An Icon for Innovation at Syracuse University
CBD Companies asked XCEED to help with the design of an articulating solar array at Syracuse University. This array is the capstone for the Intermodal Transit Facility project, which was a multi-year project at the Center of Excellence. The architect originally planned for a custom ball-screw to move an array of panels, tracking the sun throughout the year. It’s an interesting design, but the engineering hadn’t yet been done. In addition, CBD Companies and Syracuse University wanted this installed by the end of 2016.
The original plan had a lot of custom parts. Whenever you design something with a lot of custom parts, there’s always a risk that the parts don’t go together as planned. Also, since the design isn’t tested, there’s no guarantee as to the reliability of a very customized design. And of course, custom parts always increase the cost and lead time.
Solution
Working with local suppliers, we found a great actuator available off-the-shelf. The actuator could push with 10 tons of force, and had the ability to travel up to 6 feet! And since this was an off-the-shelf part, the cost was reduced, lead time was slashed, and reliability was inherently improved.
We changed the design to include
- Precision: The lead screw design can index to within 1/16“. This is well within the tolerances of the design.
- Environment: The lead screw has a shield that protects internals from snow and ice.
- Side Loads: No more concerns about side loading the actuator.
- Load Rating: Actuators are available with capacities more than 20,000lb!
More Power!
At the end of the day, we were able to have the array installed without any problems. We estimated that our design efforts save about $40,000 compared to the original design. Not only did this design save money, but it’s going to be more reliable.
