# US 2014/0150845 A1 · Solar tracking apparatus and field arrangements thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150845 A1 - Document ID: US20140150845A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/018,841 - Filed: 2013-09-05 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Morgan Solar Inc. - Applicants: Morgan Solar Inc. - Inventors: Philip M. Chang; Jayiesh Singh; Sandy Li; Eric Morgan; Asif Ansari; Trevor Vaughan; Stephen Caelers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150845A1 ## CPC - H10F 77/63: Arrangements for cooling directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. heat sinks directly associated with the photovoltaic cells or integrated Peltier elements for active cooling - F24S 25/10: extending in directions away from a supporting surface - F24S 25/65: for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together - F24S 30/452: Vertical primary axis - F24S 50/20: for tracking - H02S 20/10: Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence) - H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking - F24S 2020/10: {Solar modules layout; Modular arrangements} - F24S 2020/16: {Preventing shading effects} - F24S 2025/012: {Foldable support elements} - Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A solar tracker assembly for mounting one or more solar tracking units, which can be adapted for use with various solar energy modules such as photovoltaic modules and heliostat mirrors, is provided. Each assembly comprises a frame of four sides connected at leg assemblies, each leg assembly being adapted for mounting a solar tracking unit. The frame may be configured as an oblique-angled, rhombus or diamond frame with a cross member extending between the closer-spaced leg assemblies. A set of frames may be arranged in the field with adjacent sides of adjacent frames being parallel, with spacing arms of predefined lengths interconnecting adjacent pairs of frames, to provide a desired staggered spacing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies, the field comprising: a plurality of solar tracker assemblies, each solar tracker assembly comprising: an oblique-angled, rhombus frame comprising four leg assemblies interconnected by sides of substantially equal length; and one or more solar tracking units mounted on one or more of the four leg assemblies, movement of the one or more solar tracking units in relation to at least one axis being controlled by a local control unit associated with the solar tracker assembly, the plurality of solar tracker assemblies being arranged with substantially regular spacing in the field such that adjacent sides of an adjacent pair of the plurality of solar tracker assemblies are parallel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the one or more solar tracking units as mounted on the plurality of solar tracker assemblies are arranged in a substantially hexagonal grid arrangement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar tracker assemblies are interconnected by spacing arms of predetermined length fixed to frames of adjacent solar tracker assemblies, the spacing arms thus maintaining the regular spacing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 3, wherein, for each solar tracker assembly, the frame of each solar tracker assembly comprises a cross member extending between two of the four leg assemblies that are separated by a lesser distance, a remaining two of the four leg assemblies being separated by a greater distance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein pairs of solar tracker assemblies are interconnected by spacing arms of substantially equal length. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein adjacent pairs of solar tracker assemblies are interconnected in rows by at least one first spacing arm of a first predetermined length. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 6, wherein adjacent rows of solar tracker assemblies are interconnected by at least one second spacing arm of a second predetermined length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 7, wherein: for each solar tracker assembly, the frame of each solar tracker assembly comprises a cross member extending between two of the four leg assemblies that are separated by a lesser distance, a remaining two of the four leg assemblies being separated by a greater distance; and in each row, the at least one first spacing arm is substantially parallel with a first side of each of the solar tracker assemblies in the row, and the at least one second spacing arm is substantially parallel with the cross member of each solar tracker assembly in the row. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 4, wherein each solar tracker assembly is ballasted by its own weight. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 4, wherein the plurality of solar tracker assemblies are mutually ballasted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 4, wherein the plurality of solar tracking assemblies thus interconnected are exclusively self-ballasted. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 4, the cross members comprised in the plurality of solar tracker assemblies being substantially aligned in a same orientation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, comprising at least three solar tracker assemblies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the one or more solar tracking assemblies comprise one or more heliostat mirrors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the one or more solar tracking assemblies comprise one or more photovoltaic modules. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the local control unit is configured to control movement of the one or more solar tracking units in relation to two axes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein the local control unit is configured to receive current sensor data from at least one current sensor in communication with the one or more solar tracking units, and to control movement of the one or more solar tracking units based on received current sensor data and sun position data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sides of the frame of each solar tracker assembly are hingedly connected to at least one of the four leg assemblies such that the frame forms a stable structure when deployed in the field, and a substantially flat, folded structure in a collapsed state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The field of interconnected solar tracker assemblies of claim 1, wherein each solar tracker assembly is associated with a distinct local control unit, the field of solar tracker assemblies further comprising a global control unit in communication with each of the distinct local control units, the global control unit being adapted to issue instructions controlling each local control unit.