Disclosed is a rotation apparatus of a pole system for photovoltaic power generation, the rotation apparatus comprising: a first tubular body connected to a solar panel array; a second tubular body coupled to a lower portion of the first tubular body and fixed on the upper end of a pole; a gear unit for transferring rotating force to the first tubular body; a driving motor for providing the gear unit with the rotating force; and a contact part of at least 3-points of contact, which is installed on coupling portions of the first tubular body and the second tubular body and maintains a contact state during the relative rotation of the first and second tubular bodies to transfer the power or a signal.

A drive arrangement has a rotary driveshaft (1) bearing a drive finger (10) parallel and offset in the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotation and a locking device (11) offset radially with respect to the finger (10). The drive arrangement also has a coupling unit with a device in the shape of an arc which bears the drive or locking recesses disposed in alteration so as to enable relative rotation/prevent rotation between the unit and the driveshaft (1) when the finger (10) engages in one of the drive/locking recesses. The locking device (11) and the finger (10) are offset along the axis of rotation, and the coupling device has a part bearing the locking recesses and a part bearing the drive recesses, the two parts being positioned parallel and offset along the axis of rotation so as to be able to interact with the locking device (11) or the finger (10), respectively.

A docking station for use with a solar tracking system includes a frame configured to selectively support solar cleaning equipment thereon and a mounting bracket operably coupled to a portion of the frame. The mounting bracket maintains a gap between adjacent edges of the frame and an adjacent solar module, and the frame includes a width that approximates a width of the solar module.

A method for moving an end effector based on receipt of sunlight, the end effector divided into a first and second upper quadrant located above a Y-axis that corresponds to a solar azimuth and a first and second lower quadrant located below the Y-axis, the first upper and first lower quadrant located on a first side of an X-axis that corresponds to a solar angle and the second upper and second lower quadrant located on a second side of the X-axis, determining a vertical difference between an average of the illuminance received in first and second upper quadrants and an average of the illuminance received in first and second lower quadrants, determining a lateral difference between an average of the illuminance received in the first upper quadrant and the first lower quadrant and an average of the illuminance received in the second upper quadrant and the second lower quadrant, moving end effector along the X-axis in response to the vertical difference being greater than a vertical tolerance; and moving the end effector along the Y-axis in response to the lateral difference being greater than a lateral tolerance.

A solar tracker with orientable solar panels arranged in rows, having at least two rows of photovoltaic modules (1) carrying the solar panels (2), arranged on pillars (6), the solar panels (2) mounted on respective rotation axes (3) longitudinally associated with each other by rotation transmission (5), driven by at least one motor (4) establishing the movement of all the solar panels (2) from a single actuation point, the rows of photovoltaic modules (1) related to each other by at least one transmission bar (7), joined by universal joints (8), to respective rotation transmission (5), the drive motor (4) is coupled in longitudinal alignment with respect to a transverse transmission (12) that meshes with a rotation transmission (5) and with respect to which the universal joint (8) of one end of the corresponding transmission bar (7) is joined in longitudinal alignment on the other side.

A coupling system for use with a solar tracker includes a support flange, a swivel flange rotatably supported on the support flange, an articulation joint interposed between each of the support flange and the swivel flange and rotatably supported by each of the support flange and the swivel flange, wherein opposed first and second end portions of the articulation joint are configured to be operably coupled to a respective first and second torque tube, and at least one locking fastener selectively coupled to a portion of the support flange and a portion of the swivel flange, the at least one locking fastener configured to selectively inhibit rotation of the swivel flange relative to the support flange.

Solar trackers that may be advantageously employed on sloped and/or variable terrain to rotate solar panels to track motion of the sun across the sky include bearing assemblies and other mechanical features configured to address mechanical challenges posed by the sloped and/or variable terrain that might otherwise prevent or complicate use of solar trackers on such terrain.

Solar trackers that may be advantageously employed on sloped and/or variable terrain to rotate solar panels to track motion of the sun across the sky include bearing assemblies configured to address mechanical challenges posed by the sloped and/or variable terrain that might otherwise prevent or complicate use of solar trackers on such terrain.

A driveline joint may include a driveline shaft that has a plurality of slots and a shaft coupling positioned in an interior of the driveline shaft in which the shaft coupling includes one or more openings with each of the openings corresponding to one or more respective slots of the plurality of slots included in the driveline shaft. The driveline joint may include one or more spherical bearings that are each positioned between an interior lateral surface of the driveline shaft and an exterior lateral surface of the shaft coupling and against one of the openings of the shaft coupling. The driveline joint may include one or more fasteners, wherein each of the fasteners extends through one of the slots and one of the openings of the shaft coupling.

Solar trackers that may be advantageously employed on sloped and/or variable terrain to rotate solar panels to track motion of the sun across the sky include bearing assemblies and other mechanical features configured to address mechanical challenges posed by the sloped and/or variable terrain that might otherwise prevent or complicate use of solar trackers on such terrain.