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US 8,939,648 B2Granted
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.
Claims39
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element;
- a rotatable inner bearing 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
- wherein the pair of outer bearing races are U-shaped and, wherein the U-shaped outer bearing races each comprise at least two arms and the arms of the U-shaped outer bearing races extend beyond 180 degrees to prevent the inner bearing race from being lifted out of the solar tracking bearing.
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element;
- a rotatable inner bearing 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;
- wherein the rotatable inner bearing race comprises:
- an inner bearing race housing;
- and
- a plurality of tube supports inside the inner bearing race housing.
3 more elements
A solar tracker bearing comprising:
- a bearing support element;
- a stationary U-shaped outer bearing race on a bearing securing element mounted to the bearing support element, wherein the U-shaped outer bearing race comprises at least two arms and the arms of the U-shaped outer bearing extend beyond 180 degrees, and the stationary U-shaped outer bearing race providing a bearing surface 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 are configured to 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;
- wherein each of the pair of outer bearing races is individually detachable from the bearing support element;
- wherein the pair of outer bearing races are U-shaped and, wherein the U-shaped outer bearing races each comprise at least two arms and the arms of the U-shaped outer bearing races extend beyond 180 degrees to prevent the inner bearing race from being lifted out of the solar tracking bearing.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.