CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0183890, filed on Dec. 24, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a floating structure for solar power generating on water. This work was supported by the New & Renewable Energy Core Technology of the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) granted financial resource from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea (1415169143, 20203040010240, “Development and demonstration of localization of components and materials for low-cost LCOE of offshore floating solar system”).

2. Discussion of Related Art

Solar cells are electrochemical devices that convert light energy from the sun into electrical energy. The smallest unit that generates electricity using a photoelectric effect is called a cell, and what generates power by connecting a plurality of cells in series or in parallel is called a solar module.

A solar power generating plant is an assembly of structures in which a plurality of solar modules are connected in series or in parallel. Such a solar power generating plant is generally installed on land, which incurs enormous site purchase and construction costs, and the environment is destroyed because hillsides are mainly cut to be used as a site. In addition, when installed on land, solar modules are heated by geothermal heat in summer, so that the solar modules cannot be effectively cooled, which is a factor that lowers the power generation efficiency of the solar modules.

In order to solve such a problem, solar power generating systems on water, in which solar modules are installed on water such as lakes, rivers, ponds, dams, and oceans, have been developed. Such a solar power generating system on water is a power generating system using a plurality of floating structures for solar power generating on water in which a plurality of solar modules installed on the water surface together with a buoy are arranged.

The plurality of floating structures need to be connected to each other in a rigid state. Each of the floating structures includes a main buoyancy body for fixing a solar module floating on the water surface while the solar module is fixed, and an auxiliary buoyancy body that supplements the buoyancy of the main buoyant body and is installed on the water surface so that a worker can move around the solar module, as needed, wherein the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body may be connected to each other by a predetermined connection member.

Since a portion of the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body is submerged in water, water is confined in the inner space formed by the connected buoyancy bodies. Since the movement, flow, circulation, etc., of the water trapped in the inner space are blocked, contaminants introduced into the inner space may not escape to the outside of the inner space and may be stagnant. When such contaminants are attached to the solar module, energy production efficiency may be lowered.

In addition, in the summer when the water temperature rises, green algae is generated and intensified in the vicinity of the buoyant body constituting the solar power generating system on water due to the increase in the temperature of the solar module and the increase in ambient radiant heat.

On the other hand, when such a solar power generating system is applied to the sea, the load applied to the buoyant body supporting the solar module may relatively greatly increase depending on climate change, wave strength, and height, etc., as compared to the case the case where the solar power generating system is applied to fresh water such as lakes and reservoirs. Thus, the buoyancy body usually made of plastic or synthetic resin may be destroyed or damaged by an external impact such as a wave, and when the buoyant body is greatly damaged, the buoyancy and supporting power provided to the solar module may be lost, and thus, the solar module could be submerged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a floating structure for solar power generating on water in which the concern of environment pollution that may occur around a solar power generating system on water can be eliminated and, at the same time, resistance against external force and durability are improved.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floating structure for solar power generating on water, the floating structure including two or more unit lines including at least one main buoyancy body and at least one auxiliary buoyancy body arranged in a transverse direction, the two or more unit lines being arranged in a longitudinal direction, a connection member configured to connect the main buoyancy body to the auxiliary buoyancy body so that the bottom surface of the main buoyancy body is located lower than the bottom surface of the auxiliary buoyancy body, and a platform configured to connect two or more auxiliary buoyancy bodies included in adjacent unit lines in the longitudinal direction, wherein one or more ends of the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body include a first fastening portion and a second fastening portion configured to fasten two or more of the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body, and the connection member includes a support portion and third fastening portions provided at both ends of the support portion.

A bottom surface of the main buoyancy body may include a first concave portion formed in a direction perpendicular to the unit lines.

A bottom surface of the main buoyancy body may include a second concave portion formed in a direction parallel to the unit lines.

A top surface of at least one of the first and second concave portions may be located higher than a bottom surface of the auxiliary buoyancy body.

The connection member may connect the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body included in the unit lines to each other in the transverse direction, and an angle θ formed by an extension line of the fastening portion and the support portion may be 90° or less.

The connection member may connect adjacent unit lines in the longitudinal direction.

Both side ends of the connection member facing the main buoyancy body and the auxiliary buoyancy body may include ⊂-shaped bent portions bent in opposite directions.

At least one surface of at least one of the first to third fastening portions may include at least one concave groove.

The support portion may include a metal plate.

The support portion may include a leaf spring in which two or more metal plates having different lengths are stacked.

The support portion may include a resin leaf spring whose thickness decreases in a direction from a center to both ends.

The platform and the auxiliary buoyancy body may be coupled by a fourth fastening portion that rotates around at least one axis.

The floating structure may further include a connection pin inserted into a portion where two or more of the first to third fastening portions overlap, wherein the connection pin includes a first head portion, a shank portion, a first threaded portion, and two or more reinforcing ribs provided at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction of a hollow at at least a portion of an inner wall of the hollow passing through the first head portion, the shank portion, and the first threaded portion.

The connection pin may further include a reinforcing member located on an outer circumferential surface of the shank portion so as to reinforce the shank portion.

A diameter of the reinforcing member may be greater than a diameter of the first threaded portion, and one end of the reinforcing member may further include a tapered portion extending to the first threaded portion while a diameter of the tapered portion gradually decreases.

The other end of the reinforcing member may include a reinforcing flange formed in a circumferential direction so as to reinforce the first head portion of the connection pin.

The connection pin may further include a core reinforcing member, which is inserted into the hollow while in contact with the reinforcing ribs, so as to reinforce the shank portion.

The core reinforcing member may include a second head portion and a body portion extending from the second head portion.

A surface of the first head portion facing at least one of the first to third fastening portions may include at least one first protrusion formed in a circumferential direction.

The connection pin may further include a nut fastened to the first threaded portion, a surface of the nut facing at least one of the first to third fastening portions may include at least one second protrusion formed in a circumferential direction, and an inner circumferential surface of the nut may include a second threaded portion and a smooth portion having a greater diameter than a diameter of the second threaded portion.

