Super Cool Phase Change Solar Tracker - No Power Needed!!
Summary
TLDREngineer 775 introduces a unique solar tracker from Pursuit Solar at SPI in Utah. The tracker, which uses no motors or electronics, relies on a mechanical system powered by heated industrial wax to move solar panels. Capable of tracking 18 72-cell panels, it's designed to increase solar production by 20%. Despite a potential issue with cloudy days hindering tracking, the tracker's strength and innovative design are praised. The video also discusses the cost-benefit analysis of trackers versus fixed mounts and hints at another upcoming tracker review.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Engineer 775 introduces a unique solar tracker from Pursuit Solar that caught his attention at SPI in Utah.
- 🔧 The tracker operates mechanically without the need for motors, controllers, or PLCs, using industrial wax and a piston.
- 🌞 It utilizes a parabolic dish to collect sunlight, which heats the wax and moves the piston, enabling the tracking mechanism.
- 📐 The demo unit is designed to show the strength of the mechanism, capable of tracking 18 full 72-cell panels.
- 💡 The tracker is estimated to increase solar production by about 20%, offering a trade-off between cost and efficiency.
- 💰 Engineer 775 discusses the cost-effectiveness of the tracker compared to fixed ground mounts, especially in situations with limited space.
- 🌧️ A drawback mentioned is that the tracker may not start tracking on cloudy days, potentially missing out on sunlight.
- 🌻 The concept of the tracker is inspired by heliotropism, similar to how a sunflower tracks the sun throughout the day.
- 🛠️ The standard model is capable of holding 12 72-cell panels, with an 18-panel version also available, emphasizing the tracker's power and reliability.
- 🔍 Engineer 775 has been observing the demo unit for two months, noting its consistent operation and the need for potential adjustments.
- 📞 Pursuit Solar's owner, Eddie, is highlighted as a resource for information and support on tracker installation and setup.
Q & A
What is the product that Engineer 775 is excited about sharing in the video?
-The product is a solar tracking system from Pursuit Solar that uses an industrial wax, a piston, and a parabolic dish to track the sun without the need for motors, controllers, or PLCs.
Why was Engineer 775 particularly interested in this solar tracker?
-Engineer 775 was intrigued by the mechanical engineering aspect of the tracker, which operates without any electronic components such as motors or controllers.
How does the solar tracking system work mechanically?
-The system uses the heat from the sun collected in a parabolic dish to melt industrial wax, which then moves a piston. This piston motion drives the tracking mechanism.
What is the purpose of the parabolic dish in the solar tracking system?
-The parabolic dish is used to collect and concentrate sunlight onto a collector tube, which heats the wax inside, initiating the tracking mechanism.
How much weight can the demo unit of the solar tracker lift to demonstrate its strength?
-The demo unit can lift approximately 2,000 pounds of blocks about 4 inches, showcasing the force it can exert.
What is the estimated increase in solar production with the use of this tracking system?
-The tracking system is estimated to increase solar production by about 20%.
What is the main drawback mentioned by Engineer 775 regarding the solar tracker's operation?
-The main drawback is that if the tracker doesn't start tracking due to overcast conditions in the early morning, it cannot catch up with the sun's position throughout the day.
What concept does the solar tracker use to follow the sun throughout the day?
-The tracker uses the concept of heliotropism, similar to how a sunflower follows the sun from morning to evening and then resets.
What is the standard model's capacity in terms of the number of solar panels it can hold?
-The standard model is designed to hold 12 72-cell panels, and there is an 18-panel version available.
What is the significance of the piston in the demo unit's demonstration of the tracking system's strength?
-The piston in the demo unit moves and lifts a cable, which in turn lifts 2,000 pounds of material, demonstrating the system's mechanical strength and reliability.
Why might someone choose a solar tracker over a fixed ground mount?
-A solar tracker might be chosen if there is limited space, as it can significantly increase energy production without needing to add more panels. It's also a good option for those interested in innovative technology.
What is the name of the company and the contact person mentioned for more information about the solar tracker?
-The company is Pursuit Solar, and the contact person is Eddie Bug, the owner.
Outlines
🌞 Innovative Mechanical Solar Tracker
Engineer 775 introduces a unique solar tracker from Pursuit Solar that caught his attention due to its mechanical design without the need for motors, controllers, or PLCs. The tracker utilizes industrial wax, a piston, and a parabolic dish to track the sun, increasing solar production by approximately 20%. Despite the higher cost compared to fixed mounts, the mechanical ingenuity and potential for higher energy output make it an exciting product. However, the tracker has a limitation where it may not start tracking on cloudy days, potentially missing out on sunlight. The presenter shares his enthusiasm for the technology and its potential, even though it requires some adjustments for better performance.
📊 Cost-Effective Solar Solutions with Trackers
The second paragraph delves into the practical considerations of using solar trackers, comparing them with fixed ground mounts. It discusses how the increased power production from trackers can be offset by adding more panels to a cheaper ground mount, making it a cost-effective alternative. The presenter mentions his interactions with Pursuit Solar's owner, Eddie, who can provide detailed information and assistance with tracker installations. The paragraph also touches on the resurgence of interest in solar trackers due to their potential to maximize energy yield despite the initial high costs. The presenter teases an upcoming discussion on another type of tracker that is more traditional and less expensive, indicating a growing market for such technologies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡SPI
💡Pursuit Solar
💡Solar Tracker
💡Heliotropism
💡Parabolic Dish
💡Evacuated Tube
💡Piston
💡Cost per Watt
💡72 Cell Panels
💡Cool Factor
💡Eddy Bug
Highlights
Engineer 775 introduces a unique solar tracker from Pursuit Solar at SPI in Utah.
The solar tracker is mechanically driven without the need for motors, controllers, or PLCs.
It utilizes industrial wax, a piston, and a parabolic dish to track the sun.
The demo unit shows the mechanism's strength capable of tracking 18 full 72 cell panels.
The tracker is expected to increase solar production by approximately 20%.
A potential drawback is the tracker's inability to catch up if it doesn't start tracking early in the day.
The tracker operates on the principle of heliotropism, similar to how a sunflower tracks the sun.
The standard model is designed to hold 12 72-cell panels, with an 18 panel version also available.
The tracker's piston is shown to be extremely powerful and reliable in lifting heavy weights.
Engineer 775 discusses the cost-effectiveness of trackers versus fixed ground mounts.
The tracker's mechanical design is praised for its potential reliability and lack of electronic components.
Eddie Bug, the owner of Pursuit Solar, is mentioned for his expertise and willingness to assist with installations.
Engineer 775 expresses his excitement about the 'cool factor' of the mechanical solar tracker.
A comparison is made between the cost per watt and the innovative technology of the tracker.
The video mentions an upcoming review of another tracker with a horizontal shaft and a different design.
Engineer 775 invites viewers to share their thoughts on solar trackers and their practical applications.
The video concludes with a personal note about Engineer 775's new branded t-shirt.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
hey folks engineer 775 here wanna share
with you today a really cool product I
was so excited when I went to SPI
last year in Utah and I met the folks
from pursuit solar and they had this
cool track it was the last thing I got
to look at for the day and I just they
had to kick me out of the place as I
went over it and looked at it I was
really excited you know I've done videos
on trackers where I haven't been too
excited about it because of the cost
now tractors are still obviously more
expensive than a fixed pole mount or
ground mount but this one really caught
my eye as a mechanical engineer because
there was no motors no controllers no
PLC's no anything to make this thing
track so it really caught my attention
and so let me tell you a little bit
about it it uses an industrial wax and a
piston and a parabolic dish and
combination with a mechanism so
basically as the Sun is picked up in the
parabolic dish and you can see that up
here where there's a collector that hits
like it looks like an evacuated tube
almost and it collects on that tube
which heats the wax which moves a piston
now this is a demo unit so this you're
like what is going on why are you doing
with one panel this thing is strong
enough to actually track 18 full 72 cell
panels so this is just a demo model
showing how much work it can actually do
so the actual tractor doesn't look like
this this is just showing the force you
see if I move this you'll see the weight
this is basically 2,000 pounds of blocks
it picks those blocks up about 4 inches
which allows this mechanism to go
through its full range of motion so it's
kind of in the morning here it's about
10 o'clock in the morning and this will
rotate all the way over to the west
southwest side in the afternoon and so
it's already started tracking because we
got a pretty good sunny day and it'll
just track through the full range so
they the estimates are that it'll
increase your solar production by about
20% so there's always this trade up and
there's the cool factor which this
really caught my eye but there's also
the increased production but in so
there's I'm always in this conundrum of
cost per watt versus cool factor and
cool technology but again no power
required to do it the only thing that
you know it's a demo unit I've been
watching it now for two months looking
at it every day I come home and I see
where its position so sometimes what we
have here is sometimes if it's in the
early morning there's no snow sunshine
and it's rainy day or very cloudy day it
won't start to track and if it doesn't
start to track it can't catch up because
of where the Sun is in relationship to
the parabolic collector so that's the
only negative part of it so sorry about
that pursuit this is something that for
me when I come home I want to see my
tracker tracking over with the Sun and
this doesn't do it for you know I would
say five days out of the month from what
I've been observing the concept is still
amazing maybe there could be some
tweaking of the collector to allow it to
capture more and not skip a beat but
super strong I just love the concept
it's all mechanical they can't fail I've
been watching this pal two blocks go up
and down from for two months and so it's
pretty cool so the concept is called
heliotropism basically using this
concept like of a sunflower sunflower
well in the morning it'll be reset to
where the Sun is going to come up and
then it'll kind of the sunflower will
track that Sun all day long and then
reset and that's what this does it
tracks the Sun all day long and then
resets you can the standard model will
hold 12 72 cell panels they do have an
18 panel version but for production the
I think the 12 panel is where they're
heading for the most part so this is
just a demo this panels not hooked up to
anything it's just to show you that it
does track it's extremely powerful
piston very reliable so if you look back
here this is the the mechanism isn't the
same so the demo unit is just running a
piston as the as it rotates this piston
moves and it lifts this cable up lifting
2,000 pounds of material just to show
you how strong it was so it does track
very well when their son is is on it so
so this is it's it's interesting this
year for some reason I'm getting a lot
of requests about trackers and why don't
you do track your sky why don't you do
tractors in
a lot of times the cost of solar is so
high and we can't have kept pursuing at
the same time cheaper fixed ground
mounts so it's this you have the space
if you don't have the space the tracker
becomes very attractive if you have the
space then you can add more panels to a
cheaper ground mount and compensate for
what this would actually produce so it's
just math you can figure out if this
makes twenty percent more power you can
add twenty percent more panels and on
average your fixed ground mount is going
to equate to what a tractor is if you
don't have the room tractor is a great
option if you're into cool factors which
is really what caught my eye at SPI is
this is it's pretty awesome so check out
pursuit solar Eddy bug is the owner
there you can talk to Eddie about the
tracker he knows everything about it he
will walk you through an installation
how to set it up and there's a little
bit of setup education on it he's
they'll they'll walk you through some of
them he'll come out and actually help
you install it so that's about it on
this so let me know what you think let
me know if you think about trackers
because I'm actually about to debut
another tracker I know there's several
trackers on the market and there's some
that have gone out of business because
the tracker market was big when there
was small and when panels were so
expensive and then it kind of phased
away with panel prices going way down
and for some reason trackers have come
back and there's several companies in
about a two months gonna talk to you
about another horizontal shaft this
tracker it is timed and it won't have a
parabolic dish it's totally different
more of a traditional style tracker but
less expensive so anyway we'll be
talking to you about that kind of
questions about tracking let me know
this engineer 775 saina I wouldn't what
do you think my new cool sure I got a
new cool shirt today so I'm like
official I got my first branded t-shirt
so anyway I'll see you later folks bye
[Music]
you
[Music]
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