A Portable Equatorial Mount for Solar-Testing Large Solar Panels

Testing in sunlight is an essential step in verifying the quality of large solar-cell panels, and in predicting space performance. Solar testing is usually done at high elevations to minimize absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere. A problem in such solar testing is the orientation of large panels toward the sun continuously, especially when wind gusts can occur. This paper describes a portable electric-motor driven equatorial mount for testing large solar panels. The equatorial mount is anchored by means of an automobile or truck. Design criteria such as geometrical relationships, structural loads, and gearbox details are provided. The pointing accuracy obtained is given.