Design of the solar panel mounting system

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to design a mounting system for PV panels in an attempt to create an efficient solution for the industry. The are different types of panels on the market, from which the ballasted type is the most balanced because of its adaptable and versatile design. The product development process was employed to systematise design and analytical activities. Following the process, an investigation of the mounting systems market was conducted. Investigation formed demands and wishes for the design that were compiled into a requirements list. Several concepts were created to best meet the requirements list. The most suitable concept was chosen for further development into a definitive layout using SolidWorks. Aluminium alloy 6061-T6 was chosen as the main manufacturing material. The definitive layout was constructed from 40x40 mm and 40x60 mm rectangular tubes with a 3 mm thickness. Separate technical decisions were incorporated in the definitive layout, attempting to fulfil respective requirements. The final assembly consists of 10 basic and 2 optional parts and weighs 16.253 kg. Technical drawings were created for each part. 14 out of 16 requirements were fulfilled. Manual calculations and simulations showed that the mounting system is reliable with a minimum factor of safety of 204. By reducing the thickness of the parts from 3 mm to 1 mm factor of safety drops to 77.5, and the weight is cut down to 5.646 kg. It was concluded that the final design of the mounting system is successful but needs further optimisation to be ready for real-life use.