Array Technologies, Inc.

Other

Ronald P Corio

John N Williamson

Kaleb W McLane

A solar tracker assembly is provided which includes a support column, a torque tube or torsion beam connected to the support column, a mounting mechanism attached to the torque tube or torsion beam, a drive system connected to the torque tube or torsion beam, and a spring counter-balance assembly connected to the torque tube or torsion beam. An exemplary spring counter-balance assembly comprises a bearing housing and a bushing disposed within the bearing housing and configured to be slideably mounted onto the torque tube or torsion beam, and one or more compressible cords made of a flexible material. The compressible cords are located between the bushing and the bearing housing and provide damping during rotational movement of the solar tracker assembly. An exemplary spring counter-balance assembly is provided including at least one top bracket and at least one bottom bracket, at least one spring, a damper, and a bracket. An exemplary spring counter-balance assembly comprises a bearing housing and a bushing disposed within the bearing housing and configured to be slideably mounted onto the torque tube or torsion beam. The spring counter-balance assembly may include at least one coil spring and a rotational stop. The bushing may be made of an elastomeric material and define one or more air spaces.

Spring counter-balance assemblies and solar trackers incorporating springs to balance rotation

A snap-on mounting bracket assembly suitable for connecting a mounting rail to a torque tube is provided. The mounting bracket assembly includes an upper clamp piece and a lower clamp piece. The upper clamp piece has a first member defining a tube insertion aperture and an open bottom space and includes an upper partial fastener. The lower clamp piece has a second member with a lower partial fastener configured to mate with the upper partial fastener such that the lower clamp piece is attachable to the upper clamp piece. In exemplary embodiments, the lower clamp piece further comprises two opposing support members configured to attach to the mounting rail. Solar tracker assemblies incorporating snap-on open mounting brackets are provided. Methods of mounting framed or unframed solar modules are also described. A mounting rail is attached to an upper clamp piece of a mounting assembly. Then the upper clamp piece is snapped onto a torque tube. A lower clamp piece of the mounting assembly is then attached to the upper clamp piece by mating a lower partial fastener of the lower clamp piece with an upper partial fastener of the upper clamp piece. When the upper and lower clamp pieces are attached, the open bottom space is closed and the mounting rail is secured to the torque tube.

Clip-on mounting rails, mounting brackets, and methods of mounting solar modules

Spring counter-balance assemblies and solar trackers incorporating spring counter-balance assemblies

A solar tracker assembly comprises a support column, a torsion beam connected to the support column, a mounting mechanism attached to the torsion beam, a drive system connected to the torsion beam, and a torsion limiter connected to an output of the drive system. When an external force causes a level of torsion on the drive system to exceed a pre-set limit the torsion limiter facilitates rotational movement of the solar tracker assembly in the direction of the torsion, thereby allowing the external force to rotate about a pivot axis extending through the torsion beam. Exemplary embodiments also include methods of aligning a plurality of rows of solar trackers.

Torsion limiter devices, systems and methods and solar trackers incorporating torsion limiters

Torque limiter devices, systems and methods and solar trackers incorporating torque limiters

A mounting bracket assembly is provided in which a mounting bracket includes a first attachable bracket piece and a second attachable bracket piece, a first fastener, a second fastener, and a third fastener. Each attachable bracket piece has a top member and a bottom member connected to the top member at an angle. The first clamp is attached to the top member of the first attachable bracket piece by the first fastener. The second clamp is attached to the top member of the second attachable bracket piece by a second fastener. The third fastener secures the bottom member of the first attachable bracket piece to the bottom member of the second attachable bracket piece. The mounting bracket defines a beam insertion aperture between the top members and the bottom members. The mounting bracket assembly may include a first integral grounding device located adjacent the top member of the first attachable bracket piece or adjacent the top member of the second attachable bracket piece. The first integral grounding device is configured to electrically bond a frame of an electricity generating device to the mounting bracket assembly. The mounting bracket assembly may further include a second integral grounding device configured to electrically bond a torque tube to the mounting bracket assembly.

Mounting bracket assemblies and methods

A solar tracking system with a plurality of tracking assemblies moved by a single motor. A method and system that prevents overloading the motor or tripping a circuit breaker due to an obstructed or impeded tracker includes sensing movement of the tracker assemblies and entering into obstruction clearing modes. Obstruction clearing mode(OCM) is a high frequency adjustable mode that prompts movement for an adjustable period of time. If movement commences, the system returns to a normal mode. If there is no movement, the system enters into an obstruction clearing mode(OCM) with is an adjustable lower frequency series of attempts. If there is no movement, no further attempts are made. Each of these steps are monitored and controlled remotely. There are two types of secure connections for drivelines, torque tubes or affixing driveline linkages for high torque conditions.

Single axis solar tracking system

A mounting bracket assembly comprises a flexible body including at least one top member and a flexible angled bottom member connected to the top member. The flexible body defines a beam insertion aperture between the top member and the bottom member. The mounting bracket assembly further comprises at least one clamp attached to the top member. The mounting bracket assembly may further comprise a threaded rod running through the at least one top member and a clamping nut securing the threaded rod to the top member such that rotating the clamping nut compresses the top member and grounds an electricity generating device such as a photovoltaic module. The mounting bracket assembly may further comprise an integral grounding device disposed adjacent the top member to electrically ground the electricity generating device.

A solar tracking system with a torque tube supporting solar panels. Columns support the system and have bearings for rotation of the torque tube. A drive is coupled to the torque tube and is driven by a gearbox, such as a worm gear assembly, for rotating the array of solar panels to follow the sun's diurnal motion. The array can rotate in an opposite direction, or backtrack, to prevent shadowing from one module row to another. Multiple gearboxes can be mechanically linked by drive shafts and driven by a single motor. The drive shafts may incorporate universal joints for uneven terrain or staggered configurations. Harmonic dampers can be affixed to the solar panels to decouple wind forces which allows the use of larger solar panels.

Growing community of inventors

Los Ranchos, NM, United States of America

Ronald P Corio