Method for cleaning accumulated snow on surface of photovoltaic panel

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning accumulated snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel. Due to snowing in winter in northern China, the outdoor temperature is low, and accumulated snow on a photovoltaic panel is difficult to clean, so that unmanned mechanical equipment capable of cleaning the accumulated snow on the photovoltaic panel in winter is needed. Therefore, the invention provides a cleaning method for accumulated snow in winter, namely double-branch-fork combined unmanned mechanical equipment, one branch fork is used for pushing the accumulated snow, and the other branch fork is used for blowing hot air. The cleaning device of the double-branch-fork structure is fixed to an unmanned aerial vehicle carrier capable of walking autonomously through a mechanical arm, and the structure can be adjusted to be at a forward inclination angle and suspended on a photovoltaic panel in parallel through the binary mechanical arm. As the ground carrier moves forwards along the photovoltaic panel support, the structure can move forwards horizontally on the photovoltaic panel, and the front branch fork snow shoveling plate can push accumulated snow down from the photovoltaic panel. The rear branch fork is provided with the two pipes with the spaced holes, hot air can be blown out, and then residual snow or dust and the like on the plate can be blown off. The forward-inclined cleaning mode can facilitate sliding of accumulated snow on the panel, and the effect of removing the accumulated snow is improved. The cleaning device with the double-branch-fork structure can be flexibly assembled, disassembled and assembled, the front branch fork can be additionally provided with a spraying device and can spray cleaning liquid, and the pipe of the rear branch fork can also blow normal-temperature air, so that the photovoltaic panel can be cleaned in a non-winter period, and the cleaning efficiency is improved. In general, the double-branch-fork combined unmanned cleaning mechanical equipment for the photovoltaic panel can be applied to wider application scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the supporting technical field of the photovoltaic industry, and specifically relates to a device and method that can be used for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel. Background Art

[0002] Photovoltaic industry is one of the emerging strategic industries that my country is currently vigorously supporting. The market demand is growing. my country has a vast territory, and there are new photovoltaic bases from south to north and from east to west. Due to the snow in the north in winter and the low outdoor temperature, snow is easy to accumulate on the photovoltaic panels. It is difficult to remove the snow in a short time, and once the photovoltaic panels are covered with snow, they cannot generate electricity. In addition, the uneven residual snow stains and ice on the photovoltaic panels will not only affect the power generation efficiency, but also the life of the photovoltaic panels. Therefore, an effective method for cleaning snow on photovoltaic panels in winter is needed.

[0003] At present, there are several methods for cleaning snow from photovoltaic panels on the market: (i) Mechanical snow removal. Mechanical snow removal is one of the common methods for cleaning snow from photovoltaic panels. Generally, special mechanical equipment, such as snowplows and brushes, is used to remove snow from photovoltaic panels. This method is suitable for removing snow from photovoltaic panels with a larger area and has a higher efficiency, but it may cause certain damage to the photovoltaic panels. Therefore, when using mechanical snow removal, special attention should be paid to mastering the strength and angle to avoid unnecessary damage to the photovoltaic panels; sometimes the cleaning is not thorough and needs to be done manually again. (ii) Hot air snow removal. Hot air snow removal is a relatively gentle method for cleaning snow from photovoltaic panels. The snow is melted and blown away by heating. This method will not damage the photovoltaic panels, but it requires a certain amount of energy and generally requires manual assistance. (iii) Manual snow removal. Manual snow removal is a simple and effective method for cleaning snow from photovoltaic panels. Personnel can use tools such as brooms and shovels to remove snow from photovoltaic panels. This method is suitable for snow removal of photovoltaic panels in a small area, but it is not suitable for remote large bases. The workload and labor cost are too large and time-consuming. (IV) Snow removal by cleaning robots. Snow removal by cleaning robots is an emerging method for cleaning snow on photovoltaic panels. Through intelligent control systems, waterless dry, automatic timed cleaning methods, cloud background control, and unattended working mode, it can reduce the impact of snow and dust on photovoltaic panels on power efficiency. Although this method does not require manpower, the initial investment cost is large and the cleaning efficiency needs to be improved. (V) Natural melting. Although this method does not require any equipment and manpower, it requires a long waiting time, and the snow melting state is uneven. After the snow melts, there will be stains, which affects the power generation efficiency. In general, the above methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and more comprehensive and efficient cleaning methods need to be further developed.

[0004] To this end, we have developed a method for cleaning snow on the surface of photovoltaic panels, which mainly includes unmanned cleaning mechanical equipment and corresponding cleaning methods, in which a double-branched fork is combined with an unmanned mechanical equipment, one fork pushes the snow, and the other fork blows hot air. This double-branched fork structure cleaning device is fixed on an autonomous unmanned vehicle through a mechanical arm. The double-branched, binary mechanical arm can adjust the height and angle of the cleaning device according to actual conditions to ensure that the structure is suspended in parallel on the photovoltaic panel in a forward tilted manner, and moves horizontally on the photovoltaic panel with the ground vehicle. The front fork snow shovel can push the snow off the photovoltaic panel; the rear fork is installed with one or two closed end empty pipes with alternately distributed holes, which can blow out hot air, which can blow off the residual snow or dust on the board, thereby improving the effect of clearing snow. Summary of the invention

[0005] The double-branched fork is a combination of unmanned mechanical equipment, one fork pushes the snow, and the other fork blows hot air. This double-branched fork cleaning device is fixed on an autonomous unmanned vehicle through a mechanical arm, and the angle range of the double fork is between 0-30 degrees; the cleaning device can be adjusted to a forward tilt angle and suspended parallel to the photovoltaic panel through a binary mechanical arm. There are two small support wheels at the bottom of the cleaning device, and the binary mechanical arm can adjust the height and angle according to actual conditions. As the ground vehicle moves forward along the photovoltaic panel bracket, the double-branched fork cleaning device can move horizontally on the photovoltaic panel, and the front fork snow shovel can push the snow off the photovoltaic panel; the rear fork is installed with one or two tubes with alternately distributed holes, the hole spacing is 2-10 cm, and the hole diameter is slightly smaller than the tube diameter, which can blow out hot air, which can blow off the residual snow or dust on the board, thereby improving the effect of clearing snow. The cleaning structure of this double-branch fork structure can be flexibly loaded and unloaded or assembled. The front fork can be equipped with a spray device to spray cleaning fluid, and the rear fork pipe can also blow normal temperature air, which is convenient for use in non-winter periods.

[0006] 2. The design of the double-branch fork structure solves the problem of the incompatibility of snow shoveling and cleaning the panel. Generally, mechanical snow shoveling can easily push thick snow, but it is difficult to push thin and small snow, mainly because it is afraid of damaging the panel glass; while blowing hot air is slow and energy-consuming for thick snow, but it is easy to push thin and small snow, and it can quickly blow the melted snow water away from the photovoltaic panel, and has a certain cleaning effect. The two forks should have a certain distance to make the two functions more coordinated.

[0007] 3. The forward-leaning parallel suspension posture design of the cleaning device can improve the snow removal efficiency with the help of photovoltaic slopes and gravity, saving energy compared to vertical snow pushing. The suspension is to achieve "zero" pressure and "close" contact, which can reduce the wear of the cleaning device on the photovoltaic panel glass surface when crawling on the panel, while improving the snow removal and cleaning efficiency of hot air, avoiding direct contact. Uneven heat and cold may cause the photovoltaic modules to break.

[0008] 4. There are two small supporting wheels at the bottom of the cleaning device to prevent the double-fork cleaning device from maintaining parallel movement in case it touches the panel. The diameter of the small wheel should be smaller than the design lower limit of the suspension height.

[0009] 5. The binary robotic arm is designed to be able to autonomously adjust the height and angle of the cleaning device according to the location and terrain of the photovoltaic panel, ensuring that it is suspended parallel to the photovoltaic panel in a large forward-leaning posture.

[0010] 6. The design of two empty tubes with alternately distributed holes is to make the blown gas layered and uniform, and improve the cleaning efficiency. The blown gas is provided by the ground vehicle, and the outlet temperature does not exceed 50 degrees to avoid overheating and melt snow.

[0011] 7. The cleaning structure is designed to be flexibly loaded and unloaded or assembled. It can be rotated 180 degrees as needed, so that the front fork blows hot air and the rear fork shovels snow or ice. A spray device can be installed on the front fork to spray cleaning fluid, and the rear fork can also blow normal temperature air in the tube, which is convenient for use in non-winter period. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Example 1: Connect the double fork cleaning device to the pipeline of the unmanned vehicle on the ground, adjust the double fork cleaning device to a forward tilt angle of 70 degrees through the binary robot arm on the vehicle, set the suspension height to 3 cm, and place it at one end of the photovoltaic panel; there is a snow pusher under the front fork, and an air blower on the rear fork, with a flat port installed every 3 cm, and the outlet temperature is 45 degrees. Set the vehicle moving speed according to the thickness of the snow, an average of 3 meters per minute, and the cleaning device uses a parallel movement method, starting from one end of the photovoltaic panel to remove snow and clean, and then changing to the next photovoltaic panel for cleaning after reaching the other end.

[0013] Example 2: Connect the double-branch cleaning device to the pipeline of the unmanned vehicle on the ground, and adjust the double-branch cleaning device to a forward tilt angle of 55 degrees through the binary robot arm on the vehicle, set the suspension height to 2.5 cm, and place it at one end of the photovoltaic panel; there is a snow pusher under the front fork, and there are two air blowing pipes on the rear fork, with a flat port installed 5 cm apart, and the blowing ports of the two air blowing pipes are arranged in parallel and staggered, with an outlet temperature of 40 degrees. Set the vehicle moving speed according to the thickness of the snow, an average of 5 meters per minute, and the cleaning device uses a parallel moving method to start snow removal and cleaning from one end of the photovoltaic panel, and then change to the next photovoltaic panel for cleaning after reaching the other end.

[0014] Example 3: In the season without snow, connect the double-branch cleaning device and the ground unmanned vehicle pipeline, adjust the double-branch cleaning device to a forward tilt angle of 45 degrees through the binary robotic arm on the vehicle, set the suspension height to 4 cm, and place it at one end of the photovoltaic panel; install a spray device on the front fork to spray cleaning fluid, and blow normal temperature air in the pipe of the rear fork. After cleaning the unmanned mechanical equipment, follow with an auxiliary unmanned movable vehicle equipped with a cleaning fluid tank to provide cleaning fluid for the cleaning device, connect the delivery pipelines between the vehicles, set an average moving speed of 6 meters per minute, and the cleaning device uses a parallel movement method to clean the stains and dust on the surface of the photovoltaic panel starting from one end of the photovoltaic panel, and then switch to the next photovoltaic panel for cleaning after reaching the other end.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel, mainly comprising an unmanned cleaning mechanical device and a cleaning method: a double-branched fork combined unmanned mechanical device, one fork pushes the snow, and the other fork blows hot air. This double-branched fork structure cleaning device is fixed on an autonomous unmanned vehicle through a mechanical arm, and the angle range of the double fork is between 0-30 degrees; the cleaning device can be adjusted to a forward tilt angle and suspended parallel to the photovoltaic panel through a binary mechanical arm, and there are two small support wheels at the bottom of the cleaning device, and the binary mechanical arm can adjust the height and angle according to actual conditions. As the ground vehicle moves forward along the photovoltaic panel support, the double-branched fork structure cleaning device can move horizontally on the photovoltaic panel, wherein the front fork snow shovel can push the snow off the photovoltaic panel; one or two tubes with alternately distributed holes are installed on the rear fork, the hole spacing is 2-10 cm, and the hole diameter is slightly smaller than the tube diameter, and hot air can be blown out to blow off the residual snow or dust on the board, thereby improving the effect of clearing snow. The cleaning structure of this double-branch fork structure can be flexibly loaded and unloaded or assembled. The front fork can be equipped with a spray device to spray cleaning fluid, and the rear fork pipe can also blow normal temperature air, which is convenient for use in non-winter periods.

2. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that The double-fork combination unmanned mechanical equipment has a double-fork structure with an angle range of 0-30 degrees and a spacing of more than 5 cm between the double forks. The length of the forks is longer than the width of the photovoltaic panel, and the width of the two forks is similar to the width of the installation accessories.

3. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that The binary robotic arm connected to the double-branch cleaning device is adjustable in height and horizontal direction, and in the angle range of 25 degrees to 85 degrees. The cleaning device can be suspended parallel to the photovoltaic panel in a forward-leaning manner, with a suspension height between 1 cm and 8 cm.

4. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that In the double-branch cleaning device, one of the branches is equipped with a snow shovel at the bottom, which is the same length as the branch; the other branch is installed with one or two closed empty tubes with alternating holes in between, the spacing between the air outlet holes is 2-10 cm, and the air inlet is located in the center; the gas blown in the tube is provided by a ground vehicle, and the gas flow rate is adjustable, and the outlet temperature does not exceed 50 degrees.

5. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that The cleaning structure can be flexibly installed and removed, and can be rotated 180 degrees to blow hot air at the front fork and shovel snow or ice at the rear fork.

6. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that A double-branch fork cleaning device can be assembled, and a spray device can be added to the front fork to spray cleaning liquid, and normal temperature air can also be blown into the tube of the rear fork, which is convenient for use in non-winter periods.

7. A method for cleaning snow on the surface of a photovoltaic panel according to claim 1, characterized in that There are two small support wheels at the bottom of the double-branch cleaning device, with a size of 1-5 cm, which are used to prevent the double-branch cleaning device from maintaining parallel movement in case it contacts the photovoltaic panel.