US 5,632,823 A · Solar tracking system

Abstract

The solar tracking system maintains a solar collector with its responsive surface normal to the sun rays. It includes a shaft supported for rotation about an axis parallel to the north-south axis of the earth, a stepper motor for intermittent rotation of the shaft at a mean rate equal to the earth's rate of rotation. A solar collector securing assembly is located on one side of the shaft and includes a bracket, collars securing the bracket to the shaft, a support for fixing a solar collector pivoted to the bracket about a pivotal axis transverse to the shaft to vary the inclination of the support relative to the shaft and stays between the support and the bracket to maintain the support at an adjusted inclination. A counter-balancing system includes an arm secured to the shaft and extending normal thereto and away from the assembly and a weight adjustably mounted on the shaft. This system counter-balances the assembly and a solar collector fixed thereto irrespective of the rotational position of the assembly about the shaft and the inclination of the support relative to the shaft. Preferably, two solar collectors are mounted on the shaft, one being an array of solar cells feeding a battery which in turn feeds a stepper motor driving the shaft through a step down gear box. The sun shadow of a pointer normal to the solar collector panel serves to properly align the panel. Alternately, the current generated by the solar cells is measured and its maximum indicates that the solar panel is properly aligned with the sun.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A solar tracking system for maintaining a solar collector with its responsive surface normal to the sun rays, comprising a shaft;

shaft support means rotatably supporting said shaft about a shaft rotation axis parallel to the north-south axis of the earth;
shaft rotating means for intermittent rotation of said shaft at a mean rate equal to the earth's rate of rotation;
a solar collector securing assembly located on one side of said shaft and including a collector support for fixing thereon a solar collector, a bracket, collar means for securing said bracket to said shaft, pivot means to pivot said support to said bracket about a pivotal axis transverse to said shaft to vary the inclination of said support and consequently of said collector relative to said shaft and stay means between said collector support and said bracket to maintain said collector support at an adjusted inclination relative to said shaft whereby the radial distance of the centre of gravity of said collector support and consequently of said collector from said shaft may vary, and a counterbalancing system including an arm secured to said shaft, extending generally normal to said shaft and away from said assembly and a weight mounted on said arm and radially adjustable relative to said shaft whereby the moment of the mass of said assembly and of a solar collector fixed thereto relative to said shaft can be substantially counter-balanced by said arm and said weight irrespective of the rotational position of said assembly about said shaft and of the inclination of said collector support relative to said shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Solar tracking system

Life of this patent

Solar tracking system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14