US 12,003,208 B2
Multi-drive solar-tracking photovoltaic system
Sushrut Bapat, Alameda, CA (US); Tyler Grushkowitz, Hayward, CA (US); Nicholas James McKibben, Oakland, CA (US); and Brian Wares, Jenner, CA (US)
Assigned to SunPower Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by SunPower Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on May 14, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/412,025.
Application 16/412,025 is a continuation of application No. 15/254,971, filed on Sep. 1, 2016, granted, now 10,305,418.
Prior Publication US 2019/0280643 A1, Sep. 12, 2019
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02S 20/32 (2014.01); F16D 1/04 (2006.01); F24S 25/12 (2018.01); F24S 25/65 (2018.01); F24S 30/425 (2018.01); H02S 20/10 (2014.01); H02S 20/23 (2014.01); F24S 30/00 (2018.01)
CPC H02S 20/32 (2014.12) [F16D 1/04 (2013.01); F24S 25/12 (2018.05); F24S 25/65 (2018.05); F24S 30/425 (2018.05); H02S 20/10 (2014.12); H02S 20/23 (2014.12); F24S 2030/13 (2018.05); F24S 2030/15 (2018.05); Y02B 10/10 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
delivering a first electrical power input to a first motor drive, wherein the first motor drive is coupled to a first driven end of a first torque tube portion of a torque tube extending along a longitudinal axis of a solar-tracking photovoltaic (PV) system, and wherein the solar-tracking PV system includes a plurality of PV modules mounted on the torque tube;
delivering a second electrical power input to a second motor drive independent from the first electrical power input to the first motor drive, wherein the second motor drive is coupled to a second driven end of a second torque tube portion of the torque tube, wherein the torque tube comprises a torque tube coupler between the first torque tube portion and the second torque tube portion, wherein the torque tube coupler has a center with a largest circumference the same as a circumference of the first and second torque tube portions and has ends each having a smallest circumference less than the circumference of, and each end circumferentially surrounded by, a respective one of the first and second torque tube portions such that the torque tube has a same outermost circumference throughout an entirety of the torque tube;
monitoring the first electrical power input and the second electrical power input.