Solar tracking system
| DWPI Title: Solar tracking system for supporting and directing photovoltaic modules toward sun, has lateral supports including first end horizontally spaced apart from second end and movable along respective upright to change orientation of support |
| Abstract: Solar tracking systems, as well as methods of using such solar tracking systems, are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the solar tracking systems include lateral supports horizontally positioned between uprights to support photovoltaic modules. The lateral supports may be raised and lowered along the uprights or translated to cause the photovoltaic modules to track the moving sun. |
| Use: Solar tracking system for supporting and directing photovoltaic modules toward sun by a stand-alone computer. Can also be used for reflectors and optics. |
| Advantage: The system processes light meter signals to control photovoltaic module orientation to maximize solar energy harvesting, so that strain gauge signals can be processed to control photovoltaic module elevation to mitigate a risk of wind damage. The lateral support includes a strand of copper wire to carry an electrical signal and the copper wire to be braided with strands of steel wire to create a cable so as to improve overall strength of lateral support. The system reduces total number of actuators in the solar tracking system by multi-purposing a single actuator to move corresponding lateral supports of different photovoltaic module arrays, thus reducing overall system cost. |
| Novelty: The system (100) has lateral supports (104) including a first end (108) horizontally spaced apart from a second end (110), where the first end is movable along a respective upright (102) to change an orientation of the lateral support, and the lateral supports are parallel. Actuating assemblies are coupled with uprights. The lateral supports are coupled with one of the actuating assemblies, where the actuating assemblies move first ends along respective uprights. The actuating assembly includes a guide coupled with the lateral support at the first end. |
| Filed: 10/25/2013 |
| Application Number: US14063847A |
| Tech ID: SD 12498.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
| Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Clarivate content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Clarivate. Clarivate and its logo, as well as all other trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners and used under license. |