US4314546A — Array positioning system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 139 words

A tracking system for a solar array which is tiltable about a diurnal axis comprising: light sensor means responsive to incident solar energy for producing an output signal manifestation indicative of the difference in orientation between the sun orientation and a reference sun orientation and the difference in orientation between the array orientation and a reference array orientation, attitude sensor means coupled to said array for producing an output indicative of the direction of tilt of said array about said diurnal axis, and control means responsive to said output signal manifestation and to said output signal of said attitude sensor means for slewing said array about said diurnal axis toward its tracking position in a direction such that the array rotates within a given angle, less than 360°, between fixed limits regardless of the initial sun and array orientations.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 139 words

A tracking system for a solar array which is tiltable about a diurnal axis comprising: light sensor means responsive to incident solar energy for producing an output signal manifestation indicative of the difference in orientation between the sun orientation and a reference sun orientation and the difference in orientation between the array orientation and a reference array orientation, attitude sensor means coupled to said array for producing an output indicative of the direction of tilt of said array about said diurnal axis, and control means responsive to said output signal manifestation and to said output signal of said attitude sensor means for slewing said array about said diurnal axis toward its tracking position in a direction such that the array rotates within a given angle, less than 360°, between fixed limits regardless of the initial sun and array orientations.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for moving said light sensor means about said diurnal axis and a second axis normal to the diurnal axis, said attitude sensor means including gravity responsive means for sensing the orientation of said array with respect to said diurnal axis.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for moving said attitude and light sensor means to said tracking position from a first orientation about the diurnal axis in one direction and from a second orientation about said diurnal axis in a second direction opposite the one direction.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said attitude sensor means includes means for sensing the direction of gravity and for generating an output signal representing that sensed direction.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 43 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said light sensor means includes a plurality of light sensor means, one of said light sensor means normally facing the sun and another of said light sensor means normally facing away from the sun during said tracking.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 70 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said light sensor means includes a plurality of first sensor means for providing coarse tracking and a plurality of second sensor means for providing fine tracking, said second sensor means including lens means having an uncorrected lens and a given focal length, said second sensor means including means for spacing said second sensor means a distance from said lens different than said focal length.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 6 wherein said distance is less than said focal length and said lens is aspherical, and having a corrected central portion.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 54 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said light sensing means includes a first set of sensor means normally facing the sun when said system tracks the sun, said system further including vane means adjacent each said sensor means for reducing the sensitivity of said sensor means to obscuration by foreign matter during said tracking.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 64 words

The system of claim 8 wherein said light sensing means further includes a second set of sensor means normally facing a direction opposite said sun during said tracking and connected to cooperate with said first set during said tracking and vane means adjacent said second set of sensor means to balance the shadowing effect of the vane means on the first set of sensors.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 168 words

In a system for slewing a solar array about a diurnal axis toward a tracking position, in combination: first light sensor means facing the same direction as the solar array; second light sensor means facing the opposite direction than the solar array; third sensor means for sensing the direction in which the array is tilted about the diurnal axis relative to a reference orientation of the array; drive means coupled to said array for rotating the same about said diurnal axis; means responsive to the output of the first light sensor means for applying drive signals to said drive means for slewing the array toward its tracking position when the output of the first sensor means exceeds that of the second; and means responsive to the output of the second light sensor means and of the third sensor means for applying drive signals to said drive means for slewing the array toward its tracking position when the output of the second sensor means exceeds that of the first.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 168 words

In a system for slewing a solar array about a diurnal axis toward a tracking position, in combination: first light sensor means facing the same direction as the solar array; second light sensor means facing the opposite direction than the solar array; third sensor means for sensing the direction in which the array is tilted about the diurnal axis relative to a reference orientation of the array; drive means coupled to said array for rotating the same about said diurnal axis; means responsive to the output of the first light sensor means for applying drive signals to said drive means for slewing the array toward its tracking position when the output of the first sensor means exceeds that of the second; and means responsive to the output of the second light sensor means and of the third sensor means for applying drive signals to said drive means for slewing the array toward its tracking position when the output of the second sensor means exceeds that of the first.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 17 words

In a system as set forth in claim 10, said third sensor means comprising gravity responsive means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 42 words

In a system as set forth in claim 11, said third sensor means comprising a switch which closes when rotated in one direction relative to a reference orientation thereof and which opens when rotated the opposite direction relative to a reference orientation.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 58 words

In a system as set forth in claim 10, further including: fourth sensor means comprising light sensor means for producing tracking output signals when the array reaches a given orientation relative to the sun; and means responsive to said tracking signals for applying them to said drive means while disconnecting any other drive signals from said drive means.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 140 words

A system for converting solar energy to useful energy including a tracking system for orienting the system to face the sun comprising: means for converting incident solar energy to useful energy, means for concentrating incident solar energy onto said means for converting, and tracking means for continuously orienting said concentrating means toward the sun secured to said concentrating means and including first means responsive to a first signal manifesting incident solar energy in a first orientation with respect to a reference orientation, second means responsive to a second signal manifesting incident solar energy in a second orientation with respect to said reference orientation, and third means responsive to a third signal manifesting the orientations of said first and second means with respect to the direction of gravity for orienting said converting system to face the sun from any initial orientation.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 140 words

A system for converting solar energy to useful energy including a tracking system for orienting the system to face the sun comprising: means for converting incident solar energy to useful energy, means for concentrating incident solar energy onto said means for converting, and tracking means for continuously orienting said concentrating means toward the sun secured to said concentrating means and including first means responsive to a first signal manifesting incident solar energy in a first orientation with respect to a reference orientation, second means responsive to a second signal manifesting incident solar energy in a second orientation with respect to said reference orientation, and third means responsive to a third signal manifesting the orientations of said first and second means with respect to the direction of gravity for orienting said converting system to face the sun from any initial orientation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1985-02-08	1985-08-10	1986-02-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1989-02-08	1989-08-10	1990-02-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1993-02-08	1993-08-10	1994-02-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Array positioning system

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