Photovoltaic panel sweeping vehicle, photovoltaic panel sweeping system and photovoltaic panel sweeping system control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a photovoltaic panel sweeping vehicle, a photovoltaic panel sweeping system and a photovoltaic panel sweeping system control method, and belongs to the technical field of automatic cleaning. The photovoltaic panel sweeping vehicle comprises a vehicle body; the cleaning device is connected to the vehicle body; the positioning module is arranged on the vehicle body and used for collecting position information of the vehicle body; the ultrasonic radar sensor is arranged on the peripheral side of the vehicle body and used for monitoring the vertical distance between the vehicle body and the to-be-cleaned photovoltaic panel; the control module is electrically connected with the positioning module and the ultrasonic radar sensor, and the control module is at least constructed to generate a virtual operation boundary according to the position information collected by the positioning module and control the vehicle body to run along a preset operation route in the virtual operation boundary. And when the ultrasonic radar sensor monitors that the vertical distance between the ultrasonic radar sensor and the to-be-cleaned photovoltaic panel is larger than a preset value, the vehicle body is controlled to stop. The unmanned operation degree of photovoltaic panel cleaning is improved, the labor cost and the operation and maintenance cost are reduced, and the cleaning efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated cleaning technology, and in particular to a photovoltaic panel sweeper, a photovoltaic panel sweeping system, and a control method for the photovoltaic panel sweeping system. Background Technology

[0002] For photovoltaic (PV) panels used in solar power generation, long-term exposure to the elements means that dust, bird droppings, snow, and other contaminants can severely impact the power generation efficiency of the system. Therefore, regular cleaning is a crucial aspect of PV panel maintenance. While some PV panel cleaning robots have been developed to address the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of manual cleaning, they still require remote control and are essentially manual operations, not fully automated, thus requiring further efficiency improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the low degree of automation of photovoltaic panel cleaning robots in the prior art, and to provide a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, a photovoltaic panel cleaning system and a control method for the photovoltaic panel cleaning system.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution: A photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle comprising: Vehicle body; A sweeping device, the sweeping device being connected to the vehicle body; A positioning module is installed on the vehicle body and is used to collect the position information of the vehicle body; An ultrasonic radar sensor is disposed on the periphery of the vehicle body and is used to monitor the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned. A control module is electrically connected to the positioning module and the ultrasonic radar sensor. The control module is configured to generate a virtual work boundary based on the location information collected by the positioning module, control the vehicle to travel along a preset work route within the virtual work boundary, and control the vehicle to stop when the ultrasonic radar sensor detects that the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined value.

[0005] Preferably, there are multiple ultrasonic radar sensors, and the ultrasonic radar sensors are arranged at least at the four corners of the vehicle body.

[0006] Preferably, the control module is electrically connected to the cleaning device, and the control module is also configured to control the start and stop of the cleaning device.

[0007] Preferably, along the direction of movement of the vehicle body, the sweeping device is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body; and / or, The cleaning device is detachably connected to the vehicle body.

[0008] A photovoltaic panel cleaning system, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system including the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle as described above.

[0009] Preferably, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote control; The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a remote control receiver, which is electrically connected to the control module. The remote control receiver is used to receive control signals from the remote control and transmit them to the control module. The remote controller is at least used to send a walking signal to the remote controller receiver to control the vehicle body to move when it is operated, and the positioning module is at least used to collect the position information of the vehicle body when the remote controller controls the vehicle body to move.

[0010] Preferably, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote terminal; The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a communication module, which is electrically connected to the control module and the remote terminal respectively. The communication module is used to transmit control commands from the remote terminal to the control module and / or transmit the control status of the control module to the remote terminal.

[0011] Preferably, the communication module includes a local module and a cloud server; The local module is installed on the vehicle body, and the cloud server is electrically connected to both the local module and the remote terminal.

[0012] Preferably, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system further includes a charging pile, which is disposed around the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned; The photovoltaic panel sweeper also includes a charging module, which is electrically connected to the control module. The control module is also configured to control the vehicle to return to the charging pile and connect the charging module to the charging pile after the vehicle has completed its work.

[0013] A control method for a photovoltaic panel cleaning system, wherein the control method is applied to the photovoltaic panel cleaning system described above; The photovoltaic panel cleaning system includes a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, a remote controller, a remote terminal, and a charging pile; The photovoltaic panel sweeper also includes a remote control receiver, a communication module, and a charging module; The control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the photovoltaic panel sweeper on the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned, and operate the remote control to control the photovoltaic panel sweeper to travel around the edge of the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned; during the travel of the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the positioning module collects the position information of the vehicle body; the control module generates a virtual working boundary based on the position information and transmits it to the remote terminal; S2: Set the operating time of the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the operating path starting from the charging pile, and the path back to the charging pile through the remote terminal; S3: When the preset operation time is reached, the photovoltaic panel sweeper automatically operates along the preset operation path and returns to the charging pile after the operation is completed; S4: The charging module of the photovoltaic panel sweeper is connected to the charging pile, and the photovoltaic panel sweeper is charged; after the photovoltaic panel sweeper is fully charged, it enters standby mode.

[0014] Preferably, the following step is included after step S4: S5: When the next preset operation time is approaching, repeat steps S3 and S4; Alternatively, the photovoltaic panel sweeper can be controlled via a remote control.

[0015] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are at least as follows: In this invention, by installing a positioning module and a control module inside the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the sweeper can automatically travel along a preset work route within a virtual work boundary to complete the sweeping operation of the photovoltaic panels, further improving the degree of unmanned operation throughout the entire process, reducing labor and maintenance costs, and increasing efficiency. Furthermore, ultrasonic radar sensors are used to monitor the photovoltaic panel sweeper for fall prevention, improving the safety of the sweeper during automated operation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the internal modules of the photovoltaic panel cleaning system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the photovoltaic panel cleaning system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment discloses a photovoltaic panel cleaning system, the most crucial component of which is a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, which includes: Vehicle body 10; Sweeping device 20, the sweeping device 20 is connected to the vehicle body 10; Positioning module 30 is installed on vehicle body 10 and is used to collect position information of vehicle body 10. An ultrasonic radar sensor 40 is disposed on the periphery of the vehicle body 10. The ultrasonic radar sensor 40 is used to monitor the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned. The control module is electrically connected to the positioning module 30 and the ultrasonic radar sensor 40. The control module is configured to generate a virtual work boundary based on the position information collected by the positioning module 30, control the vehicle 10 to travel along a preset work route within the virtual work boundary, and control the vehicle 10 to stop when the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 detects that the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined value.

[0021] During the movement of the vehicle body 10, the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 serves as a safety protection mechanism. Regardless of the reason why the vehicle body 10 deviates from the preset route and moves towards the edge of the photovoltaic panel, posing a possibility of falling, once the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 detects that the vertical distance between itself and the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined value (the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 detects the distance between itself and the photovoltaic panel vertically downwards; under normal circumstances, when the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle is on the photovoltaic panel, the vertical distance between the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 and the photovoltaic panel remains roughly unchanged; when the value detected by the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 becomes much larger, it indicates that the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 is already suspended outside the photovoltaic panel, and the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 has detected the position below the photovoltaic panel, thus indicating that the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle is also at the edge of the photovoltaic panel and is at risk of falling off the photovoltaic panel), the control module will stop the vehicle body 10 to prevent the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle from falling off the edge of the photovoltaic panel and being damaged.

[0022] Specifically, there are multiple ultrasonic radar sensors 40, and the ultrasonic radar sensors 40 are at least located at the four corners of the vehicle body 10. In this embodiment, to balance safety and economy, there are four ultrasonic radar sensors 40, which are respectively located at the four corners of the vehicle body 10.

[0023] Furthermore, the control module is electrically connected to the sweeping device 20, and the control module is also configured to control the start and stop of the sweeping device 20. In addition, the sweeping device 20 is detachably connected to the vehicle body 10.

[0024] The cleaning device 20 is detachably connected to the vehicle body 10, which facilitates the replacement and cleaning of the cleaning device 20, and also allows for adaptive adjustment of the installation position of the cleaning device 20 on the vehicle body 10 according to the layout of the photovoltaic panels. In this embodiment, the cleaning device 20 is located at the front end of the vehicle body 10 along the direction of movement of the vehicle body 10.

[0025] The cleaning device 20 can be an existing cleaning structure such as a roller brush, and is not limited in this embodiment. The cleaning device 20 can also be detachably connected to the vehicle body 10 using existing technologies such as snap-fit ​​or bolt-fit.

[0026] It is understandable that the timing of the start and stop of the sweeping device 20 controlled by the control module is consistent with the working route of the vehicle body 10: the sweeping device 20 starts when the vehicle body 10 enters the working route; the sweeping device 20 shuts down when the vehicle body 10 leaves the working route.

[0027] The positioning module 30 uses a high-precision GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module to obtain the precise position information of the vehicle body 10, providing a basis for the control module to generate virtual operation boundaries and plan operation routes.

[0028] The control module generates a virtual work boundary and plans a work route covering the photovoltaic panel surface based on the location information provided by the positioning module 30. Specifically, within the virtual work boundary, any direction is selected and two points A and B are set to determine a reference straight line (when the virtual work boundary is rectangular, any side of the rectangle can be used as the reference straight line). When the vehicle 10 is moving, the control module sets up a series of parallel cleaning paths based on this reference line by equidistant translation (the translation distance can be set with reference to the width of the cleaning device 20). The vehicle 10 performs comprehensive cleaning along these cleaning paths, automatically turning around at the end of the route to the next path, until the cleaning of the entire area within the virtual work boundary is completed. Finally, a boundary closure cleaning operation is performed to ensure no omissions.

[0029] Of course, the vehicle body 10 also includes a traveling device, which is also controlled by the control module to complete the movement. The traveling device adopts a structure suitable for driving on photovoltaic panels, such as tracks.

[0030] The control module can achieve the above functions in whole or in part through software, hardware or a combination thereof.

[0031] Therefore, by installing a positioning module 30 and a control module inside the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the sweeper can automatically travel along a preset work route within the virtual work boundary to complete the sweeping operation of the photovoltaic panels, further improving the degree of unmanned operation throughout the entire process, reducing labor and maintenance costs, and increasing efficiency. Meanwhile, the ultrasonic radar sensor 40 can monitor the distance to the edge of the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned, performing anti-fall monitoring for the sweeper and improving its safety during automated operation.

[0032] The photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote control, and the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a remote control receiver.

[0033] The remote control receiver is electrically connected to the control module. The remote control receiver is used to receive the control signal from the remote control and transmit it to the control module. The remote control is used at least to send a walking signal to the remote control receiver to control the vehicle body 10 to move when it is operated. The positioning module 30 is used at least to collect the position information of the vehicle body 10 when the remote control controls the vehicle body 10 to move.

[0034] The remote control is used to guide the photovoltaic panel sweeper to travel around the edge of the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned when the operator uses the remote control for the first time. The control module can construct an accurate boundary coordinate model, that is, a virtual working boundary, by using the vehicle body 10 position information recorded in real time by the positioning module 30.

[0035] In addition, during commissioning or under special circumstances, the remote control can be used as a manual control device to control the operation of the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, avoiding the absolute dependence of the photovoltaic panel cleaning system on automated control and improving usability.

[0036] Furthermore, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote terminal, and the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a communication module.

[0037] The communication module is electrically connected to both the control module and the remote terminal. The communication module is used to transmit control commands from the remote terminal to the control module and / or to the remote terminal the control status of the control module.

[0038] The remote terminal is a mobile phone or a special terminal device (more precisely, the built-in APP application software) that can be used by operators. It enables remote interactive control with the photovoltaic panel sweeper (the control module in the vehicle) through the communication module. Operators can set timed tasks, force recharging, start and stop charging, monitor status and alarms on the photovoltaic panel sweeper through the remote terminal, thus realizing remote operation and maintenance management of the photovoltaic panel sweeper.

[0039] Specifically, the communication module includes a local module and a cloud server; the local module is located on the vehicle body 10, and the cloud server is electrically connected to both the local module and the remote terminal.

[0040] The remote terminal forwards operation commands to the local module through the cloud server, and the local module can return data to the remote terminal through the cloud server. The local module can be a 4G module.

[0041] Furthermore, the photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a charging pile, which is set around the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned; the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a charging module, which is electrically connected to the control module. The control module is also configured to control the vehicle 10 to return to the charging pile and connect the charging module to the charging pile after the vehicle 10 completes its work.

[0042] Charging piles are placed around the photovoltaic panels to be cleaned, facilitating timely charging after the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle completes its work. The return path of the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle can also be set based on the positioning and control modules of the vehicle body 10.

[0043] The charging module can be configured as a wireless charging module, allowing the photovoltaic panel sweeper to wirelessly connect to the charging station simply by returning to a specific location. Alternatively, the charging module can be configured as a plug-in type, charging after a physical connection with the charging station is established. The control module can be configured to send a start charging command to the charging module after it is connected to the charging station, and send a stop charging command once the battery is fully charged.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment also provides a control method for a photovoltaic panel cleaning system, applied to the photovoltaic panel cleaning system described above. The control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the photovoltaic panel sweeper on the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned, and operate the remote control to control the photovoltaic panel sweeper to travel around the edge of the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned; during the travel of the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the positioning module 30 collects the position information of the vehicle body 10; the control module generates a virtual operation boundary based on the position information and transmits it to the remote terminal. S2: Set the operating time, operating path starting from the charging pile, and return path of the photovoltaic panel sweeper via remote terminal; S3: When the preset working time is reached, the photovoltaic panel sweeper will automatically work along the preset working path and return to the charging pile after the work is completed; S4: The charging module of the photovoltaic panel sweeper is connected to the charging pile, and the photovoltaic panel sweeper is charged; after the photovoltaic panel sweeper is fully charged, it enters standby mode.

[0045] Furthermore, the following steps are included after step S4: S5: When the next preset operation time is approaching, repeat steps S3 and S4; Alternatively, the operation of the photovoltaic panel sweeper can be controlled via remote control.

[0046] In other words, after defining the virtual work boundary by operating the remote control, the photovoltaic panel sweeper can be set to automatically repeat the sweeping operation at a set time via the remote terminal, or the operation can be manually controlled by the remote control.

[0047] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention should be understood in their ordinary sense by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "an," "a," or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle includes: Vehicle body; A sweeping device, the sweeping device being connected to the vehicle body; A positioning module is installed on the vehicle body and is used to collect the position information of the vehicle body; An ultrasonic radar sensor is disposed on the periphery of the vehicle body and is used to monitor the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned. A control module is electrically connected to the positioning module and the ultrasonic radar sensor. The control module is configured to generate a virtual work boundary based on the location information collected by the positioning module, control the vehicle to travel along a preset work route within the virtual work boundary, and control the vehicle to stop when the ultrasonic radar sensor detects that the vertical distance to the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined value.

2. The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ultrasonic radar sensors are multiple, and the ultrasonic radar sensors are at least located at the four corners of the vehicle body.

3. The photovoltaic panel sweeper as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control module is electrically connected to the cleaning device, and the control module is also configured to control the start and stop of the cleaning device.

4. The photovoltaic panel sweeper as described in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, Along the direction of movement of the vehicle body, the sweeping device is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body; and / or, The cleaning device is detachably connected to the vehicle body.

5. A photovoltaic panel cleaning system, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel cleaning system includes a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. The photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote control; The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a remote control receiver, which is electrically connected to the control module. The remote control receiver is used to receive control signals from the remote control and transmit them to the control module. The remote controller is at least used to send a walking signal to the remote controller receiver to control the vehicle body to move when it is operated, and the positioning module is at least used to collect the position information of the vehicle body when the remote controller controls the vehicle body to move.

7. The photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a remote terminal; The photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle also includes a communication module, which is electrically connected to the control module and the remote terminal respectively. The communication module is used to transmit control commands from the remote terminal to the control module and / or transmit the control status of the control module to the remote terminal.

8. The photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The communication module includes a local module and a cloud server; The local module is installed on the vehicle body, and the cloud server is electrically connected to both the local module and the remote terminal.

9. The photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel cleaning system also includes a charging pile, which is installed around the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned. The photovoltaic panel sweeper also includes a charging module, which is electrically connected to the control module. The control module is also configured to control the vehicle to return to the charging pile and connect the charging module to the charging pile after the vehicle has completed its work.

10. A control method for a photovoltaic panel cleaning system, characterized in that, The control method is applied to the photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in any one of claims 5-9; The photovoltaic panel cleaning system includes a photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, a remote controller, a remote terminal, and a charging pile; The photovoltaic panel sweeper also includes a remote control receiver, a communication module, and a charging module; The control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the photovoltaic panel sweeper on the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned, and operate the remote control to control the photovoltaic panel sweeper to travel around the edge of the photovoltaic panel to be cleaned; during the travel of the photovoltaic panel sweeper, the positioning module collects the position information of the vehicle body; the control module generates a virtual working boundary based on the position information and transmits it to the remote terminal; S2: Set the operating time of the photovoltaic panel cleaning vehicle, the operating path starting from the charging pile, and the path back to the charging pile through the remote terminal; S3: When the preset working time is reached, the photovoltaic panel sweeper automatically works along the preset working path and returns to the charging pile after the work is completed; S4: The charging module of the photovoltaic panel sweeper is connected to the charging pile, and the photovoltaic panel sweeper is charged; after the photovoltaic panel sweeper is fully charged, it enters standby mode.

11. The control method for the photovoltaic panel cleaning system as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The following steps are included after step S4: S5: When the next preset operation time is approaching, repeat steps S3 and S4; Alternatively, the photovoltaic panel sweeper can be controlled via a remote control.

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