Solar tracking bearing and solar tracking system employing same

Abstract

An solar tracker bearing comprising a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element and a rotatable inner bearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having an beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A solar tracker bearing comprising:
 a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a hearing support element;   a rotatable inner hearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having a beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein.   
     
     
         2 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , further including a bearing securing element for mounting the solar tracking bearing to a support post. 
     
     
         3 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 2 , wherein the bearing securing element comprises at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount the bearing securing element to the support post, the slot permitting adjustment of the height of the bearing securing element relative to the support post. 
     
     
         4 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 2 , wherein the bearing securing element is integrated with the bearing support element. 
     
     
         5 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 2 , wherein the bearing support element is mounted to the bearing securing clement. 
     
     
         6 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 5 , wherein the bearing securing element has an upper flange with at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount the bearing support element to the bearing securing element, the mounting slot permitting adjustment of the position of the bearing support element relative to the bearing securing element. 
     
     
         7 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of outer bearing races are arranged to form a groove between them above a topmost part of the bearing support element, and the rotatable inner bearing race has a tongue to engage the groove. 
     
     
         8 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the beam slot is configured to accept a torque tube beam having a square cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         9 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of outer bearing races has at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount each outer bearing race to the bearing support element. 
     
     
         10 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of outer bearing races is individually detachable from the bearing support element. 
     
     
         11 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of outer bearing races are U-shaped and have arcs that extend beyond 180 degrees to prevent the inner hearing race from being lifted out of the solar tracking bearing. 
     
     
         12 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the outer bearing races are formed of a low friction metal, polymer or bi-material metal-polymer hybrid. 
     
     
         13 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 12 , wherein the outer bearing races are formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), or polyoxymethylene (POM). 
     
     
         14 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the inner bearing race is formed of stainless steel. 
     
     
         15 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , further including at least one capture strap attached to one of the outer bearing races adapted to open or close the top of the solar tracking bearing. 
     
     
         16 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 15 , further including a pair of capture straps, one on each outer bearing race. 
     
     
         17 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable inner bearing race comprises:
 an inner bearing race housing; and   a plurality of tube supports.   
     
     
         18 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 17 , wherein at least one tube support of the plurality of tube supports comprises tabs that extend axially from the at least one tube support. 
     
     
         19 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 17 , wherein at least one tube support of the plurality of tube supports comprises an arcuate contour for contacting the torque tube beam. 
     
     
         20 . A solar tracking system comprising:
 at least one solar tracking bearing atop a support post, the solar tracking bearing comprising a pair of stationary outer bearing races attached on either side of a bearing support element, and a rotatable inner bearing race held by the pair of outer bearing races, the rotatable inner bearing race having an beam slot for seating a torque tube beam therein;   a torque tube beam seated in the beam slot;   a frame on which one or more photovoltaic modules can be mounted, the frame being secured to the torque tube beam; and   an electromechanical actuator operable to control the inclination angle of the frame by causing the torque tube beam to rotate in the at least one solar tracking bearing.   
     
     
         21 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the frame is secured to the torque tube beam by one or more brackets. 
     
     
         22 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the tracker comprises an actuator attached to the torque tube beam by a lever arm adapted to rotate the torque tube beam by extension or retraction of the actuator. 
     
     
         23 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , further including a bearing securing element for mounting the solar tracking bearing to the support post, the bearing securing element comprising at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount the bearing securing element to the support post, the slot permitting adjustment of the height of the bearing securing element relative to the support post. 
     
     
         24 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the bearing securing element is integrated with the bearing support element. 
     
     
         25 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the bearing support element is mounted to the bearing securing element. 
     
     
         26 . The solar tracking system of  claim 25 , wherein the bearing securing element has an upper flange with at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount the bearing support element to the bearing securing element, the mounting slot permitting adjustment of the position of the bearing support element relative to the bearing securing element. 
     
     
         27 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the pair of outer bearing races are arranged to form a groove between them above a topmost part of the bearing support element, and the rotatable inner bearing race has a tongue to engage the groove. 
     
     
         28 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the beam slot is configured to accept a torque tube beam having a square cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         29 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein each of the pair of outer bearing races has at least one mounting slot through which an attachment means may be passed to mount each outer bearing race to the bearing support element. 
     
     
         30 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein each of the pair of outer bearing races is individually detachable from the bearing support element. 
     
     
         31 . The solar tracking system of  claim 30 , wherein the pair of outer bearing races are U-shaped and have arcs that extend beyond 180 degrees to prevent the inner bearing race from being lifted out of the solar tracking bearing. 
     
     
         32 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the outer bearing races are formed of a low friction metal, polymer or bi-material metal-polymer hybrid. 
     
     
         33 . The solar tracking system of  claim 32 , wherein the outer bearing races are formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), or polyoxymethylene (POM). 
     
     
         34 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , wherein the inner bearing race is formed of stainless steel. 
     
     
         35 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , further including at least one capture strap attached to one of the outer bearing races adapted to open or close the top of the solar tracking bearing. 
     
     
         36 . The solar tracking system of  claim 20 , further including a pair of capture straps, one on each outer bearing race. 
     
     
         37 . A solar tracker bearing comprising:
 a bearing support element;   a stationary outer bearing race on a bearing securing element mounted to the bearing support element and providing a bearing surface for seating a torque tube beam therein.   
     
     
         38 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 37 , wherein a round torque tube beam operable to be seated directly on the bearing surface. 
     
     
         39 . The solar tracking bearing of  claim 37 , wherein a square torque tube beam operable to be seated in a rotatable inner bearing race held by the outer bearing race on the bearing surface. 
     
     
         40 . The solar tracker bearing of  claim 37 , further comprising a second stationary outer bearing race attached on the bearing securing element and providing a second bearing surface for seating a torque tube beam therein, wherein one of the outer bearing races is arranged on one side of the bearing securing element and the other of the outer bearing races is arranged on the other side of the bearing securing element.