400bird
Solar Wizard
Here's a couple pics, let me know if you wanted anything specific.
Solar Tracker Design
- Thread starter 400bird
- Start date
Mr onetwo
New Member
freakin' awesome dude!
Mr onetwo
New Member
I am thinking about this design. A little larger with a single axis slew drive on the Y axis and a large linear actuator for the X axis. Would be a size 7 drive. I have received a quote from HUAYUE New Energy for a similar setup from China. Makes me a little nervous.
Mr onetwo
New Member
I don't think I can buy the steel for such a thing with out the slew drive or electronics for the price I was quoted.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Would that drive be sufficient for more PV, ie is it over-sized for just the two panels?
400bird
Solar Wizard
I'm pretty sure it's oversized for 4 square meters of panels, but I couldn't find any don't have the skills to calculate the loads on the tracker. Plus, that was the size we wanted to build and the smallest slew drive available.
I consider designs like you propose, however that increases the distance (lever arm) and thus twisting force on the the slew drive is increased.
Twisting as in the wind blowing on the entire array, this force:
Also, yeah, I spent about as much in steel and aluminum as I did on the slew drive and electronics.
I consider designs like you propose, however that increases the distance (lever arm) and thus twisting force on the the slew drive is increased.
Twisting as in the wind blowing on the entire array, this force:
Also, yeah, I spent about as much in steel and aluminum as I did on the slew drive and electronics.
Mr onetwo
New Member
I'll bet it could do 5 panels without a problem. When I built the overhead crane in my shop I simply went to a bunch of websites until I found one with the specs of what I wanted. I simply matched their engineering.Not so easy to find in the solar tracker field.Hard to make it strong and stiff but not too heavy. Did you get charged any duty or import fees on your slew drive?
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
I have used 3" inside of 3-1/2" steel Schedule 40 pipe (the OD of the 3" is 9-thou smaller than the ID of the 3-1/2") to make things that need to slide or turn, just add a grease fitting.
I ponder using the single axis slew to rotate the smaller pipe inside the larger. The overlap between the two pipes can be the full length of the lower section and any wind forces will not be transfered to the slew mechanism. A cap piece would keep out water and dirt.
I ponder using the single axis slew to rotate the smaller pipe inside the larger. The overlap between the two pipes can be the full length of the lower section and any wind forces will not be transfered to the slew mechanism. A cap piece would keep out water and dirt.
400bird
Solar Wizard
Most of my googles lead to companies wanting to sell me a tracker. If you find something, let me know.
Aluminum!
It shipped DDP (?) or some similar acronym that means the quote includes everything to get it to my door. I'm sure duties, tariffs, import fees were involved and that I paid them, but those were included in my invoice from the vendor.
400bird
Solar Wizard
Good point, the slew drives so have a hole through the middle. Depending on the size, it may not pass a 3" pipe through the middle or 3" may be undersized, but I'm sure the same idea scales to larger and smaller sizes.
Mr onetwo
New Member
Yes...aluminium
I need an excuse to buy a new TIG welder.
I need an excuse to buy a new TIG welder.400bird
Solar Wizard
That excuse worked for me!Yes...aluminium
How much did you end of paying for the slew drive, and is it 12v or 24 volt?
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Post #53 shows 24-volt
400bird
Solar Wizard
Too much.
It's been a while, so the cost fades, maybe $500+
Similar cost of the complete tracker I bought from eco-worthy...
Attachments
Link to the light blue cushion thingymagigs that you put and the strut ends?
Haze
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2021
- Messages
- 160
Sure look like pool noodles cut up and re purposed.
that is correct
400bird
Solar Wizard
Yes, but mine doesn't have metal c-channel sticking out on each end and I've got confidence that it won't blow over (or up and away) in the wind.
Hey, I am not criticizing your project. I am just showing the cost of a tracker off the shelf ready to be assembled so that people can have a comparison. As you said, your project was more of a hobby than a saving cost project, and the learning from your son is invaluable.
By the way, those channels can be cut, and the tracker can be bolted to cement, but I am just testing the location before doing something more permanent.. and that wood base is currently anchored so the wolfs cannot blow it.
On my solar farm we run a single axis tracking system, made by game change. We have an irradiance detector on a couple of shafts that detect the ideal sun angle at any given time. The benefit to this compared to an algorithm is sometimes the ideal angle to get the most irradiance isn't 100% facing the sun. Due to clouds and reflections the ideal angle can change. The irradiance eye creates electrical signals that help determine the best angle.
Now another question is what are you going to do for high winds? The system we have detects wind speed and since it is a single axis tracker when wind exceeds a given point it moves the panel to a preset position that reduces stress on the panels and tracking system caused by the winds. For a dual axis I am not sure how this would work unless you could also detect wind direction.
Just throwing this out as some food for thought.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Parks the PV array horizontal - flat - so the wind just blows by with little resistance.
Yep and the hail goes right thru the panels
I always want some angle on my panels for hail.
400bird
Solar Wizard
Got a link to this sensor? Clouds changing the ideal angle was something I thought about, I'm just not sure how much difference it would make.
Same as other's mentioned earlier, park near horizontal.
I've got a wind sensor, when peak gusts exceed my threshold, it sets a time and stays flat for an extra 30 minutes after the wind calms down, in case it was just a short pause between the gusts.
Good thing I've never even seen pea sized hail here. We rarely get hail and when we do it's more like the size of grains of rice.Yep and the hail goes right thru the panels
I always want some angle on my panels for hail.
Similar threads
