Tracking photovoltaic bracket classification
Tracking photovoltaic brackets refer to the photovoltaic mounts that can automatically adjust their angle to follow the changing solar incidence angle throughout the day.
Tracking brackets are more suitable for complex terrain and are commonly used in centralized photovoltaic power plants. Tracking photovoltaic brackets are mainly divided into flat single-axis tracking brackets, inclined single-axis tracking brackets, and dual-axis tracking brackets.
A single-axis tracking bracket refers to a bracket that rotates around a one-dimensional axis, automatically tracking the sun to adjust the position of the solar panels, maximizing the intensity of sunlight perpendicular to the panel's surface and improving photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Single-axis tracking brackets have a relatively simple structure, with only one rotating axis. Based on the orientation of the axis, single-axis tracking brackets can be further classified into flat single-axis tracking brackets and inclined single-axis tracking brackets.
A flat single-axis tracking bracket rotates around a horizontal axis to follow the sun. The axis is typically oriented in the north-south direction, and the photovoltaic array rotates east-west with the sun’s position, making it more suitable for low-latitude regions. A flat single-axis tracking system typically consists of the panel support system, rotating axis beam, power drive system, electric control system, and central monitoring system.
An inclined single-axis tracking bracket rotates around a north-south inclined axis to follow the sun. The rotating axis is tilted and typically uses a three-point support structure. Inclined single-axis brackets are more suitable for mid- to high-latitude regions.
A dual-axis tracking bracket has two rotating axes, allowing the photovoltaic modules to track the sun simultaneously in both azimuth and elevation angles, keeping the modules perpendicular to the sun's rays. In theory, a dual-axis tracking system can fully track the sun's trajectory, ensuring that the incident angle is zero.
The dual-axis tracking mechanism is divided into the altitude-azimuth tracking system and the polar-axis tracking system.
The altitude-azimuth tracking bracket has two rotating axes: the azimuth axis and the elevation axis. The azimuth axis is perpendicular to the ground and controls the azimuth angle (the orientation of the module’s normal vector), while the elevation axis is a horizontal axis that controls the elevation angle (height angle). The coordinated movement of both axes ensures the panel surface remains perpendicular to the sun’s rays.
The polar-axis tracking bracket consists of a polar axis and an elevation axis. The polar axis points toward the Earth’s North Pole and is parallel to the Earth’s axis. The elevation axis is perpendicular to the polar axis. Since the angle between sunlight and the polar axis changes with the seasons, periodic adjustments are required to rotate the panels around the elevation axis, ensuring that the panel’s normal vector remains parallel to the sun’s rays. Dual-axis tracking brackets can increase the power generation of photovoltaic modules by up to 40% and are ideal for mid- to high-latitude regions.
This concludes the introduction to the classification of tracking photovoltaic brackets by Hengyuan Tai.