# US 2021/0242824 A1 · Solar tracker system

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- Number: US 2021/0242824 A1
- Document ID: US20210242824A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/236,829
- Filed: 2021-04-21
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-13
- Assignees: FCX Solar LLC
- Applicants: FCX Solar LLC
- Inventors: Christopher Thomas Needham; Frank Carl Oudheusden
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242824A1

## CPC

- H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking
- H02S 30/00: Structural details of PV modules other than those related to light conversion (semiconductor device aspects of modules of electrolytic light sensitive devices H01G9/20, of inorganic PV modules H10F10/00, H10F19/00, of organic PV modules H10K30/00)
- H02S 30/10: Frame structures
- H10F 19/20: comprising photovoltaic cells in arrays in or on a single semiconductor substrate, the photovoltaic cells having planar junctions (having multiple thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate H10F19/31)
- F16M 11/10: around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)}
- F16M 11/18: with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
- F16M 2200/021: for rotational movement
- G01M 9/04: Details
- G01M 9/06: Measuring arrangements specially adapted for aerodynamic testing
- Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- 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)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- F16M: FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A photovoltaic system includes a collection of photovoltaic modules, a base supporting the collection of photovoltaic modules, and a damper coupled between the collection of photovoltaic modules and the base. The damper resists movement of the photovoltaic modules relative to the base. The damper has a first damping ratio when the collection of photovoltaic modules moves at a first rate relative to the base and a second damping ratio when the collection of photovoltaic modules moves at a second rate relative to the base, and the damper passively transitions from the first damping ratio to the second damping ratio.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a positionable device; and
a damper coupled to the positionable device, the damper including a damping ratio that is variable based on a current loading force on the positionable device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the positionable device is a photovoltaic module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the damping ratio increases in response to increases in current loading force.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the damper further comprises:
a piston driven by the current loading force on the positionable device; and
a piston chamber including a non-Newtonian fluid that increases in viscosity relative to the current loading force driving the piston.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the damper further comprises:
a piston driven by the current loading force on the positionable device and including a variable vent size based on the current loading force; and
a piston chamber including a fluid that resists motion of the piston, wherein the fluid is displaced in response to movement of the piston via a vent having the variable vent size.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the variable vent size decreases in response to increases in the current loading force.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a certain current loading force causes a damping ratio that fully locks movement of the damper.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
an actuator configured to position the positionable device using a low current loading force with a corresponding low damping ratio.

### Claim 9

A photovoltaic system, comprising:
a photovoltaic module;
a mount supporting the photovoltaic module;
an actuator configured to set an angular position of the photovoltaic module relative to the base; and
a damper coupled to the photovoltaic module and resisting angular position adjustment of the photovoltaic module, wherein the damper exhibits a variable damping ratio based on a current loading condition of the photovoltaic module.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the damping ratio increases in response to increases in the current loading condition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the damper further comprises:
a piston driven by the current loading condition on the photovoltaic module; and
a piston chamber including a non-Newtonian fluid that increases in viscosity relative to the current loading condition driving the piston.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the damper further comprises:
a piston driven by the current loading condition on the photovoltaic module and including a variable vent size based on the current loading condition; and
a piston chamber including a fluid that resists motion of the piston, wherein the fluid is displaced in response to movement of the piston via a vent having the variable vent size.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the variable vent size decreases in response to increases in the current loading force.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein a certain current loading condition causes a damping ratio that fully locks movement of the damper.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
setting, by an actuator, an angular position of a photovoltaic module relative to a mount; and
resisting angular position adjustment, by a damper of the photovoltaic module, wherein said resisting applies a variable damping ratio based on a current loading condition on the photovoltaic module.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the damping ratio increases in response to increases in force of the current loading condition.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the damping ratio increases in response to increases in the current loading condition.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein said resisting further comprises:
driving a piston driven by the current loading condition on the photovoltaic module; and
increasing viscosity, of a non-Newtonian included inside a piston chamber, relative to the current loading condition driving the piston.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein said resisting further comprises:
driving a piston by the current loading condition on the photovoltaic module and including a variable vent size based on the current loading condition; and
displacing a fluid included in a piston chamber through a vent of the piston in response to said driving the piston at a variable rate based on the variable vent size.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the variable vent size decreases in response to increases in the current loading force.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
in response to a certain current loading condition, fully locking movement of the damper.