WO2020141004A1 - Deployable solar panel system with a positioning mechanism for capturing sunlight - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structural system with an arrangement of solar panels that are deployed and guided towards the sunlight automatically by means of a solar tracker.

Description

FOLDING SYSTEM OF SOLAR PANELS WITH MECHANISM

POSITIONER TO CAPTURE SUNLIGHT

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the branch of mechanical and electrical engineering corresponding to a structure that displays an array of solar panels with which electrical energy is produced.

THE PREVIOUS ART

In the art related to structures to support solar panels and guide them to sunlight, there are in the state of the art a great variety of designs and applications.

In the vast majority of solar panel applications, fixed structures are used to support the panels, due to the fact that economy is sought in the installations. However, it is desired to give greater efficiency to the use of sunlight, so the state of the art was studied in search of structures that position the panels so that they receive as much light as possible daily.

On the other hand, a system is being sought that allows the panels to be collected during the nights or when there is bad weather that attacks the panels. This type of solution will also allow for greater efficiency in the use of the space where the panels are installed.

Patent document US2015365047 (A1) was consulted which reveals a system with panels, which has a structure, which allows the panels to be collected and deployed at their discretion. Such a system also has a followed by sunlight. Studying the system revealed in patent document US2015365047 (Af) and having analyzed the handling of dynamic loads, it is found that although it is a good technical solution to what it seeks to achieve, it has all its loads concentrated on a vertical central axis, which which makes the stability of the structure critical to handle.

On the other hand, it is found that the way and the system in which the panels are deployed depend on a single driving system, which means that there is no option to use the system if this mechanism fails.

It is observed that a system is required that greatly improves what exists, in the following aspects: a distribution of loads where the stability of the structure that supports the panels is fully balanced and balanced, which distributed its loads at the base, a panel deployment system that does not depend on a single drive system and on the other hand the maintenance or repair of damage to the panels or structure is facilitated.

The present invention reveals a system, which structurally maintains its stability by distributing loads at all times evenly. It has several electric motors to unfold and collect the panels, without requiring hydraulic mechanisms or additional mechanical elements such as levers or mechanisms for its operation, which makes its maintenance and possible repairs very versatile. Because it does not depend on a single central motor or mechanism for its operation, in the event of a motor failure, it can continue to operate by being able to deploy panels with its other independently operating electric motors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The deployable solar panel system of the present invention is mainly composed of a base which receives the loads that are distributed so that it maintains its center of gravity in the geometric center of said base. A solar panel deployment system uses four electric motors that can operate independently or on a scheduled basis, so that the deployment of the panels does not destabilize the base structure of the system and that it also has the possibility of programming alternate ways to deploy the panels. . DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1. Figure 1 shows an elevation view of the deployable solar panel system with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight in the resting state.

Fig. 2. Figure 2 shows an elevation view of the revealed system, hoisting the solar panel arrays without being deployed.

Fig. 3. Figure 3 shows an elevation view of the revealed system, with the panel arrangements in horizontal position without having yet deployed them.

Fig. 4. Figure 4 shows an elevation view, detailing the base (2) on which is the positioning support (9). Fig. 5. Figure 5 shows an elevation view of the main elements that make up the panel positioning and deployment system.

Fig. 6. Figure 6 shows an elevation view of the main support and the arms of the panel deployment system. Fig. 7. Figure 7 shows a plan view of the arms and of the four electric motors that are part of the panel lifting and unfolding system. Fig. 8. Figure 8 shows an elevation view detailing the position where the motors for the panel lifting and positioning system are located.

Fig. 9. Figure 9 shows a plan view detailing the main arms and motors of the panel deployment system.

Fig. 10. Figure 10 shows an elevation view detailing the main arms and motors of the panel deployment system.

Fig. 11. Figure 1 1 shows a plan view of the central panels located on the main arms of the panel deployment system.

Fig. 12. Figure 12 shows a plan view of the central panels.

Fig. 13. Figure 13 shows a plan view of the upper and lower panels.

Fig. 14. Figure 14 shows a plan view of the left and right intermediate panels. Fig. 15. Figure 15 shows a plan view of the upper and lower panels located on the motor shafts and on the main arms of the panel deployment system. Fig. 16. Figure 16 shows a plan view of left and right intermediate panels, located on the motor shafts and on the main arms of the panel deployment system.

Fig. 17. Figure 17 shows a plan view of how an upper panel overlaps with an intermediate panel.

Fig. 18. Figure 18 shows a plan view of how the drive stops of a top panel are contacted with an intermediate panel.

Fig. 19. Figure 19 shows a plan view of the way the trailing stops of the upper panels contact the intermediate panels.

Fig. 20. Figure 20 shows a plan view of all the panels unfolded in their final position.

Fig. 21. Figure 21 shows an elevation view of all the panels unfolded in their final position.

Fig. 22. Figure 22 shows a plan view of all fully folded panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The deployable solar panel system (1) of the present invention, according to Fig. 1, is mainly composed of a base (2) that supports on its upper part a positioning mechanism (3), a deployment system ( 4) and solar panels (5). Inside the base (2) is located on a support (10) an electric motor (6) that has its axis of rotation (8) in a vertical position.

Coupled to the axis of rotation (8) is the positioning support (9), which rests on a bearing system (7), as shown in Fig. 2.

Inside the positioning support (9) ^' is located a second electric motor (11) with its axis of rotation (12) in a horizontal position. Said motor (11) is anchored to a main support (13) and the end of its axis of rotation (12) to the positioning support (9). Axially opposed, aligned on the same geometric axis (15) is a rotational support axis (16). One end of said shaft (16) is fixedly attached to the main support (13) and its other end rotates freely coupled by a bearing support (14) to the positioning support (9) as revealed in Fig. 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, attached to the upper part of the main support (13) are the main lifting supports (17), (18), (19), (20), in which the main axes (21), (22) of the deployment system (4). On said axes (21), (22) are attached both the main arms (23), (24) of the aforementioned deployment system (4), as well as the electric hoisting motors (25), (26), (27), (28), as taught in Figs. 5 and 6. Said electric motors (25), (26), (27), (28) are fixedly attached to the main support (13).

It can be seen in Figs. 7 and 8, that the main arms (23), (24) of the deployment system (4), have pivot supports (29), (30), (31), (32), which are coupled and fixed to the main axes (21), (22). On said supports (29), (30), (31), (32), rest the main plates (23), (24) each composed of a section with rectangular geometry (33), (34) and an elongated section (35), (36). In said rectangular sections (33), (34) are attached the top panel deployment electric motors (37), (38) and the motors lower panel deployment electrics 39, 40, which have their axes of rotation 41, 42, 43, 44 in vertical position. The rectangular sections 33, 34 of the main plates have circular perforations 45, 46, 47, 48, through which the axes of rotation 41 pass and protrude, 42), (43), (44) of the panel deployment engines (37), (38), (39), (40).

On the main plates 23, 24, the central solar panels 49, 50 are fixedly attached. Said panels have a symmetrical trapezoidal perimeter shape, where the greater base of the trapezoid has a circular arc shape (59), (60)

The system also has upper solar panels (51), (52), lower solar panels (53), (54) and intermediate right solar panels (55), (56) and left (57), (58). Each of these panels has a triangular perimeter shape, defined on two sides that start from a perforation 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 , said sides separating as they project towards the third side, which has the shape of a circular arc 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 76), as can be seen in Figs. 12 and 13.

The upper solar panels 51, 52 are fixedly attached to the rotational axes 43, 44 of the top panel deployment electric motors and the lower solar panels 53, 54 are fixedly attached to the axes of rotation 41, 42 of the lower panel deployment electric motors.

The right (55), (56) and left (57), (58) intermediate solar panels are slidably attached to the shafts (41), (42), (43), (44) of the deployment electric motors of panels 37, 38, 39, 40, when said axes pass through the perforations 65, 66, 67, 68 that the panels contain.

Both the upper solar panels (51), (52) and the lower (53), (54), contain near their edges some opening drag stops (77), (78), (79), (80) and closing drag (81), (82), (83), (84). Close to the edge of one of its sides, the right (55), (56) and left (57), (58) intermediate solar panels have opening and closing stoppers (85), (86), (87), (88).

In the form of operation of the deployable solar panel system (1) of the present invention, it is initially in a rest position with the arrangement of solar panels (5) in a vertical position as can be seen in Fig. 1, which initiate an upward movement when the electric hoisting motors (25), (26), (27), (28) are activated until they are in a horizontal position as seen in Fig. 3.

The panels are initially collapsed and overlapping each other as shown in Fig. 22. When the electric motors for unfolding the upper panels (37), (38) are activated, they make the upper solar panels (51), (52) ) rotate 90 ° clockwise and counterclockwise each. Similarly, when the lower panel deployment electric motors (39), (40) are activated, and the lower panels (53), (54) also rotate 90 ° clockwise and anti-clockwise each, taking the four panels 51, 52, 51, 52 a configuration as shown in Fig. 15.

At the same time that the upper and lower panels rotate, they pull with them by means of the opening drag stops 77, 78, 79, 80, the opening and closing counter stops 85, 86 ), (87), (88). In this way, the right intermediate solar panels (55), (56) and left (57), (58) are unfolded until they take an intermediate position as shown in Fig. 20.

The central panels 49, 50 remain in the middle position because they are fixedly attached to the main plates 23, 24. Once all the panels have been unfolded, the motors (6), (1 1) of the positioning mechanism (3) are activated to place the panels in the best mane position with respect to sunlight.

Claims

1 - Deployable system of solar panels with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight CHARACTERIZED by a base (2) that has an electric motor (6) with the axis of rotation (8) in a vertical position, joined at the top to a positioning mechanism (3), a deployment system (4) and an array of solar panels (5), where coupled to the axis of rotation (8) is the positioning support (9), which rests on a bearing system (7), inside the positioning support (9) is located a second electric motor (11) anchored to a main support (13) and with its axis of rotation (12) in a horizontal position with its end attached to the positioning support (9) and located axially opposite a support shaft (16) with the end fixedly attached to the main support (13) and its other end coupled by a bearing support (14) to the positioning support (9 ), attached to the top of the main support ( 13) are the main lifting supports (17), (18), (19), (20), in which the main axles (21), (22) of the deployment system (4) that have couplings are housed the main arms (23), (24) and the electric hoisting motors (25), (26), (27), (28) fixedly attached to the main support (13), where said main arms (23), (24) have turning supports (29), (30), (31), (32) that are coupled and fixed to the main shafts (21), (22) and on said turning supports (29), (30) ), (31), (32) are the main plates (23), (24) each composed of a section with rectangular geometry (33), (34) and an elongated section (35), (36), said sections Rectangular 33, 34 have coupled top panel deployment electric motors 37, 38 and bottom panel deployment electric motors 39, 40 which have their axes of rotation ( 41), (42), (43), (44) in vertical position through perforations circu sides 45, 46, 47, 48 on the main plates to which the central solar panels 49, 50 are attached, where in said axes of rotation 41, 42 , (43), (44) the upper solar panels are attached (51), (52), lower solar panels (53), (54) and intermediate right solar panels (55), (56) and left (57), (58). 2- Deployable system of solar panels with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED because the central panels have a symmetrical trapezoidal perimeter shape, where the larger base of the trapezoid has a circular arc shape (59), (60). 3- Deployable solar panel system with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the upper (51), (52) and lower (53), (54) solar panels and the right intermediate panels (55), (56) and left (57), (58) have a triangular perimeter shape, defined by two sides that start from a perforation (61), (62), (63), (64), (65), (66), (67), (68), said sides separating as they project towards the third side, which has a circular arc shape (69), (70), (71), (72), (73), (74 ), (75), (76). 4- Deployable solar panel system with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED because the upper (51), (52) and lower (53), (54) solar panels have stops (77), (78), (79), (80), (81), (82), (83). 5- Deployable solar panel system with a positioning mechanism to capture sunlight, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED because the right (55), (56) and left (57), (58) intermediate solar panels have counter stops (85) , (86), (87), (88).