Balanced solar tracker clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9466749-B1
Application number	US-201414184656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

In an example, the present invention provides a solar tracker apparatus. In an example, the apparatus comprises a center of mass with an adjustable hanger assembly configured with a clam shell clamp assembly on the adjustable hanger assembly and a cylindrical torque tube comprising a plurality of torque tubes configured together in a continuous length from a first end to a second end such that the center of mass is aligned with a center of rotation of the cylindrical torque tubes to reduce a load of a drive motor operably coupled to the cylindrical torque tube. Further details of the present example, among others, can be found throughout the present specification and more particularly below.

First claim

I claim:

1. A solar tracker apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a drive device;
a crank coupled to the drive device and configured in an offset manner to a first end of a continuous torque tube, the continuous torque tube comprising a plurality of torque tubes, each of the torque tubes being cylindrical in shape;
a frame assembly coupled to the continuous torque tube, the frame assembly coupled to a plurality of solar modules;
a clamp assembly comprising a housing coupled to a second end of the continuous torque tube such that the continuous torque tube is suspended from the housing, the housing comprising an opening having a major plane normal to a length of the continuous torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting the first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region;
wherein the drive motor is operable to move the torque tube about a center of rotation and is under a load and moves the torque tube about the center of rotation at substantially a same force from a first radial position to a second radial position;
wherein the center of rotation is offset from a center of the continuous torque tube via the crank configured in the offset manner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the continuous torque tube moves such that a spatial point of the continuous torque tube faces the center of rotation as the continuous torque tube pivots through the first radial position to the second radial position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; the first crank comprising a first flange connected to the first side of the drive device, and the second crank comprising a second flange connected to the second side of the drive device, the first crank further comprising a first arm coupled to a first cylinder swage fitted to a first end of a first torque tube, the second crank comprising a second arm coupled to a second cylinder swage fitted to a second end of a second torque tube; wherein the first torque tube and the second torque tube being off-set from an axis of the drive device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; and further comprises a first torque tube coupled to the first crank and a second torque tube coupled to the second crank.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; and further comprises a first torque tube coupled to the first crank and a second torque tube coupled to the second crank, and further comprises a first swage fitting coupling the first crank to the first torque tube and a second swage fitting coupling the second crank to the second torque tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a pier coupled to the drive device, the pier comprising a plurality of support structures coupled to a drive device support, the drive device support having a first member coupled to the plurality of support structures, and a second member coupled to the drive device.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a drive mount coupled to a pier.

8. A solar tracker apparatus comprising a clamp assembly, the clamp assembly comprising a housing having an opening having a major plane normal to a length of a continuous torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region, the housing having a pivotable hanger assembly configured to suspend the continuous torque tube such that the continuous torque tube traverse through the major plane,
wherein the apparatus comprising a center of mass with the pivotable hanger assembly the continuous torque tube comprising a plurality of cylindrical torque tubes configured together in a continuous length from a first end to a second end such that the center of mass is aligned with a center of rotation of the cylindrical torque tubes to reduce a load of a drive motor operably coupled to the cylindrical torque tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the drive motor is operable to move the continuous torque tube about the center of rotation and is under a load and moves the torque tube about the center of rotation at substantially a same force from a first radial position to a second radial position.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the center of rotation is offset from a center of the continuous torque tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of cylindrical torque tubes comprising a first torque tube coupled to a second torque tube coupled to an Nth torque tube, whereupon N is an integer greater than 2; whereupon each of the plurality of torque tubes is coupled to another of the plurality of torque tubes free from any welds.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of torque tubes is swage fitted to another of the plurality of torque tubes.

13. The tracker apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of cylindrical torque tubes is characterized by a length greater than 80 meters.

14. The tracker apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the torque tubes comprises a plurality of notches.

15. The tracker apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of U-bolt devices coupled respectively to a plurality of notches.

16. A tracker apparatus comprising:
a first pier comprising a first pivot device;
a second pier comprising a drive mount, the drive mount capable of accommodating construction tolerances in at least three-axes, the drive mount being configured to support a drive device having an off-set clamp device coupled to a cylindrical bearing device coupled to a clamp member;
a cylindrical torque tube operably disposed on the first pier and the second pier, the cylindrical torque tube comprising a first end and a second end, and a notch, the notch being one of a plurality of notches spatially disposed along a length of the cylindrical torque tube; and
a clamp configured around an annular portion of the cylindrical torque tube and mating with the notch to prevent movement of the clamp, the clamp comprising a support region configured to support a portion of a solar module; and
a clamp assembly comprising a housing coupled to the first end of the cylindrical torque tube such that the cylindrical torque tube is suspended from the housing, the housing comprising an opening having a major plane normal to a length of the cylindrical torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the cylindrical torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting the first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the cylindrical torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 whe

Assignees

• Nextracker Inc

Inventors

• Au Alexander W

Classifications

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• H10F77/42

  directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means · CPC title

• H02S20/32

  specially adapted for solar tracking · CPC title

• H01L31/0522 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title