公开(公告)号：US20210223347A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-22

申请号：US17222742

申请日：2021-04-05

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Jérôme ARLIAUD ,  Adrien CRUCIFIX ,  Philippe Blanc

IPC: G01S3/786 ,  H02S20/32 ,  G05D3/10 ,  F24S50/20 ,  H02S50/00 ,  H02S40/20 ,  H02S20/10

Abstract: A method for controlling the orientation of a single-axis solar tracker (1) orientable about an axis of rotation (A), said method repetitively completing successive control phases, where each control phase implements the following successive steps:
a) observing the cloud coverage above the solar tracker (1);
b) comparing the observed cloud coverage with cloud coverage models stored in a database, each cloud coverage model being associated to an orientation setpoint value of the solar tracker;
c) matching the observed cloud coverage with a cloud coverage model;
d) servo-controlling the orientation of the solar tracker by applying the orientation setpoint value associated to said cloud coverage model retained during step c).
The present invention finds application in the field of solar trackers.

公开(公告)号：US11050383B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-29

申请号：US16418433

申请日：2019-05-21

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Tyler Watson

IPC: H02S20/32 ,  F24S40/80 ,  F24S25/65 ,  F24S30/00 ,  F24S25/12

Abstract: A solar tracking system including a plurality of bases, a torque tube supported by the plurality of bases and configured to support a plurality of solar modules, and a drive device operably connected to the torque tube and arranged to translate the torque tube in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. The solar tracking system also includes a plurality of helical guides operably connected to the torque tube, and a plurality of cam assemblies, wherein upon linear movement of the torque tube, interaction between the helical guides and cam assemblies causes the torque tube to rotate about its linear axis.

公开(公告)号：US20210165067A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-03

申请号：US17107665

申请日：2020-11-30

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Jérôme ARLIAUD ,  Madyan MICHOTTE DE WELLE

IPC: G01S3/786 ,  H02S20/10 ,  H02S20/32 ,  F24S23/70 ,  F24S50/20 ,  F24S30/425

Abstract: A method for controlling the orientation of a solar module including a single-axis solar tracker orientable about an axis of rotation, and a photovoltaic device supported by said tracker and having upper and lower photoactive faces, including: measurement of a distribution of the solar luminance called incident luminance originating from the incident solar radiation coming from the sky to reach the upper face, said distribution being established according to several elevation angles; measurement of a distribution of the solar luminance called reflected luminance originating from the albedo solar radiation corresponding to the reflection of the solar radiation on the ground to reach the lower face, said distribution being established according to several elevation angles; determination of an optimum orientation considering the measurements of said distributions of the incident and reflected solar luminance; servo-control of the orientation of the module on said optimum orientation.

公开(公告)号：US20210091713A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-25

申请号：US17115595

申请日：2020-12-08

Applicant: NEXTRACKER INC.

Inventor： Yang Liu ,  Chen Li

IPC: H02S20/32 ,  G01S3/781 ,  G05D3/20 ,  G05D3/10 ,  G01S3/782 ,  G06N20/00

Abstract: A solar tracker system including a tracker apparatus including a plurality of solar modules, each of the solar modules being spatially configured to face in a normal manner in an on sun position in an incident direction of electromagnetic radiation derived from the sun, wherein the solar modules include a plurality of PV strings, and a tracker controller. The tracker controller includes a processor, a memory, a power supply configured to provide power to the tracker controller, a plurality of power inputs configured to receive a plurality of currents from the plurality of PV strings, a current sensing unit configured to individually monitor the plurality of currents, a DC-DC power converter configured to receive the plurality of power inputs powered from the plurality of PV strings to supply power to the power supply, and a motor controller, wherein the tracker controller is configured to track the sun position.

公开(公告)号：US10892704B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-12

申请号：US16067939

申请日：2016-12-27

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Madyan Michotte de Welle ,  Jérôme Arliaud

IPC: H02S20/23 ,  G05D3/10 ,  F24S30/425 ,  H02S20/32 ,  F24S50/20

Abstract: Solar array including solar modules distributed in rows (10), each solar module having a solar collector carried by a single-axis solar tracker (4), a reference solar power plant including a central reference solar module and at least one secondary reference solar module, and a piloting unit adapted for: piloting the angular orientation of the central reference module according to a central reference orientation setpoint corresponding to an initial orientation setpoint, piloting the orientation of each secondary reference module according to a secondary reference orientation setpoint corresponding to the initial orientation setpoint shifted by a predefined offset angle; receiving an energy production value from each reference module; piloting the orientation of the modules, except for the reference modules, by applying the reference orientation setpoint associated to the reference module having the highest production value.

公开(公告)号：US10852385B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-01

申请号：US16067925

申请日：2016-12-27

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Jérôme Arliaud ,  Madyan Michotte De Welle

IPC: H02S20/32 ,  G01S3/786 ,  H02S20/10 ,  F24S23/70 ,  F24S50/20 ,  F24S30/425

Abstract: A method for controlling the orientation of a solar module including a single-axis solar tracker orientable about an axis of rotation, and a photovoltaic device supported by said tracker and having upper and lower photoactive faces, including: measurement of a distribution of the solar luminance called incident luminance originating from the incident solar radiation coming from the sky to reach the upper face, said distribution being established according to several elevation angles; measurement of a distribution of the solar luminance called reflected luminance originating from the albedo solar radiation corresponding to the reflection of the solar radiation on the ground to reach the lower face, said distribution being established according to several elevation angles; determination of an optimum orientation considering the measurements of said distributions of the incident and reflected solar luminance; servo-control of the orientation of the module on said optimum orientation.

公开(公告)号：US20200309893A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-01

申请号：US16903127

申请日：2020-06-16

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Jérôme ARLIAUD ,  Adrien CRUCIFIX ,  Philippe Blanc

IPC: G01S3/786 ,  H02S20/32 ,  G05D3/10 ,  F24S50/20 ,  H02S50/00 ,  H02S40/20 ,  H02S20/10

Abstract: A method for controlling the orientation of a single-axis solar tracker (1) orientable about an axis of rotation (A), said method repetitively completing successive control phases, where each control phase implements the following successive steps: a) observing the cloud coverage above the solar tracker (1); b) comparing the observed cloud coverage with cloud coverage models stored in a database, each cloud coverage model being associated to an orientation setpoint value of the solar tracker; c) matching the observed cloud coverage with a cloud coverage model; d) servo-controlling the orientation of the solar tracker by applying the orientation setpoint value associated to said cloud coverage model retained during step c). The present invention finds application in the field of solar trackers.

公开(公告)号：US20200153381A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-14

申请号：US16067939

申请日：2016-12-27

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Madyan MICHOTTE DE WELLE ,  Jérôme ARLIAUD

IPC: H02S20/32 ,  G05D3/10 ,  F24S30/425

Abstract: Solar array including solar modules distributed in rows (10), each solar module having a solar collector carried by a single-axis solar tracker (4), a reference solar power plant including a central reference solar module and at least one secondary reference solar module, and a piloting unit adapted for: piloting the angular orientation of the central reference module according to a central reference orientation setpoint corresponding to an initial orientation setpoint, piloting the orientation of each secondary reference module according to a secondary reference orientation setpoint corresponding to the initial orientation setpoint shifted by a predefined offset angle; receiving an energy production value from each reference module; piloting the orientation of the modules, except for the reference modules, by applying the reference orientation setpoint associated to the reference module having the highest production value.

公开(公告)号：US10601364B1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-24

申请号：US14922087

申请日：2015-10-23

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Alexander W. Au

IPC: H02S20/32 ,  H02S50/00 ,  H02S30/10 ,  H02S20/23

Abstract: A solar tracker array has solar modules that may be configured to operate as a wind fence according to a wind characteristic.

公开(公告)号：US10557646B1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-11

申请号：US15645989

申请日：2017-07-10

Applicant: NEXTracker Inc.

Inventor： Yu Dong Ma ,  Yang Liu ,  Francesco Borrelli ,  Allan Daly ,  Ricardo Delgado-Nanez ,  Alexander W. Au

IPC: F24S30/422 ,  F24S25/10 ,  F24S30/425 ,  H02S20/10 ,  F24S20/00 ,  F24S30/00

Abstract: A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.