DE20109673U1 - Noise protection wall equipped with solar panels - Google Patents

Description

Noise barrier equipped with solar panels

[0001] The present innovation concerns a noise barrier fitted with solar panels. Noise barriers are erected along motorways, expressways and railway lines and are usually located on public land.

[0002] Conventionally, noise barriers are known which have a series of vertically placed support posts, onto which noise-insulating panels are then mounted vertically. The panels are either mounted on the support posts or the support posts are Ω-profiles, so that the noise-insulating panels can be inserted from above into the grooves formed by the Ω-profiles on both sides. For example, a noise barrier built in this way presents a number of problems if it is to be fitted with solar panels.

[0003] Naturally, various interest groups influence the design and the requirements placed on a noise barrier. This is especially true if the noise barrier is also to be equipped with solar panels. Firstly, the noise barriers should be functional, i.e. ensure the best possible sound insulation, then they should blend in with the surroundings as aesthetically as possible, and often there are also requirements regarding the choice of material. The planning and executing engineers also have a significant say, as they must ensure that the noise barrier is structurally strong enough to withstand storm winds.

and snow loads, but on the other hand also to ensure a long service life through good weather protection and a suitable choice of materials. Furthermore, the noise barrier should be constructed in such a way that it can be installed with little effort and that in the event of damage, for example if a vehicle collides with it, it can be repaired without great difficulty. If a noise barrier is also to be equipped with solar panels, as is increasingly being requested because noise barriers are generally suitable as supports for solar panels, further boundary conditions come into play. The panels should be exposed to as much sunlight as possible by avoiding themselves being shaded, they should be kept as free from dirt as possible, be easy to replace, be secured so that they can withstand wind and snow loads, and also be mounted so that they cannot be stolen.

[0004] It is therefore the aim of the present innovation to create a noise barrier equipped with solar panels which satisfies the criteria listed above.

[0005] This object is achieved by a noise barrier equipped with solar panels consisting of a plurality of support posts and noise protection panels connecting them, which is characterized in that the support posts are formed by steel support profiles which in cross-section enclose two legs of different lengths which are at an angle of between 90° and 140° to one another, wherein the longer legs are anchored at an oblique angle to the vertical, while the shorter legs also run at an oblique angle to the vertical, and wherein the lower, longer legs are intended to act as guide profiles for noise protection panels which can be inserted between them from above, and the upper, shorter legs are intended to act for fastening inclined solar panels.

[0006] In the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of this noise barrier is shown in various views and its structure and function are explained in detail in the following description.

It shows:

Figure 1: A section of a noise barrier;

Figure 2: A single support post shown in elevation from the side;

Figure 3: A section of the support post structure in the area between the longer and the shorter leg, when both profiles are designed as H-profiles;

Figure 4: A section of the support post structure in the area between the longer and the shorter leg, when the lower profile is designed as an H-profile and the upper as a T-profile;

Figure 5: The same cutout with the mounting profile for a solar panel, as well as two solar panels being pushed in for their installation;

Figure 6: A cross-section as a framework for a mounting profile for the solar panels to be placed between the support posts;

Figure 7: Several mounted solar panels and their securing.

[0007] Figure 1 shows a section of a noise barrier which, as shown here, runs a few meters apart from a roadway 7 and the associated crash barrier 8. It is therefore usually built in an open field 9 and must be anchored securely via foundations 3. Support posts 1, 2 are offset at regular intervals. The individual support posts 1, 2 consist of H-steel profiles, each of which has two legs 1, 2 of unequal length, which here enclose an angle of approximately 100°. The longer leg 1 is concreted into a foundation 3, in a position oblique to the vertical. Optionally, the legs 1, 2 can have a rib 4 in the form of a steel sheet on the inside of the angle they enclose.

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which on the one hand reinforces the angle and at the same time supports the aesthetics, in that the entire cross profile of the noise barrier appears more solid at the bottom and tapered towards the top, thus creating a more elegant appearance. The ribs 4 are also firmly connected to the ground at their rear lower end via a foundation 3, so that the noise barrier is strongly anchored against wind pressure. The individual support posts 1,2 are set up a few meters apart from each other, preferably every four meters, because with this spacing, three solar panels 5 with a usual length of 1,314 mm can be arranged side by side lengthwise between two support posts 1,2. The H-profile 1, in particular of the lower legs 1, allows the space between these supports to be filled with plates 6 of various designs, in that these plates 6 can be simply inserted from above between the wings of the H-beams 1, which form a groove on both sides, and lowered. These plates, which act as noise protection, can be made of various materials. Suitable materials include concrete lava stone slabs, but also hollow aluminum cassettes or simply wooden panels or boards of a length that fits between the grooves of two adjacent support posts 1.

[0008] Figure 2 shows a single support post in elevation and viewed from the side. It consists of two steel profiles 1, 2, which have a lower, longer leg 1 of, for example, approximately 2.3 m in length and an upper, shorter leg 2 of approximately 2 m in length, with the upper leg 2 forming an angle of approximately 100° with the lower leg 1. It is advantageous if the lower leg 1 deviates from the vertical at an angle of 18° towards the top, in such a way that the deviation is in the direction of the tip of the included angle. The upper, shorter leg 2 here has an inclination (elevation) of 60°. This inclination determines the mounting inclination of the solar panels to be installed. And it is this inclination that contributes to optimal sun exposure. With an inclination angle of 60°, a good compromise is achieved in most inhabited areas for the different angles of the sun's rays, both during the seasons and during the day. At the same time, an inclination of 60° proves to be good for the

Rainwater can drain away and snow can slide off as it slides, so that heavy snow loads are largely avoided. The lower leg 1 must be very securely anchored in the ground so that the entire noise barrier remains secure even in strong winds and can withstand the corresponding wind pressure. In the example shown, the anchoring is achieved by digging sufficiently large holes 10 in the ground into which a strong steel profile 11 is vertically concreted. A flat steel plate 12 is welded to the upper face of this profile 11. This flat steel plate has at least three or four holes through which screws can be inserted. These screws can be used to screw a similar flat steel plate, which is welded to the lower end of the lower steel profile 1 designed as an &EEgr; profile, to the steel plate 12 on the foundation in a force-fitting manner.

[0009] Figure 3 shows a section of the support post structure in the area between the longer leg 1 and the shorter leg 2. The lower, longer profile 1, which is an H-steel profile 1, is mitred at its upper end so that the front side runs approximately horizontally when the profile 1 is mounted at an oblique angle. The upper, shorter steel profile 2 is also an �EEgr; profile, which is welded along its central rib 26 to the central rib 15 of the H-profile 1, and also with its two lower wings to the rear wings of the H-profile 1. The weld seams are designated 16. In the end area, the wings of the upper profile 2 are cut away on the top side to keep this space free so that noise protection panels can be inserted from above between the grooves formed by the wings 13, 14 of the lower H-profile 1.

[0010] Figure 4 shows the same section of the support post structure in the area between the longer 1 and the shorter leg 2. The lower, longer profile 1 is again an H-steel profile 1, the upper end of which is mitred so that the front side runs approximately horizontally when the profile is mounted at an oblique angle. In the example shown here, however, the upper, shorter steel profile 2 is a T-profile, which is therefore only welded along its central rib 26 to the central rib 15 of the &EEgr; profile, as is the case with the

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Weld seam 16 is shown. In order to achieve sufficient stability, the ribs 4 and the cross braces between the profiles 2 of the individual support posts, which will be described later, are used.

[0011] Figure 5 shows the same section as shown in Figures 3 and 4, but this time with a T-profile 17 welded onto the top of the upper profile 2, which serves to accommodate solar panel frames 18. Between the top of the upper profile 2 and the bottom of the T-wing of the welded T-profile 17, a groove is formed into which the solar panels can be pushed from above or, even more advantageously, from below. The solar panels 5 are factory-fitted with an aluminum frame 18 with a U-shaped cross-section, with which they are enclosed all around. Along the lower long side, however, the aluminum frame is only designed as an angle profile 19, so that it only extends over part of the solar panel thickness from below. This ensures that the rainwater can completely drip off the pane of the solar panel 5 and therefore no gutter is formed, as is the case with solar panels enclosed all around with a U-profile. With panels that are framed all around, dirt builds up from below, with the strip of dirt growing upwards over time and reducing the efficiency of the solar panel. The solar panels 5 used for this noise barrier are specially pretreated by first rubbing the glass surface with cerium dioxide, an abrasive, chemically neutral, water-based agent using white Scotch-Brite, until all dirt has been removed. Any dirt is then washed off with water and the glass surface is scraped off with a rubber lip and rubbed dry. Finally, the glass surface is coated with Crystal Guard™ (trade name) from Chemetall GmbH, Reuterweg 14, D-60271 Frankfurt am Main. In the example shown, the solar panels 5 treated in this way are then mounted from below, i.e. from the side of the angle tip of the support posts 1,2, whereby they are simply pushed from below into the grooves formed by the mounting profiles. The solar panels 5 are spaced apart by spacers so that a horizontal gap 25 remains open between them, through which the rainwater can run off over the smooth end of the lower edge of the solar panel. The lower solar panel 5 here

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pushes the upper solar panel 5, which was pushed in first, further upwards until it has reached its final position. It is now anchored in this position. To prevent the solar panel from sliding out, in the example shown, hinged brackets 23 are screwed or welded onto the top of the welded T-profiles 17. These hinged brackets 23 can simply be folded down after the solar panel 5 has been pushed in and their angled end piece 24 then grips the corner of the lowest solar panel 5. The hinged bracket 23 simultaneously covers the vertical gap between two solar panels that are adjacent in a horizontal direction.

[0012] In order to create guide profiles for a total of three solar panels 5 in the horizontal direction between two support posts 1, 2, one or more angle, T or H profiles 20 are screwed transversely from below onto the upper profiles 2, as shown in Figure 6. These cross profiles 20 connect two or more upper profiles 2 in the transverse direction, are firmly screwed to them and therefore form cross braces. They also form a stable framework for the mounting profiles 21 for the solar panels to be arranged between the support posts 1, 2. Because the cross profiles 20 are angle, T or H profiles, they do not suffer any bending. For example, two mounting profiles 21 in the form of �EEgr; profiles are screwed onto these cross profiles 20 between two support posts 1, 2 in such a way that the screws 22 do not protrude into the grooves formed by the H-profiles 21. For assembly, the solar panels 5 are simply pushed up from bottom to top between the mounting profiles 17, 21. First, a first solar panel 5 is pushed in, then another follows, which pushes the upper one further up as it is pushed in, etc. For security, a folding bracket 23 with an angled end piece 24 for securing the solar panels can be attached to each mounting profile 21 in the same way, as was described for Figure 5.

[0013] Finally, Figure 7 shows several mounted solar panels 5. The solar panels can be anchored using screws. A particularly elegant anchoring is achieved with a folding bracket 23, which is hingedly attached to the top of the mounting profiles 17,21 and is used to secure the solar panels

5 is simply folded down so that its angled end piece 24 grips the lower edge of the solar panel 5 at its corner. This folding bracket 23 simultaneously covers the vertical gap between two horizontally adjacent solar panels 5 so that no dirt gets stuck there. Optionally, the folding bracket 23 can be prevented from folding up with a latch that slides lengthways over the closed folding bracket, for example, and this latch can also be locked with a lock so that the solar panels 5 are also sufficiently secured against theft.

[0014] This noise barrier can therefore be manufactured in the factory down to the last detail, so that for assembly on site only the support posts 1, 2 have to be screwed onto the prepared foundations. The noise barrier panels 6 are then simply inserted from above and the solar panels 5 are then pushed in from below and finally secured. The noise barrier can therefore be erected very quickly. Repairing or replacing individual noise barrier panels or solar panels is extremely simple and therefore also quick and inexpensive. The noise barrier does not cause any shading of its own, is and remains particularly efficient in converting solar energy into electrical energy due to the measure against contamination of the solar panels 5, in that the rainwater can run off completely and the solar panels are specially coated, and the noise barrier is also durable because it has a glass roof with the solar panels, thus protecting the noise barrier panels 6 from the weather. Finally, it looks simple and elegant and, last but not least, it is also inexpensive to produce due to its simple structure.

Claims (10)

1. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels, comprising a plurality of support posts ( 1 , 2 ) and noise protection panels ( 6 ) connecting them, characterized in that the support posts are formed by steel support profiles ( 1 , 2 ) which, in cross-section, enclose two legs ( 1 , 2 ) of different lengths which are at an angle of between 90° and 140° to one another, the longer legs ( 1 ) being anchored at an oblique angle to the vertical, while the shorter legs ( 2 ) also run at an oblique angle to the vertical, and the lower, longer legs ( 1 ) are intended to act as guide profiles for noise protection panels ( 6 ) which can be inserted between them from above, and the upper, shorter legs ( 2 ) are intended to act for fastening inclined solar panels ( 5 ). 2. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper, shorter profiles ( 2 ) are H-profiles which are welded at the front with their central rib ( 26 ) to the central rib ( 15 ) of the lower, longer profile ( 1 ), and with their lower wings to the wings of the H-profile of the lower, longer profile ( 1 ) on the inner side of the angle enclosed by this H-profile ( 1 ) with the upper H-profile ( 2 ). 3. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper, shorter profiles ( 2 ) are T-profiles which are welded at the front with their central rib ( 26 ) to the central rib ( 15 ) of the lower, longer profile ( 1 ), and with their central rib ( 26 ) to a reinforcing rib ( 4 ) which connects the lower ( 1 ) and upper profile ( 2 ). 4. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that H- or T-mounting profiles ( 17 ) are welded onto the upper sides of the upper profiles ( 2 ), into the grooves of which the solar panels ( 5 ) are inserted from below or above. 5. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper profiles ( 2 ) are connected to angle, T or H profiles ( 20 ) running transversely to them, onto the upper side of which H mounting profiles ( 21 ) are screwed for receiving the solar panels ( 5 ). 6. Noise barrier wall equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a folding bracket ( 23 ) is hingedly attached to the upper side of the mounting profiles ( 17 , 21 ), which, after the solar panels ( 5 ) have been pushed in, folds down with its angled end piece ( 24 ) to encompass the lower corner of the lowest solar panel ( 5 ) in order to secure the solar panels ( 5 ). 7. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the noise protection panels ( 6 ) inserted between the lower legs of the support profiles ( 1 ) consist of wooden panels, wooden boards, hollow aluminum cassettes or concrete lava stones. 8. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solar panels ( 5 ) are mounted with a frame ( 18 ; 19 ) half-open along their lower edge on the upper, shorter legs ( 2 ) of the support profiles ( 1 , 2 ) so that the lower edge of the glass pane is covered by the edge ( 19 ) exclusively from below and only over a maximum of the thickness of the glass pane, and that their glass surface is coated with Crystal Guard ^TM (trade name) from Chemetall GmbH, Reuterweg 14 , D- 60271 Frankfurt am Main. 9. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support profiles ( 1 , 2 ) have on the inside of the angle formed by them a reinforcing rib ( 4 ) made of sheet steel, which becomes wider from top to bottom. 10. Noise barrier equipped with solar panels according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower legs ( 1 ) of the support profiles ( 1 , 2 ) have an inclination angle of maximum 75°, and the upper legs ( 2 ) have an inclination angle of at least 50°.