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Dual-row and multi-row tracker design

Updated

The Multi-row trackers feature lets you create designs where two or more tracker tables rotate with a single motor.

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Step 1. Frame & Park Settings

  1. Open Frame and Park settings and go to the Frame creation tab.
  2. Choose or create a Single-axis tracker frame type.
  3. Under Frame parameters, enable the Multi-row trackers checkbox. (A generic preview of two trackers with a mechanical linkage will display on the right side of the window).

 Parameter Reference

In the Settings window, define the following operational constraints:

  • Number of rows: The number of tracker tables connected to a single motor.

  • Motor position: Here, we can select which tracker the motor should be positioned on.

  • Maximum North-South slope (BETA) refers to the largest allowed angle difference between two frames in the North-South direction. It is illustrated on the right side of the window.

In the example above, the N-S slope of table 1 should not differ by more than 2% from that of table 2.

  • Maximum East-West slope (GAMMA) - this is the maximum angle between two frames in the East-West direction. This is showcased in the illustration on the right side of the window.  

In the example above, the E-W slope between adjacent tables should not exceed 10%.

 

Piling & Placement Setup

Once the parameters above are configured, proceed with the following steps:

  1. Define foundation piling parameters separately for frames with motors and without motors.
  2. Select your desired Placement setup and configure your project-specific Park settings.

 

Step 2. Generate Area & Review Tracker Counts

Once the area has been generated, it will be filled with single-axis trackers arranged already in a multi-row pattern (in this example it is dual-row) with drive lines showing between each frame:

 

 

Layout information

In Layout information, count the trackers individually. In the following plant, there will be 1004 single frames, meaning 502 dual-row trackers (502 frames with motors, and 502 without):

 

 

Step 3. Check Civil Analysis & Slope Diagnostics

Frames that go beyond the maximum angles set in the multi-row tracker Settings will be highlighted in specific colors during generation. These colors are customizable to suit the user's preferences. An example is shown below:
 

 

More information about the angles can be obtained by opening the slope analysis tab of the Civil analysis window and clicking on Show details:

In the following image, the frames are orange because the N-S slope of table 1 varies by more than 2% from the N-S slope of table 2 (2.21% > 2%):

In the following picture, the tables are maroon because the East-West slope between them doesn't meet the constraints (7.21% > 6%):

Currently, PVcase does not provide corrective options for tables that do not meet these constraints. However, you can still apply slope analysis, collision analysis, and Ground Grading to individual trackers as usual. For more details, please see the relevant articles.

Step 4. Proceed to Electrical Design 

You can do electrical design for multi-row trackers the same way as for individual trackers. For step-by-step guidance, refer to:

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