A photovoltaic inspection robot equipped with a cleaning robotic arm

Abstract

This invention discloses a photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning manipulator, comprising a vehicle body, a lifting platform within the vehicle body, a rotating platform within the lifting platform, a rotating arm within the rotating platform, and a sliding arm slidably disposed within the rotating arm; a rotating shaft rotatably disposed below the rotating arm, and an extension shaft slidably disposed within the rotating shaft, one end of the extension shaft being rotatably connected to the end of the sliding arm; multiple brush strips are distributed around the rotating shaft and the extension shaft; a drive motor is connected to the end of the rotating shaft near the vehicle body; compared with the prior art, this invention achieves high efficiency, intelligence, and low maintenance in photovoltaic panel cleaning through mechanical cleaning-movement coordinated control and pressure regulation technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleaning robotic arms, specifically a photovoltaic inspection robot equipped with a cleaning robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] The efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems is highly dependent on the light transmittance of the module surface. Studies have shown that when pollutants such as dust, bird droppings, and snow cover the surface of PV panels, it can lead to a decrease in power generation efficiency and, in severe cases, even cause localized hot spot effects, accelerating module aging. In areas prone to sandstorms, cleaning needs can reach 2-3 times per month, with manual cleaning costs accounting for more than 40% of total operation and maintenance expenses. Therefore, developing automated and intelligent inspection and cleaning equipment has become a core requirement for reducing costs and increasing efficiency in PV power plants.

[0003] In the existing technology, there are fixed cleaning robots that lay guide rails at the edge of the photovoltaic array and move back and forth along the guide rails to clean the surface by rotating bristles. However, they cannot be adapted to photovoltaic panels of different specifications and cannot autonomously cross different photovoltaic panels, so they cannot achieve the effect of inspection and cleaning.

[0004] Existing technologies also include vehicle-mounted robotic arm cleaning devices, which are mounted on a moving vehicle and have cleaning brushes installed at the end of the robotic arm. The cleaning angle is adjusted through multi-degree-of-freedom joints. However, the robotic arm is entirely dependent on the vehicle chassis for support. During cleaning, the robotic arm extends to form a cantilever beam structure, causing the bending moment to increase exponentially with the extension length. This makes it difficult to adapt to wider photovoltaic panels and can also easily cause uneven stress on the surface of the photovoltaic panels, increasing the risk of microcracks. Vibrations from vehicle movement are directly transmitted to the robotic arm, exacerbating structural vibrations and causing errors in the cleaning trajectory.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm, comprising a vehicle body, a lifting platform disposed in the vehicle body, a rotating platform disposed in the lifting platform, a rotating arm disposed in the rotating platform, and a sliding arm slidably disposed within the rotating arm;

[0007] A rotating shaft is rotatably disposed below the rotating arm, and an extension shaft is slidably disposed inside the rotating shaft. One end of the extension shaft is rotatably connected to the end of the sliding arm.

[0008] Multiple brush strips are distributed around the rotating shaft and the extension shaft;

[0009] The drive motor is connected to the end of the rotating shaft closest to the vehicle body.

[0010] Furthermore, turntables are fixed at both ends of the rotating shaft, and a turntable is also fixed at the end of the extension shaft. Each turntable has multiple sliding rods that are radially slidable and distributed around its circumference.

[0011] Furthermore, brush strips are provided between the two slide rods in the same radial direction on the two turntables at both ends of the rotating shaft;

[0012] A brush strip is also provided between two slide rods in the same radial direction on the turntable at the end of the extension shaft and the turntable near the extension shaft, and the brush strip is slidably connected to the slide rod of the turntable near the extension shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the slide rods is hinged to a connecting rod, and each connecting rod corresponding to the same turntable is hinged to the same slip ring coaxial with the turntable.

[0014] Furthermore, a pull ring is slidably provided at one end of the rotating shaft near the vehicle body. Multiple pull rods parallel to the rotating shaft are fixed in the pull ring. The pull rods slidably pass through each turntable and are fixedly connected to each slip ring.

[0015] Furthermore, a guide ring is coaxially rotatably provided in the pull ring, and a telescopic cylinder is provided in the rotating arm, with the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder connected to the guide ring.

[0016] Furthermore, a bracket is fixed to the end of the sliding arm, and a horizontal pulley coaxial with the rotating shaft is rotatably arranged in the bracket. A vertical pulley perpendicular to the horizontal pulley is also provided on one side of the bracket, and the height of the vertical pulley is lower than that of the horizontal pulley.

[0017] Furthermore, the bracket is rotatably equipped with a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear coaxial with the extension shaft, and a transmission bevel gear is provided between the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear. The extension shaft rotatably passes through the cross pulley and the second bevel gear. The first bevel gear is fixedly connected to the extension shaft, and the second bevel gear is fixedly connected to the cross pulley.

[0018] Furthermore, the transmission bevel gear is coaxially fixed with a first spur gear, and a second spur gear is attached below the first spur gear. The second spur gear is fixedly connected to the vertical pulley.

[0019] Furthermore, a groove is provided at the end of the slide rod, the brush strip is slidably disposed in the groove along the radial direction, and a spring that fits against the brush strip is provided in the groove.

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

[0021] In this invention, the drive motor drives the brush strip and the transverse pulley to rotate in opposite directions via a bevel gear set. The linear velocity of the brush strip and the lateral movement speed of the vehicle body are superimposed to form a sliding friction effect, which significantly improves the cleaning power for stubborn stains. The radial extension and retraction of the slide rod is controlled by a telescopic cylinder, and combined with the elastic buffer of the spring, the brush strip can automatically adjust the clamping force according to the adhesion strength of the stains. This not only efficiently cleans heavily soiled areas but also avoids excessive pressure that could cause microcracks in the components.

[0022] In this invention, the alternating contact between the vertical and horizontal pulleys triggers automatic switching of the cleaning mode. The vehicle body can seamlessly connect between longitudinal positioning and lateral cleaning, covering the entire photovoltaic panel in a single operation. During longitudinal positioning and lateral cleaning, the vehicle body and pulleys share the weight of the rotating arm and sliding arm, dispersing stress concentration and preventing the photovoltaic panel from being damaged due to local pressure. It also prevents the bending moment of the rotating arm from increasing due to the extension of the sliding arm, thus improving stability.

[0023] In this invention, the brush strips are quickly inserted into the slide bar via a groove, supporting single-strip replacement and reducing maintenance costs. The spring's preload adjustment function compensates for brush bristle wear, extending service life. A single drive motor synchronously drives the cleaning and travel functions via a bevel gear set and a spur gear set, reducing the need for independent motor configurations and lowering the bending moment of the rotating arm. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a photovoltaic inspection robot equipped with a cleaning robotic arm;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram showing the positions of the rotating arm and the sliding arm;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure at the front end of the shaft;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure at the front end of the shaft;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram showing the location of the support structure;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the vertical pulley moving longitudinally on the photovoltaic panel;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the horizontal movement of the pulley on the photovoltaic panel.

[0031] In the diagram: 1. Vehicle body; 2. Lifting platform; 3. Rotating platform; 4. Rotating arm; 5. Sliding arm; 51. Bracket; 52. First bevel gear; 53. Second bevel gear; 54. Transmission bevel gear; 55. First spur gear; 56. Second spur gear; 6. Rotating shaft; 61. Extension shaft; 7. Brush bar; 8. Drive motor; 9. Turntable; 91. Slide rod; 92. Connecting rod; 93. Slip ring; 94. Pull ring; 95. Pull rod; 96. Guide ring; 97. Slide groove; 98. Spring; 10. Vertical pulley; 11. Horizontal pulley; 12. Telescopic cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Please see Figures 1-7 In this embodiment of the invention, a photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm includes a vehicle body 1, a lifting platform 2 is provided in the vehicle body 1, a rotating platform 3 is provided in the lifting platform 2, a rotating arm 4 is provided in the rotating platform 3, and a sliding arm 5 is slidably provided in the rotating arm 4.

[0033] A rotating shaft 6 is rotatably disposed below the rotating arm 4, and an extension shaft 61 is slidably disposed inside the rotating shaft 6. One end of the extension shaft 61 is rotatably connected to the end of the sliding arm 5.

[0034] Multiple brush strips 7 are distributed around the rotating shaft 6 and the extension shaft 61;

[0035] The drive motor 8 is connected to one end of the rotating shaft 6 near the vehicle body 1.

[0036] The sliding arm 5 can adjust the combined length of the rotating shaft 6 and the extension shaft 61, so that the brush strip 7 covers the lateral width of the photovoltaic panel. The rotation of the rotating shaft 6 drives the brush strip 7 to rotate circumferentially. When the vehicle body 1 moves longitudinally along the photovoltaic panel, the brush strip 7 cleans the surface of the photovoltaic panel.

[0037] In this embodiment, the extension shaft 61 and the rotating shaft 6 are fitted together by a keyway structure to restrict the circumferential rotation of the extension shaft 61.

[0038] In this embodiment, turntables 9 are fixed at both ends of the rotating shaft 6, and turntables 9 are also fixed at the end of the extension shaft 61. Each turntable 9 has multiple sliding rods 91 that are radially slidable distributed around its circumference.

[0039] In this embodiment, a brush strip 7 is provided between two slide rods 91 in the same radial direction in the two turntables 9 at both ends of the rotating shaft 6;

[0040] A brush strip 7 is also provided between the turntable 9 at the end of the extension shaft 61 and the two slide rods 91 in the same radial direction of the turntable 9 near the extension shaft 61 of the rotating shaft 6, and the brush strip 7 is slidably connected to the slide rod 91 of the turntable 9 near the extension shaft 61 of the rotating shaft 6.

[0041] In other words, the brush strip 7 connected in the extension shaft 61 can change the length of overlap with other brush strips 7 as the extension shaft 61 slides, thereby changing the total length of the brush strip 7.

[0042] In this embodiment, each slide rod 91 is hinged with a connecting rod 92, and each connecting rod 92 corresponding to the same turntable 9 is hinged to the same slip ring 93 coaxial with the turntable 9.

[0043] In this embodiment, a pull ring 94 is slidably provided at one end of the rotating shaft 6 near the vehicle body 1. Multiple pull rods 95 parallel to the rotating shaft 6 are fixed in the pull ring 94. The pull rods 95 slidably pass through each turntable 9 and are fixedly connected to each slip ring 93.

[0044] In this embodiment, a guide ring 96 is coaxially rotatably disposed in the pull ring 94, and a telescopic cylinder 12 is disposed in the rotating arm 4, with the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder 12 connected to the guide ring 96.

[0045] In other words, the guide ring 96 driven by the telescopic cylinder 12 can drive the pull ring 94 to slide, thereby changing the axial position of each slip ring 93, thereby changing the distance between each slip ring 93 and the corresponding turntable 9, so that the connecting rod 92 pushes the slide rod 91 to slide radially, thereby changing the expansion range of the brush strip 7.

[0046] In this embodiment, a bracket 51 is fixed at the end of the sliding arm 5. A horizontal pulley 11 coaxial with the rotating shaft 6 is rotatably arranged in the bracket 51. A vertical pulley 10 perpendicular to the horizontal pulley 11 is also arranged on one side of the bracket 51, and the height of the vertical pulley 10 is lower than that of the horizontal pulley 11.

[0047] By moving the vertical pulley 10 longitudinally on the photovoltaic panel, the sliding arm 5 can be extended and retracted, thereby extending the sliding arm 5 to the top of the photovoltaic panel. When the sliding arm 5 passes the top of the photovoltaic panel, the horizontal pulley 11 is in contact with the upper edge of the photovoltaic panel. At this time, the horizontal pulley 11 and the vehicle body 1 jointly bear the rotating arm 4 and the sliding arm 5, and can move laterally on the photovoltaic panel to clean the photovoltaic panel.

[0048] Furthermore, when the vertical pulley 10 moves longitudinally on the photovoltaic panel, the telescopic cylinder 12 drives the brush strip 7 to retract, so that the brush strip 7 does not contact the photovoltaic panel; while when the horizontal pulley 11 moves laterally on the photovoltaic panel, the telescopic cylinder 12 drives the brush strip 7 to expand, at which time the brush strip 7 is in contact with the photovoltaic panel, so that the brush strip 7 can clean the photovoltaic panel when it rotates circumferentially.

[0049] In this embodiment, the bracket 51 is rotatably provided with a first bevel gear 52 and a second bevel gear 53 coaxial with the extension shaft 61. A transmission bevel gear 54 is provided between the first bevel gear 52 and the second bevel gear 53. The extension shaft 61 rotatably passes through the horizontal pulley 11 and the second bevel gear 53. The first bevel gear 52 is fixedly connected to the extension shaft 61, and the second bevel gear 53 is fixedly connected to the horizontal pulley 11.

[0050] In other words, when the extension shaft 61 rotates, the transmission bevel gear 54 causes the horizontal pulley 11 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the drive motor 8 can simultaneously drive the rotating shaft 6 and the horizontal pulley 11 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the rotation direction of the brush strip 7 is opposite to the travel direction of the horizontal pulley 11, and the brush strip 7 slides and rubs against the photovoltaic panel when it is rolling and brushing the photovoltaic panel, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0051] In this embodiment, the transmission bevel gear 54 is coaxially fixed with a first spur gear 55, and a second spur gear 56 is attached below the first spur gear 55. The second spur gear 56 is fixedly connected to the vertical pulley 10.

[0052] In other words, when the drive motor 8 drives the rotating shaft 6 to rotate, it can also drive the vertical pulley 10 to rotate, so as to drive the vertical pulley 10 to move longitudinally on the photovoltaic panel.

[0053] In this embodiment, a groove 97 is provided at the end of the slide rod 91, the brush strip 7 is slidably disposed in the groove 97 in the radial direction, and a spring 98 that fits against the brush strip 7 is provided in the groove 97.

[0054] In other words, by adjusting the expansion range of the brush bar 7, the brush bar 7 can contact the photovoltaic panel with different pressures under the action of the spring 98, so that the brush bar 7 can adjust the pressure on the photovoltaic panel according to the degree of dirtiness of the photovoltaic panel.

[0055] In practice, the robot is placed at the starting position of the photovoltaic panel array. The height of the rotating arm 4 is adjusted by the lifting platform 2 so that the vertical pulley 10 contacts the surface of the photovoltaic panel. The angle of the rotating arm 4 is adjusted by the rotating platform 3 to ensure that the vertical pulley 10 is aligned with the longitudinal edge of the photovoltaic panel.

[0056] When the drive motor 8 is turned on, the power is transmitted to the second spur gear 56 through the rotating shaft 6, which drives the vertical pulley 10 to roll longitudinally along the photovoltaic panel. The telescopic cylinder 12 drives the pull ring 94 to move the slip ring 93 away from the turntable 9. The connecting rod 92 drives the slide rod 91 to retract radially, and the brush strip 7 is separated from the surface of the photovoltaic panel.

[0057] The vertical pulley 10 rolls and drives the sliding arm 5 to slide outward. The extension shaft 61 extends synchronously from the rotating shaft 6 until the vertical pulley 10 passes the upper edge of the photovoltaic panel and falls, and the horizontal pulley 11 contacts the upper edge of the photovoltaic panel.

[0058] The telescopic cylinder 12 pushes the slip ring 93 closer to the turntable 9, the connecting rod 92 pushes the slide bar 91 to expand radially, and the brush bar 7 presses against the photovoltaic panel surface under the action of the spring 98. When the dirt is serious, the expansion range of the slide bar 91 can be increased, and the compression of the spring 98 can be increased to increase the pressure of the brush bar 7.

[0059] The vehicle body 1 moves horizontally and at a constant speed along the photovoltaic panel. The drive motor 8 continues to drive, causing the horizontal pulley 11 to move synchronously with the vehicle body 1. The rotating shaft 6 and the extension shaft 61 drive multiple sets of brush strips 7 to rotate circumferentially. Under the action of the transmission bevel gear 54, the rotation direction of the brush strips 7 is opposite to the direction of travel of the horizontal pulley 11, forming sliding friction and effectively removing stubborn stains.

[0060] When the vehicle body 1 moves to the other edge of the photovoltaic panel, the vehicle body 1 moves away from the photovoltaic panel, causing the vertical pulley 10 to re-contact the surface, the telescopic cylinder 12 retracts, the brush strip 7 retracts and detaches from the photovoltaic panel, and the sliding arm 5 retracts by driving the vertical pulley 10 to move closer to the vehicle body 1.

[0061] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic inspection robot equipped with a cleaning robotic arm, characterized in that, Includes a vehicle body (1), wherein a lifting platform (2) is provided in the vehicle body (1), a rotating platform (3) is provided in the lifting platform (2), a rotating arm (4) is provided in the rotating platform (3), and a sliding arm (5) is slidably provided in the rotating arm (4); A rotating shaft (6) is rotatably disposed below the rotating arm (4), and an extension shaft (61) is slidably disposed inside the rotating shaft (6). One end of the extension shaft (61) is rotatably connected to the end of the sliding arm (5). Multiple brush strips (7) are distributed around the rotating shaft (6) and the extension shaft (61); The drive motor (8) is connected to one end of the rotating shaft (6) near the vehicle body (1); The sliding arm (5) is fixed with a bracket (51) at its end. A horizontal pulley (11) coaxial with the rotating shaft (6) is rotatably arranged in the bracket (51). A vertical pulley (10) perpendicular to the horizontal pulley (11) is also arranged on one side of the bracket (51), and the height of the vertical pulley (10) is lower than that of the horizontal pulley (11). The bracket (51) is rotatably provided with a first bevel gear (52) and a second bevel gear (53) coaxial with the extension shaft (61). A transmission bevel gear (54) is provided between the first bevel gear (52) and the second bevel gear (53). The extension shaft (61) rotatably passes through the cross pulley (11) and the second bevel gear (53). The first bevel gear (52) is fixedly connected to the extension shaft (61), and the second bevel gear (53) is fixedly connected to the cross pulley (11). The transmission bevel gear (54) is coaxially fixed with a first spur gear (55), and a second spur gear (56) is attached below the first spur gear (55). The second spur gear (56) is fixedly connected to the vertical pulley (10).

2. The photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two ends of the rotating shaft (6) are fixed with turntables (9), and the end of the extension shaft (61) is also fixed with turntables (9). Each turntable (9) has multiple sliding rods (91) arranged radially in a circular pattern.

3. A photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, A brush strip (7) is provided between two slide rods (91) in the same radial direction in the two turntables (9) at both ends of the rotating shaft (6); A brush strip (7) is also provided between the turntable (9) at the end of the extension shaft (61) and the two slide rods (91) in the same radial direction of the turntable (9) near the extension shaft (61) of the rotating shaft (6), and the brush strip (7) is slidably connected to the slide rod (91) of the turntable (9) near the extension shaft (61) of the rotating shaft (6).

4. A photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the slide rods (91) is hinged to a connecting rod (92), and each connecting rod (92) corresponding to the same turntable (9) is hinged to the same slip ring (93) coaxial with the turntable (9).

5. A photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, A pull ring (94) is slidably provided at one end of the rotating shaft (6) near the vehicle body (1). Multiple pull rods (95) parallel to the rotating shaft (6) are fixed in the pull ring (94). The pull rods (95) slidably pass through each turntable (9) and are fixedly connected to each slip ring (93).

6. A photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pull ring (94) is coaxially rotatably provided with a guide ring (96), and the rotating arm (4) is provided with a telescopic cylinder (12), the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder (12) being connected to the guide ring (96).

7. A photovoltaic inspection robot with a cleaning robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The slide bar (91) has a groove (97) at its end. The brush bar (7) is slidably disposed in the groove (97) in the radial direction. A spring (98) is disposed in the groove (97) to fit against the brush bar (7).

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