devices, the torque tube pivotable about the pivot axis;
a bearing housing comprising a bearing support surface; and
a bearing member connected to the bearing support surface, the bearing member comprising a reduced friction surface in sliding contact with an outer surface of the torque tube;
wherein the torque tube and the bearing member are rotationally decoupled such that, when the torque tube rotates, the bearing member is stationary.

2. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing member comprises a plastic.

3. The array according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing member comprises ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

4. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing member comprises first and second protruding portions extending from the first and second ends, respectively.

5. The array according to claim 4 , wherein the first end comprises a shoulder extending at an angle transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first protruding portion.

6. The array according to claim 1 , further comprising a pier supporting the bearing housing at a position above a support surface.

7. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing comprises at least a first connector portion configured to engage a first end of the bearing member so as to resist movement of the bearing member in at least a first direction.

8. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing and the bearing member are connected by a tool-less connection.

9. The array according to claim 8 , wherein the tool-less connection comprises apertures in the bearing housing and ends of the bearing member which extend through the apertures.

10. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper and lower portions surrounding the torque tube.

11. The array according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing and the bearing member comprise respective curved surfaces shaped to receive and support the torque tube as the torque tube rotates.

12. A sun-tracking photovoltaic solar collector array, the array comprising:
a plurality of solar devices;
a support assembly supporting the solar devices so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, the support assembly comprising:
a torque tube supporting the plurality of solar devices, the torque tube pivotable about the pivot axis;
a bearing housing comprising a bearing support surface;
a bearing member connected to the bearing support surface, the bearing member comprising a reduced friction surface in sliding contact with an outer surface of the torque tube; and
a tool-less connection which connects the bearing member and the bearing housing.

13. The array according to claim 12 , wherein the torque tube and the bearing member are rotationally decoupled such that, when the torque tube rotates, the bearing member is stationary.

14. The array according to claim 12 , wherein the bearing member comprises a plastic.

15. The array according to claim 12 , wherein the tool-less connection comprises apertures in the bearing housing and ends of the bearing member which extend through the apertures.

16. The array according to claim 12 , further comprising a pier supporting the bearing housing at a position above a support surface.

17. A sun-tracking photovoltaic solar collector array, the array comprising:
a plurality of photovoltaic devices;
a support assembly supporting the photovoltaic devices so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, the support assembly comprising:
at least a first pivot supporting the plurality of photovoltaic modules;
at least a first bearing supporting the first pivot so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis; and
at least one pier supporting the bearing at a position above a support surface, the bearing comprising at least a first reduced friction member extending around at least a portion of the first pivot,
wherein the first pivot and the first reduced friction member are rotationally decoupled.

18. The array according to claim 17 , wherein the first bearing and the first reduced friction member are connected with a tool-less connection.

19. The array according to claim 17 , wherein the first reduced friction member comprises a plastic.

20. The array according to claim 17 , further comprising a pier supporting the bearing housing at a position above a support surface.

Assignees

• Sunpower Corp

Inventors

• Barton Nicholas

Classifications

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• F24S2030/136

  for moving several solar collectors by common transmission elements · CPC title

• H02S20/32 Primary

  specially adapted for solar tracking · CPC title

• H02S20/10

  Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24S2030/15

  Bearings · CPC title