Horizontal balanced solar tracker

1. A solar tracker apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a crank coupled to a drive device comprising a motor, and configured in an offset manner to a first end of a continuous torque tube, the continuous torque tube comprising a plurality of torque tubes,

a frame assembly coupled to the continuous torque tube, the frame assembly coupled to a plurality of solar modules;

a clamp assembly comprising a housing coupled to a second end of the continuous torque tube such that the continuous torque tube is suspended from the housing, the housing comprising an opening having a major plane normal to a length of the continuous torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting the first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the continuous torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the continuous torque tube moves such that a spatial point of the continuous torque tube faces the center of rotation as the continuous torque tube pivots through the first radial direction to the second radial direction;

wherein the drive motor is operable to move the torque tube about a center of rotation and is under a load and moves the torque tube about the center of rotation at substantially a same force from the first radial direction to the second radial direction;

wherein the center of rotation is offset from a center of the continuous torque tube via the crank configured in the offset manner.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; the first crank comprising a first flange connected to the first side of the drive device, and the second crank comprising a second flange connected to the second side of the drive device, the first crank further comprising a first arm coupled to a first cylinder swage fitted to a first end of a first torque tube, the second crank comprising a second arm coupled to a second cylinder swage fitted to a second end of a second torque tube; wherein the first torque tube and the second torque tube being off-set from an axis of the drive device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; and further comprises a first torque tube coupled to the first crank and a second torque tube coupled to the second crank.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the crank comprises a first crank coupled to a first side of the drive device and a second crank coupled to a second side of the drive device; and further comprises a first torque tube coupled to the first crank and a second torque tube coupled to the second crank, and further comprises a first swage fitting coupling the first crank to the first torque tube and a second swage fitting coupling the second crank to the second torque tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a pier coupled to the drive device, the pier comprising a plurality of support structures coupled to a drive device support, the drive device support having a first member coupled to the plurality of support structures, and a second member coupled to the drive device.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a drive mount coupled to a pier.

8. A solar tracker apparatus comprising a clamp assembly, the clamp assembly comprising a housing having an opening having a major plane normal to a length of a torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting the first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region, the housing having a movable hanger assembly configured to suspend the torque tube such that the torque tube traverses through the major plane,

wherein the apparatus comprises a center of mass with the movable hanger assembly, the torque tube comprising a plurality of cylindrical torque tubes configured together in a length from a first end to a second end such that the center of mass is aligned with a center of rotation of the cylindrical torque tubes to reduce a load of a drive motor operably coupled to the cylindrical torque tubes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the drive motor is operable to move the torque tube about the center of rotation and is under a load and moves the torque tube about the center of rotation at substantially a same force from a first radial position to a second radial position.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the center of rotation is offset from a center of the torque tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of torque tubes comprising a first torque tube coupled to a second torque tube coupled to an Nth torque tube, whereupon N is an integer greater than 2; whereupon each of the plurality of torque tubes is coupled to another of the plurality of torque tubes free from any welds.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of torque tubes is swage fitted to another of the plurality of torque tubes.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of torque tubes is characterized by a length greater than 80 meters.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the torque tubes comprises a plurality of notches.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of U-bolt devices coupled respectively to a plurality of notches.

16. A tracker apparatus comprising:

a first pier comprising a first pivot device; and

a second pier comprising a drive mount, the drive mount capable of accommodating construction tolerances in at least three-axes, the drive mount being configured to support a drive device having an off-set clamp device coupled to a cylindrical bearing device coupled to a clamp member;

a torque tube operably disposed on the first pier and the second pier, the torque tube comprising a first end and a second end, and a notch, the notch being one of a plurality of notches spatially disposed along a length of the torque tube; and

a clamp configured around an annular portion of the torque tube and mating with the notch to prevent movement of the clamp, the clamp comprising a support region configured to support a portion of a solar module; and

a clamp assembly comprising a housing coupled to the first end of the torque tube such that the torque tube is suspended from the housing, the housing comprising an opening having a major plane normal to a length of the torque tube, the opening comprising a first inner region and a second inner region, the first inner region acts as a first stop for the torque tube when moved in a first radial direction until contacting the first inner region, and the second inner region acts as a second stop for the torque tube when moved in a second radial direction until contacting the second inner region; and

wherein the torque tube is configured to rotate through a solid angle from a first radius to a second radius at a substantially constant load.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first pier comprises a wide flange beam;

wherein the first pivot device comprises a spherical bearing configured to be in structural contact with a clamp device to secure the first end to the torque tube and be suspended from the housing;

wherein the torque tube comprising a one to ten inch diameter pipe made of a hollow structure steel;

wherein the clamp comprises a pin configured with the notch;

and further comprising a rail configured to support the clamp, the rail comprising a thread region configured to hold a bolt, the bolt being adapted to screw into the thread and bottom out against a portion of torque tube such that the clamp is desirably torqued against the torque tube; and wherein the torque tube is configured to rotate from the second radius to the first radius at a substantially constant load.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising an off-set crank coupled to the torque tube coupled to a drive device.