WO2015107293A1

WO2015107293A1 - Photovoltaic power station employing photovoltaic panels supported by floating means using a set of cables

Info

Publication number: WO2015107293A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/050079
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Philippe LÉGER
Original assignee: Léger Jean-Philippe
Priority date: 2014-01-17
Filing date: 2015-01-14
Publication date: 2015-07-23
Also published as: FR3016686A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a photovoltaic power station of the type employing photovoltaic (PV) panels supported by support means, characterized in that the means comprise: - at least two hook-up points (100) between them delimiting a row (L) of photovoltaic panels; - for each row (L) of photovoltaic panels, at least two support cables (20), (21) which are connected to the hook-up points (100) and extend between them; - for each photovoltaic (PV) panel, at least one connecting piece (4) for connecting with each support cable (20), (21).

Description

Photovoltaic plant implementing photovoltaic panels supported by floating means implementing a set of cables.

The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of equipment used for the production of energy by photovoltaic means. More specifically, the invention relates to the design and manufacture of a floating assembly forming a support for a plurality of photovoltaic panels.

It is now traditional to produce electrical energy by photovoltaic means.

Over the years, many solutions have been proposed to install photovoltaic panels on a site, as well as to mechanically and electrically connect the panels together.

The configuration of the sites on which the photovoltaic panels are located can be of different types.

A widespread configuration is that corresponding to the implementation on the roof of photovoltaic panels, whether the roof is inclined or not.

While the installation of photovoltaic panels on individual house roofs has experienced a certain growth, it has become economically more interesting to use roofs for professional and / or collective sites, such as building roofs, shed roofs. , factory roofs ...

Indeed, the available space is significantly larger, providing renewed economic interest.

The trend is now to seek to implement photovoltaic panels on relatively large surfaces, to create photovoltaic power plants.

In this context, in addition to roofing, other configurations of photovoltaic panel installations are used, mainly:

- photovoltaic plants on ground;

- floating photovoltaic power plants; The invention relates preferentially, but not exclusively, to floating photovoltaic power plants.

With regard to these floating photovoltaic power plants, numerous techniques have been proposed for, on the one hand, providing floating means adapted to photovoltaic panels and, on the other hand, for maintaining the photovoltaic panels in an inclined position (this with a view to position the panels in an optimal orientation with respect to the sun's rays, which tends to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic panels).

Thus, according to a widespread technique, frames are used forming each support of a photovoltaic panel, these frames to be then positioned in a predetermined orientation and fixed on a frame.

Classically, frames are made of plastic and the frame is a mechanically welded assembly or assembled by many pieces of hardware.

Such a design of the frames and associated chassis causes many disadvantages among which:

- assembly and assembly operations are long and tedious;

- The manufacture of different parts generates a relatively significant cost, whose profitability is long to achieve;

- Plants use a large number of metal parts, subject of course to problems related to corrosion;

- The recyclability rate of the various parts constituting the power plant is relatively low.

To overcome these drawbacks, a support assembly for photovoltaic panels has been proposed, comprising:

- A frame formed by the assembly of two pairs of profiles, the frame having a structure adapted to ensure the flotation of the assembly; means for presenting and maintaining in inclined position the photovoltaic panels comprising an extension piece.

The extension piece is a plastic part intended to snap onto one of the frame carrying profiles.

On the other supporting section of the frame, a curtain also made of plastic material also snaps onto the corresponding profile, this ensuring the maintenance of the frame on this profile.

Furthermore, the frame is constituted by the assembly of profiles of plastic or extruded composite.

It follows from such a technique that all the parts can be made of plastic or composite, to overcome the corrosion problems encountered with the solutions of the prior art.

In addition, the parts can be designed to be mass-produced, by molding or extrusion techniques, to significantly reduce the cost of parts and, therefore, that of the support assembly photovoltaic panels .

However, the realization of the support assembly still involves the manufacture of a number of separate parts.

Such a technique also involves assembly and assembly operations that remain relatively long and tedious.

In particular, the realization of the frames involves assembly operations profiles between them which must be carried out carefully to achieve sealed connections ensuring the flotation of the frame.

The invention therefore aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a photovoltaic power plant, which can be mounted and deployed more simply, faster and cheaper than the techniques of the prior art.

The invention also aims to provide such a plant that can be mounted on a water surface that can be brought to to know periods of agitation without risking to degrade the support means of the photovoltaic power station.

These objectives, as well as others which will appear later, are achieved thanks to the invention which has for object a photovoltaic power plant, of the type implementing photovoltaic panels supported by support means, characterized in that the support means comprise: at least two attachment points delimiting between them a line of photovoltaic panels;

- For each line of photovoltaic panels, at least two support cables connected to the attachment points and extending between them;

for each photovoltaic panel, at least one connecting piece with each support cable.

Thus, as will become clearer later, the invention makes it possible to install a photovoltaic power plant in a very simple and very fast manner.

In fact, according to the principle of the invention, it suffices to tension a pair of cables that will act as structural elements on which the photovoltaic panels are fixed. The cables therefore have the primary function of carrying the photovoltaic panels.

In addition, the number of specific parts of the plant is significantly reduced, to reduce manufacturing costs and therefore that of the plant.

It is also noted that no prior assembly to the installation is necessary (unlike solutions using floor frames or floating frames implemented in certain techniques of the prior art).

According to the invention, the support means are floating means comprising: at least two primary lines delimiting between them a field of photovoltaic panels; at least two support cables each connected to the primary lines by the attachment points and extending transversely between them.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the primary lines advantageously comprise at least one primary cable carried stretched by perimeter floats.

The choice of the implementation of cables also for primary lines contributes to the simplification of the plant and also the corresponding assembly operations.

In addition, the perimeter floats can be quite standard floats therefore inexpensive.

According to a preferred embodiment, for each line of photovoltaic panels, the support cables comprise a bottom cable in a low position and an upper cable in a high position, the support cables being offset relative to each other so as to support photovoltaic panels in an inclined way.

According to a preferred embodiment of a plant according to the invention in a floating plant configuration, the floating means comprise a plurality of intermediate floats coupled to the support cables and distributed so that each photovoltaic panel is flanked by a pair of floats. intermediate.

According to the invention, the floating plant comprises, for each line of photovoltaic panels, means spacers secondary cables between them.

Thus, it is ensured that the spacing between the cables is maintained constant or almost the entire width of the panel field between the primary lines. This constant spacing contributes to guaranteeing a satisfactory connection with the photovoltaic panels, particularly with regard to maintaining the panels in position with the desired inclination.

In addition and according to the invention, the spacer means are advantageously integrated with the intermediate float. Clearly, it implements a single piece performing both functions, that of contributing to the flotation of the assembly and that contributing to maintaining, through the secondary cables, the inclined position with the desired angle of the panels PV.

According to the invention, the intermediate floats each comprise a body having:

- an upper notch for accommodating the upper cable;

- a lower notch for accommodating the lower cable. Advantageously, the intermediate floats take the form of floating poles.

Such floating posts allow to obtain floats with a small footprint as it will appear more clearly later.

According to the invention, for each line of photovoltaic panels, at least one stabilizing cable extends parallel to the support cables, the intermediate floats having at least one third notch forming a housing for the stabilizing cable.

Advantageously, the intermediate floats have a main body and a wing extending from the main body and having the lower and upper notches, the wing having a width, seen from the side, lower than that of the main body.

In such an assembly, the wing is the part of the floating pole (also constituting the spacer) which is placed between two photovoltaic panels to support the secondary cables. Therefore, being of reduced width relative to the body of the floating pole, we can bring the photovoltaic panels closer to each other and thus create a photovoltaic power plant that optimally exploits the surface of the corresponding body of water. .

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings among which: FIG. 1 is an overall view of a photovoltaic power plant according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a photovoltaic power plant according to the invention, illustrating the mounting of photovoltaic panels and intermediate floats;

FIGS. 3 and 4 schematically illustrate an intermediate float of a photovoltaic power plant according to the invention, seen respectively from the side and from the front;

- Figures 5 and 6 including schematic representations of the assembly of photovoltaic panels and intermediate floats, respectively viewed from the side and from below;

- Figures 7 to 9 schematically illustrate a connecting piece of a photovoltaic panel with a cable.

As shown in FIG. 1, a photovoltaic power plant according to the invention implements a plurality of photovoltaic panels PV supported by support means, these comprising:

at least two support cables 20, 21 each connected to two attachment points 100 and extending between these attachment points, a line L of photovoltaic panels corresponding to a pair of support cables 20, 21;

- For each photovoltaic panel, at least connecting piece (described in more detail below) with each support cable.

In the context of a plant mounted on the ground or roof of a building, the attachment points may be provided on poles positioned at the ends of the photovoltaic panel lines. The cables can be stretched between these posts (for example in the case of a roof installation for which it is preferable to avoid drilling and cause descents of loads, the posts then being fixed on the roof edges), or be supported by intermediate columns regularly distributed between the photovoltaic panels of the same line. In an application of the invention to a floating plant, the support means are floating means comprising:

at least two primary lines 1 delimiting between them a field of PV photovoltaic panels;

- At least two support cables 20, 21, each connected to the primary lines by the attachment points and extending transversely between them.

According to a preferred embodiment, the floating means further comprise a plurality of intermediate floats 3 distributed along the length of the secondary cables 20, 21 being coupled thereto. In addition, the intermediate floats are distributed so that each photovoltaic panel is framed by a pair of intermediate floats 3.

According to the present embodiment, the primary lines themselves are each constituted by a primary cable 11, carried stretched by perimeter floats 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, these perimeter floats are arranged at the angles of the photovoltaic panel field PV. In addition, these perimeter floats can be constituted by standard buoys, for example spherical.

With reference to FIG. 2, floating means according to the principle of the invention are constituted as follows:

the support cables consist of an upper cable 20 and a lower cable 21, the cable 20 occupying a high position relative to the low position occupied by the cable

21, the two secondary cables being offset with respect to each other along the length of the PV photovoltaic panels;

- For each photovoltaic panel, a series of connecting pieces 4, in this case four in number, described in more detail later, ensuring the connection and maintenance of the photovoltaic panels on the secondary cables. Of course, the connecting pieces ensure the maintenance of the photovoltaic panels on the one hand on the upper cable and, on the other hand, on the lower cable.

In addition, the relative positions of the upper cable and the lower cable, spaced apart from one another in height and offset relative to one another over the length of the photovoltaic panel, ensure the positioning of the photovoltaic panels PV with a predetermined angle of inclination, for example of the order of 12 °.

As mentioned above, each end of the support cables is coupled to one of the primary lines 1. The end of the lower cable 21 is thus fixed offset along the length of the primary line relative to the end of the upper cable 20. In this way, the offset is obtained along the length of the photovoltaic panels PV. In other words, the secondary cables are spaced apart in a horizontal direction.

For the height separation of the two cables, the installation provides for the implementation of spacer means of the intermediate cables between them.

According to the present embodiment, these spacer means are directly integrated on each of the intermediate floats 3 as is explained hereinafter.

With reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, the intermediate floats each comprise a body 30 having:

at one of its ends, an upper notch 31; - at the other of its ends, opposed longitudinally to the first, a lower notch 32.

The notch 31 is said to be upper and the notch 32 is said to be lower, in that the notch 31 is positioned at a height greater than that of the notch 32, being considered as the intermediate float 3 resting horizontally on its base as as illustrated in Figure 3.

Note that the notch 31 has the following two parts:

- an introduction portion 310, substantially horizontal; a housing portion 311, extending the introduction portion downwardly, forming, according to the present embodiment, a right angle with the insertion portion.

The lower notch 32 is similarly formed, also with an insertion portion 320 and a housing portion 321.

With such intermediate floats provided with spacer means, the upper cable 20 is housed in the notch 31 and the lower cable in the notch 32. As a result, once the photovoltaic panels are installed on the cables via connecting pieces 4, these occupy a position relative to the intermediate float such as that illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the photovoltaic panel extends inclined.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, the intermediate floats take the form of floating poles having at one of their longitudinal ends the upper notch and at the other of their ends the lower notch 32.

In addition, these floating posts present:

a main body 300, essentially ensuring the floatation of the intermediate float;

a wing 301, extending from the main body 300 and having a width, end view as shown in FIG. 4, lower than that of the main body 300. Moreover, as it is clear from the figures 2 and 6, the installation implements a pair of stabilizing cables 22 extending parallel to the secondary cables 20, 21. In this case, the main body 300 intermediate floats has at each of its ends a notch 33, 34, each for housing one of the stabilizing cables.

Such a configuration of cables and intermediate floats makes it possible to arrange the intermediate floats between each photovoltaic panel so that the longitudinal axis of the floats intermediates be kept parallel to that of the photovoltaic panels.

It is noted that the cables in the respective notches can be maintained by additional systems, such as valves and / or retaining screws.

Intermediate floats may also carry, all or only some of them, a 35 electrical or electronic junction box, ensuring a connection between the photovoltaic panels.

The intermediate floats are plastic or composite parts, made for example by thermoforming, or roto-molding, or extrusion, or by blowing.

With reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, the connection pieces 4 connecting the photovoltaic panels to the secondary cables 20, 21 are described below.

These connecting pieces, as already mentioned above are four, or a pair of connecting pieces for each secondary cable. The connecting pieces are mounted on the longitudinal edges of the photovoltaic panels, either directly on the glass part of the photovoltaic panel, or on a metal frame surrounding the glass part of the photovoltaic panel.

In any case, the connecting pieces can each take a shape according to the principle illustrated by FIGS. 7 to 9.

As shown in these figures, the connecting pieces comprise a housing body 40 from which extends a fixing lug 41 forming with the bottom 401 of the housing a clip intended to be clipped onto the edge of the photovoltaic panel such that 8 also shows, on the side opposite to the fixing lug, a pair of notches 42 in which a secondary cable 20, 21 is intended to be housed as illustrated by FIG. 7.

In addition, inside the housing 40, between the notches 42, is formed a tongue 43 having an end 430 in the form of tip, under which the secondary cable, 20, 21 is intended to extend, the tab thus contributing to ensure the maintenance of the corresponding cable inside the housing and in the notches.

Claims

Photovoltaic plant, of the type implementing photovoltaic panels (PV) supported by support means, characterized in that the support means comprise:

at least two attachment points (100) delimiting between them a line (L) of photovoltaic panels;

for each line (L) of photovoltaic panels, at least two support cables (20), (21) connected to the attachment points

(100) and extending between them;

for each photovoltaic panel (PV), at least one connecting piece (4) with each support cable (20), (21); the support means being floating means comprising: at least two primary lines (1) delimiting between them a field of photovoltaic panels (PV);

at least two support cables (20), (21) each connected to the primary lines (1) by the attachment points (100) and extending transversely between them. ;

the photovoltaic plant comprising, for each line (L) of photovoltaic panels (PV), means spacers of the support cables (20), (21) between them;

the spacer means being integrated with intermediate floats (3);

the intermediate floats (3) each comprising a body (30) having:

at least one upper notch (31) for accommodating an upper cable (20);

at least one lower notch (32) for accommodating a lower cable (21).

and in that, for each line (L) of photovoltaic panels (PV), at least one stabilizing cable (22) extends parallel to the support cables (20), (21), the intermediate floats (3) having at least one third notch (33), (34) forming a housing for the stabilizing cable (22).

2. Photovoltaic plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the primary lines (1) comprise at least one primary cable (11) carried stretched by perimeter floats (10).

3. Photovoltaic plant according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that for each line (L) of photovoltaic panels, the support cables (20), (21) comprise a lower cable (21) in the lower position and an upper cable (20) in the upper position, the support cables (20), (21) being offset relative to each other so as to support the photovoltaic panels in an inclined manner.

4. Photovoltaic plant according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the floating means comprise a plurality of intermediate floats (3) coupled to the support cables (20), (21) and distributed so that each panel Photovoltaic (PV) is framed by a pair of intermediate floats (3).

Photovoltaic plant according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the intermediate floats (3) have a main body (300) and a flange (301) extending from the main body (300) and having the lower (32) and upper (31) notches, the wing (301) having a width, seen from the side, lower than that of the main body (300).