Systems and methods for damping photovoltaic panel arrays

A rotatable photovoltaic panel assembly including a damper for reducing vibrations in a photovoltaic panel, comprising:

• a photovoltaic panel configured to rotate to maintain alignment with the sun;
• and
• a damper attached to the photovoltaic panel such that rotation of the photovoltaic panel translates into a linear movement of the damper, wherein the damper is configured to provide a first damping force during slow movement of the photovoltaic array and a second damping force during fast movement of the array, the second damping force being greater than the first damping force, the damper further comprising:
• a housing having proximal and distal ends;
• a first attachment point proximate the distal end of the housing;
• a rod having proximal and distal ends at least partially disposed within the housing and moveable relative to the housing between an extended position and a compressed position;
• a second attachment point proximate the proximal end of the rod;
• a piston joined to the rod within the housing proximate the distal end of the rod, the piston including a bypass groove having a flow area defined therein to allow fluid to flow from a first side of the piston to an opposing side of the piston;
• and
• a first washer disposed proximate a first end of the piston and at least partially covering the flow area of the bypass groove, the first washer configured to deflect to uncover the flow area of the bypass groove at a selected maximum damping force such that the damper assembly is configured to apply no more than the selected maximum damping force.

A method for reducing vibrations in a rotatable photovoltaic panel array, the method comprising:

• attaching a damper to a rotatable photovoltaic panel array such that a first damper attachment point moves with the rotatable photovoltaic panel array, and a second damper attachment point does not move with the rotatable photovoltaic array, wherein the damper is configured to provide a first damping force during slow movement of the photovoltaic array and a second damping force during fast movement of the array, the second damping force being greater than the first damping force, the damper comprising:
• a housing having proximal and distal ends;
• a first attachment point proximate the distal end of the housing;
• a rod having proximal and distal ends at least partially disposed within the housing and moveable relative to the housing between an extended position and a compressed position;
• a second attachment point proximate the proximal end of the rod;
• a piston joined to the rod within the housing proximate the distal end of the rod, the piston having a including a bypass groove having a flow area defined therein to allow fluid to flow from a first side of the piston to an opposing side of the piston;
• and
• a first washer disposed proximate a first end of the piston and at least partially covering the flow area of the bypass groove, the first washer configured to deflect to uncover the flow area of the bypass groove at a selected maximum damping force such that the damper assembly is configured to apply no more than the selected maximum damping force.