System and method for flexible solar tracker and testing

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.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A flexible solar tracker system comprising:
 an actuator configured to set a position of a set of photovoltaic (PV) panels in a row via a torque tube, the actuator having a flexible configuration with respect to the set of PV panels;   dampers interspersed through the row of the set of PV panels, the dampers employing a high damping ratio when measured under peak design wind loading; and   a controller configured to cause the actuator to set a low angle stow position of the set of PV panels.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the low angle stow position is less than 20 degrees from horizontal plane. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein total system damping ratio of the flexible solar tracker system is based on any of:
 a pluck test;   a predictive model; or   previous wind tunnel tests.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the high damping ratio is critically damped. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the high damping ratio is overdamped. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the flexible solar tracker system includes non-functional, substitute panels configured for wind tunnel testing. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the set of PV panels in the row contains multiple strings of PV panels. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the dampers have a variable damping ratio that varies passively based on environmental conditions. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the variable damping ratio is based on a speed caused by an environmental load on the PV panels. 
     
     
         31 . A flexible solar tracker system comprising:
 a single actuator configured to set a position of a set of photovoltaic (PV) panels in a row via a torque tube;   dampers interspersed through the row of the set of PV panels, the dampers configured result in the flexible solar tracker system having a total system damping ratio against row rotation when measured under peak design wind loading that is overdamped; and   a controller configured to cause the actuator to set a low angle stow position of the set of PV panels.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the low angle stow position is less than 20 degrees from horizontal plane. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein total system damping ratio of the flexible solar tracker system is based on any of:
 a pluck test;   a predictive model; or   previous wind tunnel tests.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the flexible solar tracker system includes non-functional, substitute panels configured for wind tunnel testing. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the set of PV panels in the row contains multiple strings of PV panels. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the dampers have a variable damping ratio that varies passively based on environmental conditions. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the variable damping ratio is based on a speed caused by an environmental load on the PV panels. 
     
     
         38 . A method of configuring a flexible solar tracker system comprising configuring an actuator to set a position of a set of photovoltaic (PV) panels in a row via a torque tube, the actuator having a flexible configuration with respect to the set of PV panels;
 configuring dampers interspersed through the row of the set of PV panels to employ a high damping ratio when measured under peak design wind loading; and   configuring a controller to cause the actuator to set a low angle stow position of the set of PV panels.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the high damping ratio is critically damped. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the high damping ratio is overdamped. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 passively varying a damping ratio of the dampers based on environmental conditions.