Solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device and cleaning method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device and a cleaning method thereof. The device comprises a mounting bracket, which comprises an inclined bracket and a walking bracket connected with the inclined bracket. A plurality of first photovoltaic panels are arranged on the inclined bracket in a matrix. A cleaning mechanism is arranged on the walking bracket, and a driving mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the cleaning mechanism. The cleaning mechanism comprises a water spraying assembly and a scraper assembly. The first photovoltaic panels are cleaned by the water spraying assembly and the scraper assembly. The first photovoltaic panels are repeatedly cleaned by the driving mechanism, which greatly improves the cleaning effect. The device has the characteristics of high cleaning efficiency, simple structure, low equipment cost and wide application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of solar photovoltaic panel cleaning devices, and particularly relates to a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device and its cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] Solar energy, as a clean energy source, has developed rapidly in recent years. Photovoltaic power generation is one of the most common methods of solar power generation, characterized by relatively high conversion efficiency, safety, and flexibility. A solar photovoltaic (PV) panel is a thin film of photovoltaic semiconductors that directly generates electricity using sunlight and is an important component of a solar PV power generation system. The power generation efficiency of a PV panel is related not only to the intensity of sunlight but also to the cleanliness and light transmittance of the panel. Over long-term use, bird droppings, dust, and other obstructions inevitably accumulate on the surface of PV modules. These obstructions can significantly reduce the power generation efficiency of the PV panels, causing substantial economic losses. Related data shows that dust accumulation on PV panels can reduce their power generation efficiency by 17%-40%, making the effective cleaning of solar PV panels a pressing problem that needs to be solved.

[0003] Currently, the maintenance of photovoltaic power plants mainly relies on daily inspections by staff. When dust accumulation is found on the photovoltaic panels, the primary method used is manual cleaning. However, manual cleaning can damage the surface of the photovoltaic glass due to improper cleaning methods, unsuitable cleaning tools, or human error. Furthermore, manual cleaning of large areas of photovoltaic panels is costly. In recent years, specialized photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment and automated photovoltaic panel cleaning robots have been designed and invented, but these methods are also expensive, and the cleaning quality varies among different devices, with varying application scenarios, making widespread adoption difficult.

[0004] Chinese utility model patent CN218734164U discloses a cleaning device for photovoltaic panels used in power plants. The device includes a base plate with four support rods mounted on its top. A common support plate is mounted on the top of the four support rods, and a solar photovoltaic panel is embedded in the support plate. An opening slot is formed at the top of the support plate, and an adjustment mechanism is installed within the opening slot. An adjustment block is connected to the adjustment mechanism, and a rectangular box is mounted on top of the adjustment block. A cleaning mechanism is slidably installed inside the rectangular box, and the cleaning mechanism is adapted to the solar photovoltaic panel. A rotating rod is rotatably installed inside the rectangular box. However, this device has a limited cleaning effect on solar photovoltaic panels. Relying solely on brushes and air blowing, it cannot effectively clean the stains on the surface of the solar photovoltaic panels, resulting in low cleanliness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device and cleaning method. By setting a water spray component and a scraper component in the cleaning mechanism, the cleaning efficiency can be improved. By setting a control unit, the photovoltaic panels can be cleaned without manual labor, which greatly saves labor costs. The present invention has the characteristics of high cleaning efficiency, simple structure, low equipment cost, and wide application.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device includes a mounting bracket 1, which includes an inclined bracket 11 and a traveling bracket 12 connected to the inclined bracket 11. A plurality of first photovoltaic panels 2 are arranged in a matrix on the inclined bracket 11. A cleaning mechanism 3 is provided on the traveling bracket 12, and a driving mechanism 5 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning mechanism 3.

[0008] The cleaning mechanism 3 includes a water spraying assembly and a scraper assembly. The water spraying assembly includes a water tank 31. The side of the water tank 31 closest to the first photovoltaic panel 2 is provided with several water spraying holes 33. The water tank 31 is equipped with a water pump 34 whose inlet is connected to the water tank 31. The outlet of the water pump 34 is connected to the inlet of the water spraying holes 33.

[0009] The scraper assembly includes a cleaning box 36 located at the bottom of the water tank 31. A telescopic motor 38 is installed inside the cleaning box 36. The power output shaft of the telescopic motor 38 is connected to the take-up roller. A telescopic plastic scraper 37 is installed on the take-up roller. An opening for the plastic scraper 37 to extend and retract is provided on the side of the cleaning box 33 near the first photovoltaic panel 2.

[0010] The drive mechanism 5 includes a drive housing 51 located at the bottom of the water tank 31. Inside the drive housing 51, there is a drive motor 52 and a battery pack 54. The power output shaft of the drive motor 52 is fixedly fitted with a drive gear 55, which meshes with a central gear 56. The two sides of the central gear 56 are fixedly connected to a first driven gear 57 via connecting shafts. The first driven gear 57 meshes with a second driven gear 58, which is fixedly connected to a wheel 59 via a wheel shaft. The current input terminal of the drive motor 52 is connected to the current output terminal of the battery pack 54 via a DC relay 53.

[0011] The device also includes a control unit, which includes a first limit switch 310 and a second limit switch 311 arranged parallel to both sides of the walking support 12 of the cleaning mechanism 3, as well as a water pump start / stop controller 35 and a telescopic motor start / stop controller 39 arranged inside the cleaning mechanism 3; the first limit switch 310 and the second limit switch 311 are in active contact with the first limit contact rod 41 and the second limit contact rod 42 arranged at both ends of the walking support 12, respectively, and the signal output terminals of the first limit switch 310 and the second limit switch 311 are connected to the signal input terminals of the water pump start / stop controller 35 and the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, respectively.

[0012] The battery pack 54 consists of four batteries connected in series; the DC relay 53 has two sets of normally open and normally closed contacts.

[0013] A second photovoltaic panel 32 is installed on the top of the water tank 31, and the current output terminal of the second photovoltaic panel 32 is connected to the current input terminal of the battery pack 54.

[0014] A method for cleaning solar photovoltaic panels includes the following steps:

[0015] Step 1: Turn off DC relay 53 to de-energize DC relay 53, then start drive mechanism 5 to control cleaning mechanism 3 to move to the first stroke contact rod 41 of walking bracket 12. At the same time, start cleaning mechanism 3 and water pump 34 to draw water from water tank 31 and spray it onto the surface of first photovoltaic panel 2 through water spray hole 33.

[0016] Step 2: When the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the first stroke contact rod 41 of the walking bracket 12, it triggers the first stroke switch 310. The first stroke switch 310 shuts off the water pump 34 to stop water spraying through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and starts the telescopic motor 38 through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to extend.

[0017] Step 3: Activate DC relay 53 to put DC relay 53 in the energized state, control the cleaning mechanism 3 to move towards the second stroke contact rod 42 of the walking bracket 12, and the plastic scraper 37 scrapes and washes the surface of the first photovoltaic panel 2.

[0018] Step 4: When the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the second stroke contact rod 42 of the walking bracket 12, it triggers the second stroke switch 311. The second stroke switch 311 starts the water pump 34 to spray water through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and stops the telescopic motor 38 through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to retract.

[0019] Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 until the first photovoltaic panel 2 is clean. Then, turn off the cleaning mechanism 3 and the drive mechanism 5 to complete the cleaning of the first photovoltaic panel 2.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] 1. The present invention improves the cleaning efficiency of the first photovoltaic panel by setting up a water spray component and a scraper component in the cleaning mechanism.

[0022] 2. By setting up a control unit, this invention enables the cleaning of the first photovoltaic panel without manual labor, greatly saving labor costs.

[0023] 3. By setting up a drive mechanism and combining it with a control unit, the present invention enables the cleaning mechanism to automatically spray water and automatically scrape during movement, repeatedly cleaning the first photovoltaic panel, thereby improving the cleanliness of the first photovoltaic panel.

[0024] 4. The present invention improves the endurance of the cleaning mechanism by setting a second photovoltaic panel on the top of the cleaning mechanism and connecting it to the battery pack of the drive mechanism to supply power to the battery.

[0025] In summary, this invention improves cleaning efficiency by incorporating a water spray assembly and a scraper assembly into the cleaning mechanism; by setting up a control unit, it enables manual cleaning of the first photovoltaic panel, significantly saving labor costs, and repeated cleaning further enhances the cleanliness of the first photovoltaic panel; by installing a second photovoltaic panel on top of the cleaning mechanism and connecting it to the battery pack of the drive mechanism, it provides power to the battery, improving the cleaning mechanism's endurance; and it features high cleaning efficiency, simple structure, low equipment cost, and wide applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: Mounting bracket 1, tilting bracket 11, walking bracket 12, first photovoltaic panel 2, cleaning mechanism 3, water tank 31, second photovoltaic panel 32, sprinkler hole 33, water pump 34, water pump start / stop controller 35, cleaning box 36, plastic scraper 37, telescopic motor 38, telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, first limit switch 310, second limit switch 311, first limit contact rod 41, second limit contact rod 42, drive mechanism 5, drive housing 51, drive motor 52, DC relay 53, battery 54, drive gear 55, center gear 56, first driven gear 57, second driven gear 58, wheel 59. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device includes a mounting bracket 1, which includes an inclined bracket 11 and a traveling bracket 12 connected to the inclined bracket 11. Several first photovoltaic panels 2 are arranged in a matrix on the inclined bracket 11. A cleaning mechanism 3 is provided on the traveling bracket 12. A driving mechanism 5 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning mechanism 3. The driving mechanism 5 can drive the cleaning mechanism 3 to move linearly along the surface of the traveling bracket 12 to clean the first photovoltaic panels 2.

[0031] The cleaning mechanism 3 includes a water spraying assembly and a scraper assembly. The water spraying assembly includes a water tank 31. The side of the water tank 31 near the first photovoltaic panel 2 is provided with a number of water spraying holes 33. The inside of the water tank 31 is provided with a water pump 34 whose inlet is connected to the water tank 31 and a water pump start / stop controller 35. The outlet of the water pump 34 is connected to the inlet of the water spraying holes 33.

[0032] The scraper assembly includes a cleaning box 36 located at the bottom of the water tank 31. Inside the cleaning box 36, there is a telescopic motor 38 and a telescopic motor start / stop controller 39. The power output shaft of the telescopic motor 38 is connected to the take-up roller, and a telescopic plastic scraper 37 is provided on the take-up roller. The cleaning box 36 has an opening for the plastic scraper 37 to extend and retract on the side near the first photovoltaic panel 2. The water tank 31 has a first limit switch 310 and a second limit switch 311 on both sides parallel to the walking bracket 12.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the drive mechanism 5 includes a drive housing 51 located at the bottom of the water tank 31. Inside the drive housing 51 are a drive motor 52 and a battery pack 54. The drive motor 52 is a DC motor, and controlling its forward and reverse rotation causes the cleaning mechanism to reciprocate on the walking support 12. The current input terminal of the drive motor 52 is connected to the current output terminal of the battery pack 54 via a DC relay 53. The battery pack 54 consists of four batteries connected in series. The DC relay 53 has two sets of normally open and normally closed contacts to control the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 52. A drive gear 55 is fixedly mounted on the power output shaft of the drive motor 52. The drive gear 55 meshes with a central gear 56. The two sides of the central gear 56 are fixedly connected to a first driven gear 57 via connecting shafts. The first driven gear 57 meshes with a second driven gear 58, and the second driven gear 58 is fixedly connected to a wheel 59 via a wheel axle.

[0034] The device also includes a control unit, which includes a first limit switch 310 and a second limit switch 311 arranged parallel to both sides of the walking support 12 of the cleaning mechanism 3, as well as a water pump start / stop controller 35 and a telescopic motor start / stop controller 39 arranged inside the cleaning mechanism 3; the first limit switch 310 and the second limit switch 311 are in movable contact with the first limit contact rod 41 and the second limit contact rod 42 arranged at both ends of the walking support 12, respectively, and the signal output terminals of the first limit switch 310 and the second limit switch 311 are connected to the signal input terminals of the water pump start / stop controller 35 and the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, respectively.

[0035] To improve the endurance of the solar photovoltaic cleaning device, a second photovoltaic panel 32 is installed on the top of the water tank 31. The current output terminal of the second photovoltaic panel 32 is connected to the current input terminal of the battery pack 54, and the battery pack 54 is charged in real time through the second photovoltaic panel 32.

[0036] The working principle of the solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device of the present invention is as follows:

[0037] During operation, the water pump 34 and drive motor 52 are started. The water pump 34 draws water from the water tank 31 and sprays it onto the surface of the first photovoltaic panel 2 through the spray hole 33. At the same time, the DC relay 53 is turned off, putting it in a de-energized state. One set of normally closed contacts of the DC relay 53 closes, and the other set of normally open contacts opens, controlling the drive motor 52 to rotate forward. The cleaning mechanism 3 moves towards the first distance sensor 41 of the walking bracket 12, and automatically sprays water onto the first photovoltaic panel 2. When the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the first distance sensor 41 of the walking bracket 12, it triggers the first limit switch 310. The first limit switch 310 controls the water pump 34 to turn off and stop spraying water through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and controls the telescopic motor 38 to start through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to extend. At the same time, the DC relay 53 is turned on, putting it in a energized state. One set of normally closed contacts of the DC relay 53 opens, and the other set of normally open contacts closes, controlling the drive motor 52 to rotate forward. 52 Reverses direction, the cleaning mechanism 3 moves towards the second distance sensor 42 of the walking support 12, and the plastic scraper 37 scrapes the surface of the first photovoltaic panel 2; when the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the second distance sensor 42 of the walking support 12, it triggers the second limit switch 311. The second limit switch 311 controls the water pump 34 to start spraying water through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and controls the telescopic motor 38 to start through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to retract, and at the same time turning off the DC relay 53, so that the DC relay 53 is in a de-energized state. One set of normally closed contacts of the DC relay 43 closes and the other set of normally open contacts opens, controlling the drive motor 52 to rotate forward, and the cleaning mechanism 3 moves towards the first distance sensor 41 of the walking support 12, while automatically spraying water on the first photovoltaic panel 2; repeat the above reciprocating motion until the first photovoltaic panel 2 is cleaned, then turn off the water pump 34 and the drive motor 52, the plastic scraper 37 retracts, and the first photovoltaic panel 2 is cleaned.

[0038] A method for cleaning solar photovoltaic panels includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1: Turn off DC relay 53 to de-energize DC relay 53, then start drive mechanism 5 to control cleaning mechanism 3 to move to the first stroke contact rod 41 of walking bracket 12. At the same time, start cleaning mechanism 3 and water pump 34 to draw water from water tank 31 and spray it onto the surface of first photovoltaic panel 2 through water spray hole 33.

[0040] Step 2: When the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the first stroke contact rod 41 of the walking bracket 12, it triggers the first stroke switch 310. The first stroke switch 310 shuts off the water pump 34 to stop water spraying through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and starts the telescopic motor 38 through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to extend.

[0041] Step 3: Activate DC relay 53 to put DC relay 53 in the energized state, control the cleaning mechanism 3 to move towards the second stroke contact rod 42 of the walking bracket 12, and the plastic scraper 37 scrapes and washes the surface of the first photovoltaic panel 2.

[0042] Step 4: When the cleaning mechanism 3 moves to the second stroke contact rod 42 of the walking bracket 12, it triggers the second stroke switch 311. The second stroke switch 311 starts the water pump 34 to spray water through the water pump start / stop controller 35, and stops the telescopic motor 38 through the telescopic motor start / stop controller 39, controlling the plastic scraper 37 in the cleaning box 36 to retract.

[0043] Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 until the first photovoltaic panel 2 is clean. Then, turn off the cleaning mechanism 3 and the drive mechanism 5 to complete the cleaning of the first photovoltaic panel 2.

Claims

1. A solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device, comprising a mounting bracket (1), the mounting bracket (1) including an inclined bracket (11) and a traveling bracket (12) connected to the inclined bracket (11), wherein a plurality of first photovoltaic panels (2) arranged in a matrix are disposed on the inclined bracket (11), characterized in that: The walking support (12) is provided with a cleaning mechanism (3), and the bottom of the cleaning mechanism (3) is provided with a driving mechanism (5); the cleaning mechanism (3) includes a water spraying assembly and a scraper assembly. The water spraying assembly includes a water tank (31), and the inside of the water tank (31) is provided with a water pump (34) whose inlet is connected to the water tank (31). The side of the water tank (31) near the first photovoltaic panel (2) is provided with several water spraying holes (33); the scraper assembly includes a cleaning box (36) provided at the bottom of the water tank (31), and the inside of the cleaning box (36) is provided with a telescopic motor (38). The power output shaft of 38) is connected to the take-up roller, and the take-up roller is provided with a retractable plastic scraper (37); the drive mechanism (5) includes a drive housing (51) located at the bottom of the water tank (31), and the drive housing (51) is provided with a drive motor (52) and a battery pack (54). The current input terminal of the drive motor (52) is connected to the current output terminal of the battery pack (54) through a DC relay (53) with two sets of normally open and normally closed contacts; the drive motor (52) switches the current direction through the two sets of contacts of the DC relay (53) to achieve forward or reverse rotation; The device also includes a control unit, which includes a first limit switch (310) and a second limit switch (311) arranged parallel to both sides of the walking support (12) of the cleaning mechanism (3). The first limit switch (310) and the second limit switch (311) are in active contact with the first limit contact rod (41) and the second limit contact rod (42) arranged at both ends of the walking support (12), respectively. The signal output terminals of the first limit switch (310) and the second limit switch (311) are respectively connected to the signal input terminals of the water pump start / stop controller (35) and the telescopic motor start / stop controller (39). The first limit switch (310) is configured to: when triggered, send a signal to the water pump start / stop controller (35) to shut down the water pump (34), send a signal to the telescopic motor start / stop controller (39) to start the telescopic motor (38) to extend the plastic scraper (37), and trigger the circuit to energize the DC relay (53); The second limit switch (311) is configured to: when triggered, send a signal to the water pump start / stop controller (35) to start the water pump (34), send a signal to the telescopic motor start / stop controller (39) to stop the telescopic motor (38) to retract the plastic scraper (37), and trigger the circuit to de-energize the DC relay (53); When the DC relay (53) is de-energized, the drive motor (52) rotates forward and the cleaning mechanism (3) moves toward the first stroke contact rod (41); when the DC relay (53) is energized, the drive motor (52) rotates in reverse and the cleaning mechanism (3) moves toward the second stroke contact rod (42).

2. The solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet of the water pump (34) is connected to the inlet of the sprinkler hole (33); the cleaning box (36) has an opening on the side near the first photovoltaic panel (2) for the plastic scraper (37) to extend and retract.

3. The solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive motor (52) has a fixed drive gear (55) on its power output shaft. The drive gear (55) meshes with the center gear (56). The center gear (56) is fixedly connected to the first driven gear (57) on both sides through connecting shafts. The first driven gear (57) meshes with the second driven gear (58). The second driven gear (58) is fixedly connected to the wheel (59) through the wheel shaft.

4. A solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery pack (54) consists of four batteries connected in series.

5. A solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the water tank (31) is provided with a second photovoltaic panel (32), and the current output terminal of the second photovoltaic panel (32) is connected to the current input terminal of the battery pack (54).

6. A method for cleaning solar photovoltaic panels, using a solar photovoltaic panel cleaning device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Turn off the DC relay (53) to put the DC relay (53) in a de-energized state, then start the drive mechanism (5) to control the cleaning mechanism (3) to move towards the first stroke contact rod (41) of the walking bracket (12), and at the same time start the cleaning mechanism (3), the water pump (34) draws water from the water tank (31) and sprays it onto the surface of the first photovoltaic panel (2) through the spray hole (33); Step 2: When the cleaning mechanism (3) moves to the first stroke contact rod (41) of the walking bracket (12), the first stroke switch (310) is triggered. The first stroke switch (310) turns off the water pump (34) and stops water spraying through the water pump start / stop controller (35), and turns on the telescopic motor (38) through the telescopic motor start / stop controller (39), controlling the plastic scraper (37) in the cleaning box (36) to extend. Step 3: Activate the DC relay (53) to put the DC relay (53) into the energized state, control the cleaning mechanism (3) to move towards the second stroke contact rod (42) of the walking bracket (12), and the plastic scraper (37) scrapes and washes the surface of the first photovoltaic panel (2); Step 4: When the cleaning mechanism (3) moves to the second stroke contact rod (42) of the walking bracket (12), the second stroke switch (311) is triggered. The second stroke switch (311) turns on the water pump (34) through the water pump start-stop controller (35) to start spraying water, and turns off the telescopic motor (38) through the telescopic motor start-stop controller (39) to control the plastic scraper (37) in the cleaning box (36) to retract. Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 until the first photovoltaic panel (2) is cleaned. Then turn off the cleaning mechanism (3) and the drive mechanism (5) to complete the cleaning of the first photovoltaic panel (2).

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