WO2008058411A2

WO2008058411A2 - Photovoltaic cells panel equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2008058411A2
Application number: PCT/CH2007/000561
Authority: WO
Inventors: Danielle Muspach-Oulmann; David Muspach
Original assignee: Danielle Muspach-Oulmann
Priority date: 2006-11-15
Filing date: 2007-11-12
Publication date: 2008-05-22
Also published as: WO2008058411B1; WO2008058411A3

Abstract

The invention relates to an equipment including panels of photovoltaic cells for generating electrical power that comprises a set of panels (20) each bearing a series of photovoltaic cells, wherein said panels are mounted individually or in groups on a mobile bearing. The equipment comprises at least one row (60) of solar modules, each solar module including at least one panel (20) of photovoltaic cells mounted on a rigid bearing (80) pivoting about an axis. The rigid bearing (80) is supported by a fixed structure including vertical carrier members (90) provided in line on a ground (91) having a variable slope, and the solar modules (70) are couples together in groups through the rigid bearings (80). Each row (60) includes at least one mechanical actuator (100) for orienting the solar modules (70) essentially in a perpendicular direction to the sun.

Description

INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL PANELS

Technical area

The present invention relates to an installation of photovoltaic cell panels for the generation of electrical energy, comprising a set of panels each carrying a series of photovoltaic cells, these panels being mounted individually or in groups on a mobile support.

Prior art

There are installations of this type which comprise a set of panels each carrying a series of photovoltaic cells, these panels being mounted on supports. These panels are often mounted on roofs in order to supplement with renewable energy the traditional energy sources used in current homes.

The current trend is to create large plants, called solar power plants, which are designed to produce solar energy in industrial quantities, for example installations with an average power of between 1 and 50 megawatts.

In some installations, the support supports are fixed and the panels keep a constant orientation, preferably towards the south in the northern hemisphere, in such a way that their surface is exposed at best to solar radiation. Nevertheless, because of the relative displacement of the earth and the sun, the chosen orientation is necessarily a compromise which does not allow to obtain a maximum yield of the photovoltaic cells. The best yield is obtained when the solar radiation is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the cells. However, with fixed supports, this condition is only approximately filled around noon. All the rest of the day, the optimal conditions can not be met so the The efficiency of the installation is far from being optimal whatever the time of day.

To overcome this disadvantage, some facilities have movable supports that are oriented according to the position of the sun. According to a known embodiment, these panels are mounted on a substantially plane frame movable about two orthogonal axes and articulated on a heavy load bearing structure made of metal profiles anchored in a concrete base. The supporting structure is extremely expensive and the tilting of the frame requires powerful mechanical means to bring the entire frame with all the panels in the optimal performance position, that is to say perpendicular to the sun's rays. For such an installation, not only the cost of the construction of the support is often very high, but the operation of the installation is expensive because the electric motors responsible for adjusting the position of the frame carrying the panels must be powerful to strong engines. power consumption.

In addition, the known installations are unsatisfactory in terms of environmental protection since they require heavy infrastructures, usually made of steel, which need a maintenance protection against corrosion, or aluminum, which which makes them very expensive and results in an excessively slow return on investment. Implantations are made on sites totally and permanently assigned to these facilities and can not be used for a mixed use, for example combined with agriculture, such as the cultivation of plants for the production of biofuels. Finally, the "fields" of solar panels as we know them are usually placed on flat land designed for this purpose and can not be placed on undeveloped land by following the contour lines and slope lines of these courses. In fact, for solar panel installations to have an interesting yield, it is necessary to arrange them so that the panels follow the orientation of the sun. For this purpose, with the existing infrastructures, the signs must often be mounted on flat surfaces so as to be rotatable about at least one axis.

The fact of carrying out these solar installations on land with an agricultural vocation, provokes resistances and oppositions which slow down the development of these inexhaustible sources of renewable energy.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention aims to solve the problems mentioned above by providing an installation of photovoltaic cell panels with optimal performance, carried by a light structure responding to environmental constraints and consuming only a minimum of energy for operation.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a photovoltaic cell panel installation as defined in the preamble and characterized in that it comprises at least one solar module line, each solar module comprising at least one photovoltaic cell panel mounted on a solar module. rigid support pivoting about an axis, this rigid support being carried by a fixed structure composed of vertical load-bearing elements disposed along at least one line along the slope of a terrain, said solar modules being coupled together in groups by means of the rigid supports of said solar modules, and in that said at least one line comprises at least one mechanical actuator arranged to orient the photovoltaic cell panels of the solar modules substantially perpendicular to the sun.

Advantageously, said at least one mechanical actuator comprises an electric drive motor associated with a gearbox and a control device driven by at least one sensor, said control device being arranged to control the electric drive motor. depending on the position of the sun. According to a preferred embodiment, said at least one line of solar modules coupled together is associated with at least one light intensity detector arranged to control said at least one mechanical actuator in order to angularly orient said photovoltaic cell panels substantially perpendicularly. compared to the sun.

Advantageously, said at least one line of solar modules may consist of several independent groups each associated with at least one mechanical actuator and at least one light intensity detector arranged to control said mechanical actuator in order to orient said panels of photovoltaic cells of this group substantially perpendicular to the sun.

Said at least one line of solar modules can also consist of several independent groups associated in series with at least one mechanical actuator and at least one light intensity detector arranged to control the at least one mechanical actuator to guide said panels photovoltaic cells of this group substantially perpendicular to the sun.

The vertical load-bearing elements arranged along said at least one line of solar modules may have varying heights depending on the variable level curves of said terrain.

The vertical carrier elements disposed in line preferably have variable heights adapted for the slope line of a given line of solar modules to have softer and progressive curvatures than the corresponding contour of the terrain.

The vertical load-bearing elements can be pegs directly planted in the ground. These vertical load-bearing elements can also be placed in vertical cavities formed in said ground and filled with crushed materials.

Said movable support pivoting about an axis on which said solar modules comprising at least one photovoltaic cell panel are advantageously constituted by at least two parallel rigid supports carrying said solar panel and a load-bearing beam defining said pivot axis. and carrying said parallel supports.

Said rigid supports are preferably arranged substantially under two opposite sides of at least one solar panel.

Said rigid supports can also be arranged substantially under the corresponding sides of several solar panels juxtaposed if the solar modules comprise multiple panels juxtaposed.

Said rigid supports advantageously comprise a central opening for the passage and mounting of said load-bearing beam.

Each group of solar panels preferably comprises a load-bearing beam on which are mounted several pairs of rigid supports each carrying at least one solar panel, said bearing beam being carried by at least two vertical support members by means of a ball joint arranged at each end of this load-bearing beam.

Said ball joint comprises particularly advantageously a spherical ball mounted in a cavity of said corresponding vertical carrier member and a rod segment passing through a central opening formed in said spherical ball, said cavity being arranged to allow axial rotation of said ball joint and the rod that passes through and a limited angular pivoting of the ball and the rod through. A bearing beam on which are mounted several pairs of movable supports each carrying at least one solar panel is preferably integral with two segments of rods respectively passing through a central opening formed in a corresponding spherical ball mounted in a cavity of two adjacent vertical carrier members.

A bearing beam is preferably suspended from said rod sections through the corresponding spherical balls by means of clamps, so that the center of gravity of the panels and their support is approximately centered on the axis of rotation of this installation.

Said spherical ball of said ball joint is advantageously mounted in a substantially spherical cavity of said vertical carrier element, this spherical recess being extended, on either side, by two cylindrical recesses, also formed in said vertical carrier, in which are arranged the ends of said rod passing through said spherical ball.

Preferably, the two parallel rigid supports of a solar module have different central heights so that the solar panels carried by these rigid supports have an inclination relative to the corresponding supporting beam.

In all embodiments, the center of gravity of a load-bearing beam with the rigid supports and the corresponding solar panels is disposed on the axis of the rod passing through the corresponding spherical balls.

In a particular embodiment, said rigid supports and said vertical load-bearing elements constituting said fixed structure are made of wood. Brief description of the figures

The present invention and its advantages will appear better in the following description of an embodiment given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the installation according to the invention comprising several lines of solar modules coupled together,

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a line of solar modules,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of part of the solar module line of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a drive device called a mechanical actuator, arranged to orient the solar modules, and

Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of a ball joint for positioning solar modules of a line of the installation.

Best ways to achieve the invention

With reference to the figures, the installation 10 as represented as a whole by FIG. 1 and in more detail by the following figures, intended for the generation of electrical energy, comprises a set of panels 20 each carrying at least one photovoltaic cell. , these panels being mounted individually or in groups 40 on a mobile support 50. This installation 10 comprises at least one line 60 of solar modules 70, each solar module 70 comprising at least one panel 20 of photovoltaic cells mounted on at least one rigid support 80 pivoting about a longitudinal axis, this rigid support 80 being carried by a fixed structure consisting of vertical load-bearing elements 90 arranged in line on a ground 91 having contour lines 92 variables. Said solar modules 70 are coupled together in groups, by means of the rigid supports 80 of said solar modules 70.

In the example of Figure 1, the installation 10 comprises a series of lines 60 parallel to each other, substantially rectilinear and cutting the contour lines 92, regardless of the orientation of the latter. Each line 60 of solar modules 70 comprises at least one mechanical actuator 100 (see FIG. 4), arranged to orient the photovoltaic cell panels 20 of the solar modules 70 substantially perpendicular to the sun, as shown by the double arrow A.

A line 60 of solar modules 70 comprises a set of vertical carrying elements 90 arranged, for example along a natural slope line of the ground 91, on which the installation 10 is implanted or along a contour line. or any other line, the choice being made according to the orientation of the ground with respect to the cardinal points, so that the cells benefit from a maximum of sunshine and that the installation has an optimal yield.

As shown in detail in Figure 2, each solar module 70 comprises, in the embodiment as shown, two panels 20 juxtaposed in the extension of one another on two parallel rigid supports 80. These rigid supports 80 have a triangular shape and have a central opening 81 shaped such that they can engage on a bearing beam 82, of square or rectangular section, for example, which is carried by the vertical load-bearing members, 90 by means of a ball joint, as shown in FIG. 5. The rigid supports 80 and the supporting beam 82 constitute the mobile supports 50 of the solar modules 70. The rigid supports 80 and the supporting beam 82 are made of wood preferably in naturally rotten wood such as acacia or acacia, for example, or rendered rot-resistant by surface treatment or impregnation. The panels are mounted on the rigid supports 80 by gluing, by means of a flexible glue, for example based on silicone or the like. The supporting beam 82 carries a set of juxtaposed solar modules 70 which take the appropriate orientation by the controlled pivoting of said supporting beam and the various supporting beams of the same line. This pivoting movement is controlled by a drive device which will be described below, and transmitted from one bearing beam to the next of the same line 60 by means of a ball joint represented by FIG. 5.

The two rigid supports 80 of the same module, as shown, are identical, so that the panels are arranged parallel to the corresponding supporting beam 82. To increase the efficiency of the installation and further orient the panels towards the sun, the two rigid supports 80 may have a different height at the center, which has the effect of inclining the solar panels 20 relative to the bearing beam 82. The inclination may be adapted to the latitude of the installation and whether it is located in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

FIG. 3 shows two groups 40 of solar modules 70 juxtaposed with a line 60 of solar modules which are mounted on mobile supports 50. A group 40 of solar modules 70 is in fact carried by two vertical load-bearing elements 90 which serve as supports fixed to a supporting beam 82 carrying the pivotable rigid supports 80 of all the solar modules 70 of the same group 40.

The vertical load-bearing members 90 are preferably also stakes of rotproof wood and are either directly planted in the ground or planted in holes 95 filled with gravel which facilitates the drainage of rainwater for example. The depth of penetration of these wooden stakes is substantially the same for the entire installation. The rows 60 of stakes correspond for example to slope lines of the terrain 91. FIG. 4 represents a view of an embodiment of a drive device called mechanical actuator 100, designed to orient the solar modules 70. This mechanical actuator 100 comprises a protection box 101 which contains an electric drive motor. 102 of low power and a speed reducer 103 and control means which are arranged to receive a start control signal of the drive motor 102 according to the position of the sun. This position is given by a detector known per se that determines the maximum brightness according to the position of the sun. The speed reducer 103 is provided by a gear train 104 and belts to references 105 to ensure a very substantial reduction, of the order of 100 to ¹ OOO 10O00, the motor shaft output speed of the engine Electrical drive 102. This reduction allows to obtain a high torque with an electric drive motor 102 of very low power, of the order of a few tens of watts, this torque being sufficient to drive the bearing beams 82. in addition, the high torque also provides a form of locking in position, particularly useful in case of storm or overload, for example during snowfall, which prevents the uncontrolled pivoting of the panels or allowing controlled pivoting. Note that the box 101 may be oriented vertically or inclined relative to vertical bearing members 90 or 90a and 90b (shown inclined). In principle, a single mechanical actuator 100 is sufficient to drive a whole line 60 of solar modules. In practice and for safety reasons, several mechanical actuators 100 are provided on the same line 60 of solar modules 70.

FIG. 5 represents a cross-sectional view of a ball joint 110 allowing the positioning of the solar modules 70 of a line 60 of the installation 10. The ball joint 110 comprises a spherical ball 111 which is housed in a recess 115 of the carrier element 90. This spherical ball is traversed by a cylindrical passage in which is housed a tubular section 112 which serves to guide a rod 113, possibly tubular, which protrudes on both sides of the tubular section 112. The rod 113 is arranged to rotate as shown by the double arrow A inside the tubular section 112. Moreover, the spherical recess 115 is extended on either side by two cylindrical recesses 116 which allow this spherical ball 111 to pivot in a limited manner along the double arrow B and the rod 113 to pivot angularly around the center of the spherical ball 111 as shown by the double arrow C. These pivoting movements are intended to allow an angular adaptation of the solar modules 70 of a line 60 of solar modules, depending on the terrain.

At both ends of the rod 113, two fastening flanges 114 are fixed, the geometry of which is such that they attach to the respective ends of two supporting beams 82 arranged on either side of the carrier element 90. In this way, the supporting beams 82 are coupled together by means of the ball joint 100 which makes it possible to ensure this coupling even if the two supporting beams are not exactly in line with one another because of the geometry of the ground on which the line 60 is implanted. The fixing flanges 114 are designed in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the supporting beams 82 is offset relative to the axis of the rod 113. This geometry makes it possible to produce a structure in which the center of gravity of the set of Rotating parts, namely the supporting beams 82, the rigid supports 80 and the solar panels 20, is arranged on the axis of the rod 113 which allows the rotation of this assembly. It is in particular thanks to this arrangement that the pivoting can be performed with a very low power electric motor.

Possibilities of industrial application

It is clear from this description that the invention achieves the goals set, namely to achieve installation of solar panels on land regardless of the geometry of the land, following or not the contour lines.

Claims

1. Installation (10) of photovoltaic cell panels for the generation of electrical energy, comprising a set of panels (20) each carrying a series of photovoltaic cells, these panels being mounted individually or in groups (40) on a movable support (50), characterized in that it comprises at least one line (60) of solar modules (70), each solar module comprising at least one panel (20) of photovoltaic cells mounted on a rigid support (80) pivoting around an axis, this rigid support (80) being carried by a fixed structure composed of vertical load-bearing elements (90) arranged along at least one line along the slope of a terrain (91), said solar modules (70) being coupled between them in groups by means of rigid supports (80) of said solar modules, and in that said at least one line (60) of solar modules comprises at least one mechanical actuator (100) arranged to orient the panels (20) of cells s photovoltaic said solar modules substantially perpendicular to the sun.

2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one mechanical actuator (100) comprises an electric drive motor (102) associated with a gearbox (103) and a control device driven by at least one a sensor, said control device being arranged to control the electric drive motor according to the position of the sun.

3. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one line (60) of solar modules (70) coupled together is associated with at least one light intensity detector arranged to control said at least one mechanical actuator ( 100) to angularly orient said panels (20) of photovoltaic cells substantially perpendicular to the sun.

4. Installation according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said at least one line (60) of solar modules (70) consists of several independent groups (40) each associated with at least one mechanical actuator (100) and at least one light intensity detector arranged to control the at least one mechanical actuator to direct said solar cell panels of this group substantially perpendicular to the sun.

5. Installation according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said at least one line of solar modules consists of several independent groups (40) associated in series with at least one mechanical actuator and at least one detector light intensity arranged to control said at least one mechanical actuator to direct said photovoltaic cell panels of this group substantially perpendicular to the sun.

6. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical load-bearing elements (90) disposed along said at least one line of solar modules have varying heights according to the variable slope lines of said terrain (91).

7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the vertical carrier elements (90) arranged in line have variable heights adapted so that the line of slope of a given line of solar modules has softer and progressive curvatures than the corresponding slope line of the land.

8. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the vertical load-bearing elements (90) are pegs directly planted in the ground.

9. Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the vertical bearing elements are placed in vertical cavities (95) formed in said terrain and filled with crushed materials.

10. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable support (50) pivoting about an axis on which are mounted said solar modules (70) comprising at least one panel of photovoltaic cells consists of at least two supports rigid (80) parallel carrying said solar panel and a bearing beam (82) defining said pivot axis and carrying said rigid supports.

11. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that said rigid supports (80) are disposed substantially under two opposite sides of at least one solar panel (20).

12. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that said rigid supports (80) are arranged substantially under the corresponding sides of several solar panels (20) juxtaposed.

13. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that said rigid supports (80) comprise a central opening (81) for the passage and mounting of said supporting beam (82).

14. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each group (40) of solar panels comprises a bearing beam (82) on which are mounted several pairs of rigid supports each carrying at least one solar panel, said bearing beam being carried by at least two vertical load-bearing members (90) by means of a ball joint (110) disposed at each end of this load-bearing beam.

15. Installation according to claim 13, characterized in that said ball joint (110) comprises a spherical ball (111) mounted in a cavity of said corresponding vertical carrier member (90) and a rod segment (113) passing through a central opening in said spherical ball joint, said cavity being arranged to allow axial rotation of said ball joint and the stem therethrough and pivoting limited angle of this ball and the rod through.

16. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that a bearing beam (82) on which are mounted several pairs of rigid supports each carrying at least one solar panel is secured to two segments of rods (113) respectively passing through a central opening formed in a corresponding spherical ball (111) mounted in a cavity (115) of two adjacent vertical bearing members (90).

17. Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that a bearing beam (82) is suspended from said sections of rods passing through the corresponding spherical balls (111) by means of clamps (114).

18. Installation according to claim 15, characterized in that said spherical ball (111) of said ball joint (110) is mounted in a substantially spherical cavity (115) of said vertical bearing member (90), said spherical recess (115). being extended, on both sides, by two cylindrical recesses (116), also formed in said vertical carrier (90), in which are disposed the ends of said rod (113) passing through said spherical ball (111).

19. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the two parallel rigid supports (80) of a solar module (70) have different central heights so that the solar panels (20) carried by these rigid supports have an inclination relative to the corresponding supporting beam (82).

20. Installation according to claim 16, characterized in that the center of gravity of a bearing beam (82) with the rigid supports (80) and the corresponding solar panels (20) is arranged on the axis of the rod (113). ) passing through the corresponding spherical balls (111).

21. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rigid supports (80) and said vertical load-bearing elements (90) constituting said fixed structure are made of wood.