Systems, methods, and machines for aligning and assembling truss foundations for single-axis trackers
A method for installing and assembling a truss foundation to support a single-axis solar tracker. A positioning subsystem determines an orientation of a machine mast's driving axis relative to an intended drive axis and controls the mast to be positioned so that the mast's driving axis is aligned with the intended drive axis of the screw anchor foundation component. After a pair of adjacent screw anchors are driven, the controller causes motion controllers to orient the mast so that an alignment jig for supporting truss apex hardware is held in place relative to the driven screw anchors at a predetermined point in space above them so that upper leg sections can be sleeved over connecting portions of the apex hardware and down on to the driven screw anchors.
1 . A method of constructing a truss foundation for supporting a single-axis solar tracker with an automated installation and assembly machine so that a rotational axis of the solar tracker is substantially aligned with a predetermined axis in a coordinate system, the method comprising:
with a microprocessor communicatively coupled to an articulating mast of the machine, determining a first drive axis in the coordinate system and controlling the machine to drive a first foundation component along the first drive axis;
with the microprocessor, determining a second drive axis and controlling the machine to drive a second foundation component along the second drive axis adjacent to the first foundation component; and
with the microprocessor, controlling the machine to orient the articulating mast so that a component jig on the mast is positioned above the first and second driven foundation components so that a rotational axis of a tracker bearing assembly supported by the truss foundation will be aligned with the predetermined axis.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising placing an apex truss component on the component jig.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising interconnecting an upper end of the first and second driven foundation components to the apex truss component held by the component jig with respective upper leg sections.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising crimping the respective upper leg sections to the first and second foundation components and to the apex truss component.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the machine to drive the first foundation component along the first drive axis comprises controlling the articulating mast to orient a drive axis of the articulating mast to overlap with the first drive axis.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the machine to drive the second foundation component along the second drive axis comprises controlling the articulating mast to orient its drive axis to overlap with the second drive axis.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising uploading information to a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the microprocessor, the information corresponding to a solar tracker installation project and comprising a location of the truss foundation in the coordinate system and a work point height for each of the first foundation component and the second foundation component.
8 . A method of constructing a truss foundation for supporting a single-axis solar tracker with an automated installation and assembly machine so that a rotational axis of the solar tracker supported by the truss foundation is oriented relative to a desired truss work point height, the method comprising:
with a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the automated installation and assembly machine calculating a first drive axis in a coordinate system and automatically driving a first foundation component to a first embedment depth along the first drive axis;
with the microcontroller, calculating a second drive axis in the coordinate system and driving a second foundation component to a second embedment depth along the second drive axis; and
with the microcontroller, automatically orienting a component jig on the an articulating mast of the automated installation and assembly machine above the driven first and second foundation components so that a rotational axis of a tracker bearing supported by the truss foundation will be aligned at a predetermined position relative to the desired truss work point height.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising placing an apex truss component on the component jig.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising interconnecting an upper end of the first and second driven foundation components to the apex truss component held by the component jig with respective upper leg sections.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising crimping the respective upper leg sections to the first and second foundation components and to the apex truss component.
12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein automatically driving the first foundation component to a first embedment depth along the first drive axis comprises controlling the articulating mast of the automated installation and assembly machine to align its drive axis with the first drive axis.
13 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein driving the second foundation component to a second embedment depth along the second drive axis comprises controlling an articulating mast of the automated installation and assembly machine to align its drive axis with the second drive axis.
14 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising uploading information to a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the microprocessor, the information corresponding to a solar tracker installation project and comprising a location of the truss foundation in the coordinate system and a work point height for each of the first foundation component and the second foundation component.