IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,345,613
Granted Patent B2
US 12,345,613 · App. 18/452,590 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

System and method for flexible solar tracker and testing

Inventors: Christopher Thomas Needham (Mountain View, HI); Frank Carl Oudheusden (Mont Vernon, NH)
Assignee: FCX SOLAR LLC
G01M9/06G01M9/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,345,613
App. No.
18/452,590
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a technique of configuring flexible photovoltaic tracker systems with high damping and low angle stow positions. Under dynamic environmental loads implementing a high amount of damping (e.g., greater than 25% of critical damping, greater than 50% of critical damping) or a very high amount of damping (e.g., 100% or greater of critical damping, infinite damping) enables the flexible tracker system to prevent problematic aeroelastic behaviors while positioned in a low stow angle. The disclosed technique is further applied to a prototyping process during wind tunnel testing.

Claims (33)

1. A method of prototyping a solar tracker in a wind tunnel comprising:

configuring a scale model of a flexible solar tracker system in a wind tunnel in a low angle stow position, the scale model including a damper assembly that passively shift between multiple damping ratio stages based on damper speed, wherein a first damping ratio stage corresponding to slower damper speeds has a lesser total system damping ratio than a second damping ratio stage corresponding to faster damper speeds;

in response to said configuring, executing a dynamic loading wind tunnel test on the flexible solar tracker system that causes the damper assembly to passively shift between the multiple damping ratio stages; and

generating multiple total system damping measurements based on the dynamic wind loading test.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second damping ratio is critically damped.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second damping ratio is overdamped.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to said executing, modifying structural components of the flexible solar tracker system based on results of the dynamic loading wind tunnel test.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low angle stow position is less than 20 degrees from horizontal plane.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damper assembly passively shifts between damping ratio stages based on closure of a valve that reduces fluidic throughput of a damper piston.

7. A method of prototyping a solar tracker in a wind tunnel comprising:

configuring a scale model of a flexible solar tracker system in a wind tunnel in a low angle stow position, the flexible solar tracker system having a variable total system damping via a damper assembly that passively shifts between two damping ratio stages based on damper speed, wherein a first damping ratio stage corresponding to slower damper speeds causes a system damping ratio under 25% of critical damping and a second damping ratio stage corresponding to faster damper speeds causes a system damping ratio at or greater than critical damping;

in response to said configuring, executing a dynamic loading wind tunnel test on the flexible solar tracker system that causes the damper assembly to passively shift between the multiple damping ratio stages; and

generating multiple total system damping measurements based on the dynamic wind loading test.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

in response to said executing, modifying structural components of the flexible solar tracker system based on results of the dynamic loading wind tunnel test.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein measurements of loading into the damper assembly with an aeroelastic wind tunnel test or similar analysis shows the damper assembly to prevent damage resulting from an environmental wind loading.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the low angle stow position is less than 20 degrees from horizontal plane.

11. A system comprising:

a flexible solar tracker equipped with a damper assembly that passively shifts between two damping ratio stages based on damper speed, wherein a first damping ratio stage corresponding to slower damper speeds has a lesser total system damping ratio than a second damping ratio stage corresponding to faster damper speeds;

a base affixed to the flexible solar tracker and mounted inside a wind tunnel; and

a set of panels affixed to the flexible solar tracker and configured in a low angle stow position associated with a dynamic loading wind tunnel test on the flexible solar tracker system.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the low angle stow position is less than 20 degrees from horizontal plane.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the total system damping is predetermined based on any of:

a pluck test;

a predictive model; or

previous wind tunnel tests.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the total system damping ratio of the second damping ratio stage is critically damped.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the total system damping ratio of the second damping ratio stage is overdamped.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the total system damping ratio of the second damping ratio stage is fully locked.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the damper assembly passively shifts between damping ratio stages based on closure of a valve that reduces fluidic throughput of a damper piston.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the damper assembly is positioned throughout each row of the flexible solar tracker.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the damper assembly is positioned separate from an actuator of the flexible solar tracker.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2023
From: NEEDHAM, CHRISTOPHER THOMAS; OUDHEUSDEN, FRANJ CARK
To: FCX SOLAR LLC
Reel/Frame 065486/0965 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17810972 · Jul 6, 2022
Continuation 17455407 · Nov 17, 2021
Continuation 17365986 · Jul 1, 2021
Related Publication 20240060850A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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