In solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar trackers play a crucial role by adjusting the position of solar panels to follow the sun’s path, maximizing light absorption efficiency. However, solar trackers in outdoor environments must contend with various weather and environmental challenges such as strong winds and earthquakes. These external factors can negatively impact the structure and performance of trackers. Therefore, dampers serve as essential components, providing critical protection and stability.
Functions of Dampers
- Shock Absorption: In the event of strong winds or sudden occurrences like earthquakes, dampers can absorb external shocks, preventing damage to the tracker structure. This not only protects the solar panels and trackers but also avoids a decrease in power generation efficiency caused by vibration or displacement.
- Vibration Reduction: Dampers effectively reduce the vibrations generated during the normal operation of trackers, extending the system’s lifespan. This is crucial for ensuring the long-term stability and reliability of solar systems.
- Enhanced System Stability: With the help of dampers, solar trackers can maintain the optimal position more steadily, improving tracking accuracy and maximizing the power generation efficiency of the PV panels.
Potential Technical Failures of Solar Tracker Dampers
Solar tracker dampers may encounter some technical failures during actual application, which can affect their performance and the overall stability of the solar tracking system. Here are some common technical failures that dampers may experience:
1. Oil Leakage
- Causes: Damage or wear of internal seals in the damper, leading to hydraulic oil or lubricant leakage.
- Impact: Oil leakage reduces the damping effect, preventing the tracker from effectively absorbing shocks during vibration or impact, which may cause structural damage or a decrease in power generation efficiency.
- Solutions: Regularly inspect the damper’s seals and replace any worn seals promptly to ensure no internal fluid leakage.
2. Reduced Damping Effect
- Causes: Deterioration of hydraulic oil, gas leakage, or wear of internal pistons and cylinders.
- Impact: Reduced damping effect can cause instability in the tracker under high wind or seismic forces, increasing the risk of system structural damage.
3. Noise or Abnormal Sounds
- Causes: Loose or worn internal parts, or loose connections between the damper and the tracker.
- Impact: Abnormal sounds may indicate wear or damage inside the damper, which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to more severe failures.
4. Damper Failure
- Causes: Internal mechanical structure breakage, severe hydraulic system leakage, or instability in extreme environments such as high or low temperatures.
- Impact: Complete damper failure will cause the tracker to be unable to maintain stability under external forces, directly threatening the safety and efficiency of the solar system.
5. Corrosion or Rust
- Causes: Exposure to harsh environments such as high humidity, salt spray, acid rain, leading to corrosion or rusting of metal parts.
- Impact: Corrosion reduces the damper’s strength and lifespan, affecting its normal function.
6. Damage to External Dust Cover
- Causes: Long-term exposure to outdoor environments, erosion by wind and sand, rainwater, or accidental damage during maintenance.
- Impact: Damage to the dust cover allows dust and debris to enter the damper, affecting its normal operation and lifespan.
Since 2017, GF New Energy Technologies has been dedicated to designing and producing high-quality solar tracker dampers, earning the trust of customers in over 20 countries worldwide. Our GF dampers feature a dual-cylinder design and are equipped with an external dust cover to ensure excellent performance in various harsh environments.
Product Advantages
- Superior Damping Performance: The dual-cylinder design of the GF dampers provides outstanding damping effects under various conditions, ensuring the stable operation of trackers in harsh environments such as strong winds and earthquakes.
- Durability: The external dust cover not only protects the damper from dust and particles but also enhances the product’s durability, reducing the frequency of maintenance and replacement.
- Wide Adaptability: Our dampers are suitable for various types of single-axis and dual-axis solar trackers, meeting the needs of different PV systems.
- Easy Installation and Maintenance: GF dampers feature a simple design and are easy to install, allowing seamless integration with existing solar tracker systems. Additionally, due to their high-quality design, maintenance requirements are minimal.
- Comprehensive After-Sales Service: We conduct strict quality inspections during the production of GF dampers and perform secondary inspections before shipment to ensure product quality. Our after-sales service is comprehensive, providing customers with support and assistance as needed.
