As a supporting product of the photovoltaic industry chain, the bracket system has not been so "tall." This seemingly simple product without technical content contains a lot of points. As a product manager of photovoltaic brackets, I will elaborate on all aspects of photovoltaic brackets, and I hope to share and share it with you.
Function and use of the product
The photovoltaic bracket refers to the structure for installing and fixing solar modules.
According to different installation methods, the bracket is divided into fixed type and tracking type;
According to different component types, the bracket is divided into crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon;
According to different product materials, the bracket is divided into the aluminum alloy, carbon steel, HDPE, etc .;
According to different installation locations, the bracket is divided into a ground system and a roof system;
According to the arrangement direction of the matrix, the bracket is divided into a horizontal system and a vertical system;
According to different photovoltaic application levels: the bracket is divided into civil, non-civilian and power station grades;
Regardless of the classification, the ultimate use of the bracketed product is actually to solve two problems: the fixed connection between the solar panel and the track, the fixation and connection of the track and the base (ground or roof), and guarantee its reliability.
Let me explain one thing: the photovoltaic brackets referred to here are all products in the usual sense, which are simply used as fixed parts of photovoltaic power generation systems. Functional expansion of photovoltaic power generation systems to achieve more optimized effects, such as BIPV, carport, pergola, etc. are no longer discussed.
Product Design Concept
As a fixed part of the photovoltaic system, the bracketed product must ensure its reliability during the validity period of the photovoltaic system. The general module life can reach 25 years, that is, the mounting bracket must be guaranteed during the validity period of photovoltaic power generation: safety, applicability, durability;
The safety is represented by the strength of the system: check and calculate the loads on the system (constant load, wind load, snow load, earthquake load, etc.);
Applicability is represented by the stiffness of the system: controlling the system's deflection and deformation to achieve a reasonable life span;
Durability is the ability to withstand the environment in the time dimension, such as surface oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, etc .;
To ensure the reliability of product design, you need to understand material standards, material mechanics and structural mechanics; modern design basically uses finite element analysis, and commonly used software: PKPM, SAP2000, ANSYS, etc .;
For aluminum alloys, you need to design the installation method, support and connection pieces;
The installation method needs to achieve the characteristics of simple structure and fast installation;
The design of supports and connectors needs to meet strength requirements, stiffness requirements, and durability;
Carbon steel mainly uses standard profiles and standard parts on the market.
Industry Standard
There are different standards in different regions. The calculation of photovoltaic supports basically refers to the calculation methods and mechanical models in the standards of the corresponding regions;
system applications
Photovoltaic systems are generally divided into civil, non-civilian and power plant levels.
The civilian uses are generally residential users, and the photovoltaic system is usually installed on the roof by using the space. The roof structure is different in different regions. Taking Europe and the United States as an example, their roof structure is usually a rafter on wooden beams, which is covered with ceramic tiles. Of course, there are flat tile roofs, asphalt tile roofs, etc. Bracket products are generally accessories such as hooks, rails, and clamps.
Non-civil use generally refers to the use of large-scale logistics warehouse roofs, factory and enterprise roofs, commercial building roofs, etc. to build photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. Because these building roofs are generally cement construction or metal color steel sheet roofs, the bracket products corresponding to such applications are usually ballasted, clamped and fixed. The principle is not to damage the roof structure and not affect the roof drainage. If you need to penetrate the roof, you must solve the problem of waterproofing and stagnant water.
The power station level is generally established in a place with abundant light resources and a large area and a sparse population. It takes up a large area of land to establish photovoltaic power generation, high-voltage grid connection, and long-distance transmission. The corresponding photovoltaic brackets for this type of application are generally carbon steel or aluminum alloy structures, and the foundations are usually cement foundations, pile foundations, etc. The different foundations depending on the soil conditions of the project site, project budget, and construction cycle.