Pneumatic actuation circuit system and method

Patent · Tue Mar 09 04:00:00 EST 2021

OSTI ID:1805614

Basel, Louis Hong; Erickson, Joshua Earle; Goldwater, Dan; Lamb, Jeffrey Charles; Madrone, Leila; Romanin, Vincent Domenic; Schneider, Matthew N.

A system for controlling a rotation of one or more solar panels about an axis of rotation, comprising one or more solar panels defining a longitudinal axis, one or more bellows actuators coupled to the one or more solar panels and defining an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the panels, a fluid source, a first valve circuit coupled to the bellows actuators and the fluid source, a second valve circuit coupled to the bellows actuators and the fluid source, and a controller, wherein introduction or release of fluid from one or more of the bellows actuators is configured to cause rotation of the one or more actuators about the axis of rotation.

• Research Organization: Sunfolding, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AR0000330
• Assignee: Sunfolding, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 10,944,353
• Application Number: 15/955,506
• OSTI ID: 1805614
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English