Ojjo, Inc.

A method for installing and assembling a truss foundation to support a single-axis solar tracker. A positioning subsystem determines an orientation of a machine mast's driving axis relative to an intended drive axis and controls the mast to be positioned so that the mast's driving axis is aligned with the intended drive axis of the screw anchor foundation component. After a pair of adjacent screw anchors are driven, the controller causes motion controllers to orient the mast so that an alignment jig for supporting truss apex hardware is held in place relative to the driven screw anchors at a predetermined point in space above them so that upper leg sections can be sleeved over connecting portions of the apex hardware and down on to the driven screw anchors.

A passive locking chuck for a rotary driver. The chuck receives the driving end of a foundation component such a screw anchor to be driven into the ground. As the driving end is inserted into the chuck, spring biased pawls are displaced until insertion is complete. The geometry of each pawl dictates that less force is required to insert the foundation component than to remove it. The chuck has a geometry that mates with the geometry of the driving end of the foundation component.

An automated feedback-based system for driving foundation components to a desired embedment depth. A digital controller executing a stored control program controls driving components arranged on a mast of the driving machine including a drive chain motor, a rotary driver, a tool driver, and a source of compressed air. An array of sensors provides real-time feedback to a digital controller about the automated driving operation that enables the controller to adjust the operation of one or more of the driving components based on real-time driving conditions.

In a machine for driving screw anchors and other foundation components, a desired embedment depth is calculated based on a minimum required embedment depth, work point height and length of available upper leg sections. Once calculated, the machine automatically drives the screw anchor to the depth so that one of the available upper leg lengths will fit between the driven screw anchor and apex truss hardware. If a secondary condition is satisfied that guarantees sufficient pull-out strength, a new upper leg length may be selected and the driving operation terminated prior to reaching the desired embedment depth, reducing the amount of material necessary to construct the truss foundation.

A truss foundation for single-axis trackers that are installed in climates that experience frost heave or reactive soils. Truss legs are oriented to be substantially plumb, to eliminate adfreeze moment on below-ground components in the frost zone. Elbow couplers are attached to the upper end of each embedded component and used to change the leg angle from plumb to angled.

A truss foundation for single-axis trackers that are installed in climates that experience significant frost heave. In some cases, truss legs are oriented plumb, to eliminate adfreeze moment on below-ground components in the frost zone. Different truss caps may be used depending on the type of single-axis tracker and/or tracker component is supported. In some cases, truss legs may curve just before entering the ground. In others, below-ground and above-ground components may extend along the same axis and remain plump with the truss cap providing additional elevation to for the tracker to clear the wider truss legs.

Disclosed is a chuck for a rotary driver having a main body, a flange at a first end of the main body, a receiving portion at a second end and having repeating indentations dimensioned to receive a driving ring of a foundation component, and a pair of opposing pawls extending into the receiving portion at first ends that are displaced when a foundation component is loaded into the receiving portion. The pawls resist displacement with a first force when a foundation component is loaded and with a second force when a foundation component is removed. The chuck may also include a release mechanism having levers that move a second end of opposing pawls to release the foundation component when one of the levers of the pair is compressed towards the flange.

An automated feedback-based system for driving foundation components to a desired embedment depth. A digital controller executing a stored control program controls driving components arranged on a mast of the driving machine including a drive chain motor, a rotary driver, a tool driver, and a source of compressed air. An array of sensors provides real-time feedback to a digital controller about the automated driving operation that enables the controller to adjust the operation of one or more of the driving components based on real-time driving conditions.