Unmanned aerial vehicle for cleaning solar panel

Abstract

The invention discloses a solar panel cleaning unmanned aerial vehicle, which belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and comprises an aircraft and a connecting structure, and the connecting structure is arranged at the bottom of the aircraft; the cleaner is arranged at the bottom of the connecting mechanism, the cleaner comprises a shell fixedly connected with the connecting mechanism, a control part and a driving part electrically connected with the control part are arranged in the shell, and the driving part comprises a brush and cleaning cloth which are in transmission connection with the shell. According to the invention, cleaning work can be completed at a high place, height limitation and potential risks during manual cleaning are avoided, full-automatic operation can be realized, and the working efficiency and the cleaning quality are obviously improved. In addition, various intelligent sensors and cleaning tools can be arranged to support the use under different weather and environmental conditions, so that the consumption of water resources is greatly reduced, the risk of damage to equipment is reduced, and the power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic panel is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to a solar panel cleaning unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As the dust and stains on the surface of solar panels become increasingly serious and become a major obstacle to the development of the photovoltaic industry, the removal of dust and stains has become a hot topic in the photovoltaic industry. In order to improve the power generation efficiency of solar panels and ensure the sustainability of photovoltaic power generation, many research institutions have begun to explore effective cleaning solutions.

[0003] At present, in response to the dust accumulation problem, many research institutions at home and abroad have developed corresponding dust cleaning devices. However, these cleaning devices generally have some shortcomings, such as requiring a large amount of water resources during the cleaning process, and the cleaning equipment needs to be operated manually, which may cause damage to the photovoltaic panels during operation. At the same time, the cleaning efficiency of these cleaning devices is often not high, and the degree of intelligent development is also low, making traditional cleaning methods seem stretched.

[0004] Compared with manual cleaning, drone cleaning technology has gradually become the focus of attention due to its high efficiency and convenience. Manual cleaning is not only ineffective, but also usually takes a lot of time to complete, which limits the efficiency of photovoltaic power generation to a certain extent. More importantly, manual cleaning is not very frequent, which makes the improvement in power generation efficiency brought about by non-regular cleaning of photovoltaic panels not significant. Studies have shown that cleaning photovoltaic panels only once a year can only increase power generation efficiency by about 0.81%, while with regular cleaning, the improvement in power generation efficiency can be as high as 9.8%. If regular cleaning is done manually, the labor cost required will be very huge, and the power generation benefits brought by cleaning may not even keep up with the labor cost expenditure.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new type of drone for cleaning the surface of solar panels to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solar panel cleaning drone to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides a solar panel cleaning drone, comprising:

[0008] Aircraft,

[0009] A connecting structure, wherein the connecting structure is arranged at the bottom of the aircraft;

[0010] A cleaner is arranged at the bottom of the connecting mechanism, and the cleaner includes a shell fixedly connected to the connecting mechanism, a control unit and a driving unit electrically connected to the control unit are arranged in the shell, and the driving unit includes a brush and a cleaning cloth transmission-connected to the shell.

[0011] Preferably, the control unit includes a circuit board and a battery arranged in the shell, the circuit board is electrically connected to a drive motor, a drive wheel is provided at the bottom of the shell, and the drive motor is respectively connected to the drive wheel and the brush.

[0012] Preferably, rotating wheels are symmetrically mounted on the bottom of the shell.

[0013] Preferably, a water storage tank is provided at the bottom of the shell, and the water storage tank is connected to the cleaning cloth.

[0014] Preferably, an infrared distance sensor is also provided in the housing.

[0015] Preferably, the connection mechanism comprises a steering gear and a rotating shaft transmission-connected to the steering gear, the steering gear is fixedly connected to the aircraft, and the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the housing.

[0016] Preferably, the aircraft includes a flight control room, and a plurality of sets of blades are provided on the outside of the flight control room, and the bottoms of the blades are transmission-connected to a rotating motor.

[0017] The present invention discloses the following technical effects: the aircraft is the core power and mobile platform of the entire cleaning system, responsible for bringing the cleaner to the top of the solar panel and accurately positioning and moving it; the connecting mechanism serves as a bridge between the aircraft and the cleaner, ensuring that the two can be stably and flexibly connected together, while allowing the cleaner to make necessary adjustments during operation, such as angle change, telescoping, etc., to adapt to solar panels of different shapes and tilt angles; the cleaner is a key component that directly contacts the surface of the solar panel and performs the cleaning task. It can effectively remove pollutants such as dust, dirt and bird droppings.

[0018] The present invention can not only complete cleaning work at high altitudes, avoiding height restrictions and potential risks during manual cleaning, but also realize fully automated operation, significantly improving work efficiency and cleaning quality. In addition, it can also be equipped with various intelligent sensors and cleaning tools to support use under different weather and environmental conditions, thereby significantly reducing water consumption and reducing the risk of damage to equipment, thereby effectively improving the power generation efficiency of photovoltaic panels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings constituting a part of the present application are used to provide a further understanding of the present application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present application are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the solar panel cleaning drone of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A top view of the aircraft of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a front view of the aircraft of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the connection mechanism of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 It is a front view of the cleaning device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the cleaning device of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure: 1. Aircraft; 2. Connecting mechanism; 3. Cleaner; 4. Propeller blades; 5. Flight control room; 6. Rotating motor; 7. Servo; 8. Rotating shaft; 9. Battery; 10. Driving wheel; 11. Circuit board; 12. Driving motor; 13. Infrared distance sensor; 14. Steering wheel; 15. Brush; 16. Water tank; 17. Cleaning cloth. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In order to make the objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] Reference Figure 1-Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a solar panel cleaning drone, including

[0030] Aircraft 1,

[0031] A connection structure, wherein the connection mechanism 2 is arranged at the bottom of the aircraft 1;

[0032] The cleaner 3 is arranged at the bottom of the connecting mechanism 2. The cleaner 3 includes a shell fixedly connected to the connecting mechanism. A control unit and a driving unit electrically connected to the control unit are arranged in the shell. The driving unit includes a brush 15 and a cleaning cloth 17 which are transmission-connected to the shell.

[0033] The aircraft 1 is the core power and mobile platform of the entire cleaning system, responsible for bringing the cleaner 3 to the top of the solar panel and accurately positioning and moving it; the connecting mechanism 2 serves as a bridge between the aircraft 1 and the cleaner 3, ensuring that the two can be stably and flexibly connected together, while allowing the cleaner 3 to make necessary adjustments during the operation, such as angle change, telescoping, etc., to adapt to solar panels of different shapes and tilt angles; the cleaner 3 is a key component that directly contacts the surface of the solar panel and performs the cleaning task. It can effectively remove pollutants such as dust, dirt and bird droppings.

[0034] The flight control system of the present invention obtains the data of the Inertial Measurement Unit (ieIMU), adopts the algorithms such as noise filtering and data fusion to calculate the current attitude of the aircraft 1 in real time, and combines the given reference value of the motor speed, and uses the control algorithms such as PID to obtain the control output, so as to realize the control of the aircraft 1.

[0035] The connecting mechanism 2 of the present invention adopts an intelligent adaptive mechanism, and uses an independent IMU inertial navigation unit module to obtain the posture (pitch angle, rotation angle, and heading angle) of the cleaner 3, and combines a dedicated servo drive module to drive the high-precision servo motor of the gimbal (servo 7), and achieves attitude closed-loop control based on the PID control algorithm, realizing 3-axis speed control and 3-axis angle rotation.

[0036] According to a further optimized solution, the control unit includes a circuit board 11 and a battery 9 arranged in the shell. The circuit board 11 is electrically connected to a drive motor 12. A drive wheel 10 is provided at the bottom of the shell. The drive motor 12 is respectively connected to the drive wheel 10 and the brush 15. The circuit board 11 integrates various electronic components and circuits of the drone, such as a motor driver, a sensor interface, etc. The circuit board 11 is responsible for processing data, controlling signal transmission and power distribution to ensure the normal operation of various components of the drone. The battery 9 provides power supply for the drone and drives all electric components to work. To ensure that the drone can complete the cleaning task continuously and stably. The drive wheel 10 is used to provide support and stability when the drone lands on the surface of the solar panel, while providing forward power. The drive motor 12 is used to drive the brush 15 or cleaning cloth 17 in the cleaner 3 to rotate to enhance the cleaning effect.

[0037] To further optimize the solution, rotating wheels are symmetrically installed at the bottom of the shell. The rotating wheels provide a steering function when the drone needs to move a short distance on the ground or on the surface of the solar panel, so as to achieve flexible steering operations.

[0038] In a further optimized solution, a water storage tank 16 is provided at the bottom of the housing, and the water storage tank 16 is connected to a cleaning cloth 17. The water storage tank 16 is used to store cleaning water and provide a water source for solar panels that need wet cleaning. The cleaning cloth 17, as a part of the cleaner 3, removes stains and residues on the surface of the solar panel by wiping. The cleaning cloth 17 is made of a soft, water-absorbent material to avoid damaging the surface of the solar panel during the cleaning process.

[0039] To further optimize the solution, an infrared distance sensor 13 is also provided in the housing.

[0040] The cleaner 3 part adopts a brush-sweeping dust removal design and is equipped with two large opposing drive wheels 10. The left side is driven counterclockwise and the right side is driven clockwise by a motor to effectively remove dust and dirt. The brush 15 removes dust and dirt with a strong brush force. The bottom cleaning cloth 17 is used to remove the remaining dust on the panel to ensure thorough cleaning. The infrared distance sensor 13 is used to measure the distance between the drone and the solar panel, and the obstacle avoidance sensor is used to detect and avoid obstacles. The key technology to be protected lies in the accuracy and sensitivity of the sensor and the optimization of the obstacle avoidance algorithm to ensure that the drone can safely and accurately avoid obstacles during the cleaning process.

[0041] The circuit board 11 is the control center of the cleaner 3, integrating various electronic components and microprocessors. It receives instructions from the drone system or autonomous judgment, and then controls the rotation of the motor, the monitoring of the sensor, etc., to realize the intelligent operation of the cleaner 3. The cleaner 3 is internally integrated with a high-capacity battery 9 as the energy supply center of the entire cleaning system. A plurality of rollers are installed at the bottom of the cleaner 3, including at least one pair of steering wheels 14, for free movement on the surface of the solar panel. By controlling the rotation direction and speed of the steering wheel 14, the cleaner 3 can achieve flexible movements such as forward, backward, left and right steering to cover the entire cleaning area. The drive motor 12 is the power source for the rotation of the drive wheel 10 and the brush 15. The circuit board 11 sends an electrical signal to the motor according to the control instruction, and the drive motor 12 drives the brush 15 to rotate to remove dirt on the surface of the solar panel. The water storage tank 16 stores cleaning water, soaks the cleaning cloth 17, and removes stains and residues on the surface of the solar panel by wiping.

[0042] According to a further optimized solution, the connection mechanism 2 includes a steering gear 7 and a rotating shaft 8 which is transmission-connected to the steering gear 7; the steering gear 7 is fixedly connected to the aircraft 1, and the rotating shaft 8 is fixedly connected to the housing.

[0043] The steering gear 7 is used to control the deflection and extension of the rotating shaft 8 to adjust the inclination angle and height of the cleaner 3 and the solar panel. The rotating shaft 8 is used to control the deflection of the cleaner 3 to adjust the inclination angle of the cleaner 3 and the solar panel to ensure that the cleaner 3 is in full contact with the surface of the solar panel.

[0044] According to a further optimized solution, the aircraft 1 includes a flight control room 5 , and a plurality of groups of blades 4 are provided on the outer side of the flight control room 5 , and a rotating motor 6 is transmission-connected to the bottom of the blades 4 .

[0045] The propeller blades 4 provide lift and forward power for the drone. The high-speed rotation generates aerodynamic force, enabling the drone to take off, hover, move and complete cleaning tasks. The flight control room 5 integrates the flight control system, including navigation, positioning, attitude control and other functions. By receiving sensor data and user instructions, the flight trajectory and attitude of the drone are calculated and controlled to ensure the accuracy and safety of the cleaning operation.

[0046] The aircraft 1 uses 9 batteries to drive four motors 6 to rotate the blades 4, generating lift and thrust to achieve flight. The built-in advanced flight control system uses infrared sensors to maintain a stable attitude, and obstacle avoidance sensors to ensure safety. GPS and inertial navigation systems provide precise navigation and positioning, and wireless communication technology enables real-time data transmission with the ground control station, working together to complete the solar panel cleaning task.

[0047] In view of the problem of reduced friction of photovoltaic panels after getting wet, the wheel slip conditions of photovoltaic cleaning robots are analyzed, and a model is built under disturbance conditions. In view of the robot slip phenomenon, this paper establishes the dynamic relationship between slip rate and robot motion based on the magic tire formula:

[0048] Fyy=D·sin(C·arctan(B·XE(B·x-arctan(B·x))))+Sv(1)

[0049] Y=y+ΔS(2)

[0050] x=X+ΔSh(3)

[0051] Where: Y represents the lateral force, longitudinal force or self-aligning moment, X represents the slip angle α or slip rate S

[0052] Based on Kalman filtering and the dynamic window method, a method for online estimation of the adhesion friction coefficient is implemented. Finally, according to the planned trajectory of the cleaning robot on the photovoltaic panel, the present invention designs a trajectory tracking algorithm suitable for low friction conditions. Since it is difficult to perform accurate lateral and longitudinal force control on the photovoltaic panel, a lateral and longitudinal separation tracking control algorithm based on the kinematic model is proposed, and friction constraints are added to the kinematic model. For the case where the nonlinear constraint is unsolvable, a cascade PID control of the cleaning speed is performed in the longitudinal direction, and then the predictive control model of the lateral error is solved in the lateral space. Finally, the robot's autonomous cleaning task of full coverage of the photovoltaic panel is achieved, and the speed tracking error is kept below 5%, and the trajectory tracking error is within 0.08m.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0054] The embodiments described above are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A solar panel cleaning drone, characterized by: include Aircraft (1), A connecting structure, wherein the connecting mechanism (2) is arranged at the bottom of the aircraft (1) and is used to control the deflection of the cleaner (3); A cleaner (3), the cleaner (3) being arranged at the bottom of the connecting mechanism (2), the cleaner (3) comprising a shell fixedly connected to the connecting mechanism, the shell being provided with a control unit and a driving unit electrically connected to the control unit, the driving unit comprising a brush (15) and a cleaning cloth (17) which are transmission-connected to the shell.

2. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit comprises a circuit board (11) and a battery (9) arranged in the housing; the circuit board (11) is electrically connected to a drive motor (12); a drive wheel (10) is provided at the bottom of the housing; and the drive motor (12) is respectively connected in transmission to the drive wheel (10) and the brush (15).

3. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the shell is symmetrically equipped with rotating wheels.

4. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water storage tank (16) is provided at the bottom of the shell, and the water storage tank (16) is in communication with the cleaning cloth (17).

5. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: An infrared distance sensor (13) is also arranged in the housing.

6. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting mechanism (2) comprises a steering gear (7) and a rotating shaft (8) drivingly connected to the steering gear (7); the steering gear (7) is fixedly connected to the aircraft (1); and the rotating shaft (8) is fixedly connected to the housing.

7. The solar panel cleaning drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aircraft (1) comprises a flight control room (5), a plurality of groups of blades (4) are arranged on the outside of the flight control room (5), and the bottoms of the blades (4) are transmission-connected to a rotating motor (6).

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