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US 2015/0144751 A1Published application
Solar tracking bearing and solar tracking system employing same
AssigneeFirst Solar, Inc.
InventorsMatthew Schneider, Jean-Paul Labrosse, Jeffrey Lamb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An solar tracker bearing comprising a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element and a rotatable inner bearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having an beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein.
Claims40
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a hearing support element;
- a rotatable inner hearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having a beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein.
A solar tracking system comprising:
- at least one solar tracking bearing atop a support post, the solar tracking bearing comprising a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element, and a rotatable inner bearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having an beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein;
- a torque tube beam seated in the beam slot;
- a frame on which one or more photovoltaic modules can be mounted, the frame being secured to the torque tube beam;
- and
- an electromechanical actuator operable to control the inclination angle of the frame by causing the torque tube beam to rotate in the at least one solar tracking bearing.
2 more elements
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a bearing support element;
- a stationary outer bearing race on a bearing securing element mounted to the bearing support element and providing a bearing surface for seating a torque tube beam therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.