IP Library Granted Patent US 11,251,746
Granted Patent B2
US 11,251,746 · App. 16/196,817 · Granted Feb 15, 2022

Staged stowage of solar trackers and method thereof

Inventors: Stuart Upfill-Brown (Fremont, CA); Tushar Guha (Fremont, CA); Jacob Mark Morin (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: NEXTRACKER INC.
H02S20/32H02J3/385
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,251,746
App. No.
16/196,817
Granted
Feb 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems of managing dynamic response to wind in a solar tracker system are provided. The method includes determining a wind speed, comparing the wind speed to a predetermined threshold value to determine if the wind speed equals or exceeds the predetermined threshold, positioning a windward most solar tracker to a predetermined angle based on the comparing, and positioning a leeward most solar tracker to the predetermined angle based on the comparing. The solar trackers are positioned at the predetermined angle at a predetermined interval starting at the windward most solar tracker and the remaining solar trackers remain in a normal operating condition.

Claims (23)

1. A method of managing dynamic response to wind in a solar tracker array, the method comprising:

determining a wind speed;

comparing the wind speed to a predetermined threshold value to determine if the wind speed equals or exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

positioning a windward most solar tracker in the array to a predetermined angle based on the comparing; and

positioning a leeward most solar tracker in the array to the predetermined angle based on the comparing;

wherein a plurality of solar trackers in the array are positioned at the predetermined angle at a predetermined interval starting at the windward most solar tracker; and

wherein when the determined wind speed exceeds the first predetermined threshold, the plurality of solar trackers between the windward most solar tracker and the leeward most solar tracker remain in a normal operating condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is one of a gradated series of wind speeds to which the determined wind speed is compared.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined angle is one of a gradated series of angles to which the plurality of solar trackers between the windward most solar tracker and the leeward most solar tracker can be positioned for each gradated series of wind speeds.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein at a second determined windspeed the plurality of solar trackers between the windward most solar tracker and the leeward most solar tracker are positioned a second predetermined angle at a predetermined interval of solar trackers.

5. A method of managing dynamic response to wind in a solar tracker array, the method comprising:

determining a wind speed;

comparing the wind speed to a predetermined threshold value to determine if the wind speed equals or exceeds a first predetermined threshold; and

positioning a first solar tracker in the array to a first predetermined angle and a second solar tracker in the array to a second predetermined angle based on the comparing;

wherein when the determined wind speed exceeds the first predetermined threshold, solar trackers between the first solar tracker and the second solar tracker remain in a normal operating condition.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein to achieve the second predetermined angle the second solar tracker is rotated in an opposing direction to the first solar tracker.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further includes:

determining a position of the first solar tracker;

determining a position of the second solar tracker;

determining a shading of the first and second solar tracker;

communicating the position of the first and second solar tracker; and

re-positioning at least one of the first and second solar tracker based on the determined shading.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the communicating includes wireless communication.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 12, 2022
From: NEXTRACKER INC.
To: NEXTRACKER LLC
Reel/Frame 059680/0719 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: UPFILL-BROWN, STUART; GUHA, TUSHAR; MORIN, JACOB MARK
To: NEXTRACKER INC.
Reel/Frame 050662/0938 →