Automatic snow removing device for solar panel of field unmanned meteorological station
An automated snow removal system for solar panels addresses the inefficiency and manual challenges of snow-covered panels by using sensors and heating elements to maintain power and data collection in wilderness weather stations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422154242.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-15
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-09-03
AI Technical Summary
The solar panels of unmanned weather stations in the wild are covered with snow in winter or at high altitudes, resulting in a decrease in power generation efficiency, affecting the normal operation of the weather stations, and manual cleaning is difficult and inefficient.
An automatic snow removal device is designed, including a snow sensor, a heating body and a controller. By detecting the thickness of the snow and controlling the heating body to heat the solar panels, the snow melts and slides down in the inclined direction, and combined with a vibrating motor to accelerate the snow's slide.
Automatic snow removal of solar panels is realized, ensuring that the unmanned weather stations in the wild work in winter and at high altitudes, reducing manual intervention and electricity consumption, and improving the continuity of meteorological data acquisition.
Smart Images
Figure CN223109967U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of meteorological equipment, and particularly to an automatic snow removal device for solar panels of a field unmanned weather station. Background Art
[0002] In the wild environment, unmanned weather stations play a crucial role in the collection of meteorological data. These weather stations usually rely on solar panels to provide power. However, in winter or high-altitude areas, solar panels are often covered with snow, seriously affecting the power generation efficiency of solar panels and thus affecting the normal operation of weather stations.
[0003] Currently, the snow removal of solar panels of field unmanned weather stations mainly relies on natural melting and manual cleaning. When the solar panels are covered with snow for a long time, the electric energy in the storage battery will be consumed, and then the field weather station will stop working temporarily. It is necessary for staff to go to replace the battery or clean the snow, which will affect the collection of meteorological data. At the same time, manual cleaning is difficult and inefficient. Utility Model Content
[0004] This application provides an automatic snow removal device for solar panels of a field unmanned weather station, which is used to solve the problems of data loss of field unmanned weather stations caused by snow on solar panels and the difficulty of manual snow cleaning.
[0005] This application provides an automatic snow removal device for solar panels of a field unmanned weather station, including a housing, a solar panel, a battery, a meteorological monitoring component, a controller, a snow amount sensor, and a heating element; the solar panel is arranged on the upper side wall of the housing, and the plate surface of the solar panel is inclined; the battery is arranged in the housing, and the solar panel is electrically connected to the battery; the meteorological monitoring component is arranged in the housing, and the meteorological monitoring component is electrically connected to the battery; the controller is arranged in the housing, and the controller is electrically connected to the battery; the snow amount sensor is arranged on the upper side wall of the housing, the snow amount sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the snow amount sensor is used to detect the snow thickness on the solar panel; the heating element is arranged on the solar panel, the heating element is electrically connected to the battery, the heating element is electrically connected to the controller, and the maximum heating temperature of the heating element is not greater than 40 degrees Celsius.
[0006] The solar panel in this application is arranged on the housing, which can receive sunlight and generate electricity to charge the battery and supply the normal operation of the meteorological monitoring component; when there is snow on the solar panel, the snow amount sensor can detect the snow and control the heating element to heat the solar panel through the controller, so that the temperature of the part of the solar panel in contact with the snow increases, melting this part of the snow and making the snow slide along the inclined direction of the solar panel. This solution can enable the solar panel on the field unmanned weather station to automatically remove snow, so that the field unmanned weather station can work stably in high-altitude areas or winter.
[0007] In some embodiments of the present application, multiple solar panels are provided. The multiple solar panels are spaced apart and disposed on the outer shell, and the heating element is disposed on the multiple solar panels and at the gaps between adjacent solar panels. The multiple solar panels can improve the power generation efficiency.
[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the automatic snow removal device for the solar panels of the unmanned weather station in the wild further includes a vibration motor. The vibration motor is electrically connected to the battery and the controller, and is disposed on the outer shell. The vibration motor and the solar panels are distributed on opposite sides of the upper side wall of the outer shell. The vibration motor can vibrate the outer shell and drive the solar panels to vibrate, and when the area where the snow accumulates contacts the solar panels melts, it can accelerate the sliding of the accumulated snow.
[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the angle between the solar panel and the horizontal plane can be 10° to 30°. This angle can enable the accumulated snow to slide while preventing the solar panel from being unstable due to excessive wind resistance.
[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the snow amount sensor is a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the solar panel. The pressure sensor can judge the thickness of the accumulated snow based on the pressure on the solar panel, thereby triggering the heating of the heating element.
[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the snow amount sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, and the ultrasonic sensor is disposed on the outer shell. There is a gap between the ultrasonic sensor and the upper panel of the solar panel. The ultrasonic sensor can detect the thickness of the accumulated snow based on ultrasonic waves, thereby triggering the heating of the heating element.
[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the heating element is a PTC ceramic heating element. The PTC ceramic heating element is disposed on the solar panel and is in contact with the solar panel so that the PTC ceramic heating element can heat the solar panel. The PTC ceramic heating element has the advantages of low power, stable heating, and easy setting of the temperature upper limit. At the same time, it can adapt to the complex outdoor environment and has good practicability.
[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the heating element is an electric heating wire, and the electric heating wire is wound on the upper panel surface of the solar panel. The electric heating wire has a low cost and a fast heating speed.
[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the heating element further includes a heat conducting body. The heat conducting body is disposed outside the electric heating wire and is in contact with the solar panel. The heat conducting body can protect the electric heating wire to prevent the electric heating wire from being exposed and broken or having other usage problems. Description of the Drawings
[0015] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the technical solution of the present utility model, and constitute a part of the description. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present utility model, and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solution of the present utility model.
[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an automatic snow removal device for a solar panel of an unmanned weather station in the wild provided by an embodiment of the present application.
[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a solar panel of an automatic snow removal device for a solar panel of an unmanned weather station in the wild provided by an embodiment of the present application.
[0018] Reference numerals: 1 - housing; 2 - solar panel; 3 - battery; 4 - meteorological monitoring component; 5 - controller; 6 - snow amount sensor; 7 - heating element; 8 - vibration motor. Detailed implementation manners
[0019] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.
[0020] It should be noted that all the directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) in the embodiments of the present utility model are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement conditions between components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.
[0021] The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.
[0022] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations. In addition, when describing pipelines, the terms "connected" and "connected" used in the present application have the meaning of conducting. The specific meaning needs to be understood in combination with the context.
[0023] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific manner.
[0024] In the wild environment, unmanned weather stations play a crucial role in the collection of meteorological data. And these weather stations usually rely on solar panels to provide power. However, in winter or high-altitude areas, the solar panels are often covered by snow, seriously affecting the power generation efficiency of the solar panels, and thus affecting the normal operation of the weather stations.
[0025] Currently, the snow removal of solar panels of unmanned weather stations in the wild mainly relies on natural melting and manual cleaning. When the solar panels are covered with snow for a long time, the electric energy in the storage battery will be consumed, and then the unmanned weather station will stop working temporarily. It is necessary for the staff to go to replace the battery or clean the snow, which will affect the collection of meteorological data. At the same time, manual cleaning is difficult and inefficient.
[0026] For this reason, please refer to Figure 1 , the present application provides an automatic snow removal device for the solar panel 2 of an unmanned weather station in the wild, which includes a housing 1, a solar panel 2, a battery 3, a meteorological monitoring component 4, a controller 5, a snow amount sensor 6, and a heating element 7.
[0027] Please refer to Figure 1 , the solar panel 2 is arranged on the upper side wall of the housing 1, and the plate surface of the solar panel 2 is inclined. The housing 1 can be the housing 1 of a conventional unmanned weather station in the wild, which can be made of metal and is subjected to anti-corrosion treatment on the surface; the solar panel 2 can be a conventional solar power generation panel.
[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 , the battery 3 is arranged in the housing 1, and the solar panel 2 is electrically connected to the battery 3. The battery 3 can be a storage battery 3 with charge and discharge functions, which can be a lithium battery 3, a lead-acid battery 3, or other batteries 3. The battery 3 can be installed in an independent chamber in the housing 1.
[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 , the meteorological monitoring component 4 is arranged in the housing 1, and the meteorological monitoring component 4 is electrically connected to the battery 3. The meteorological monitoring component 4 can include functions such as temperature detection, humidity monitoring, and wind force detection.
[0030] Please refer to Figure 1, the controller 5 is disposed inside the housing 1, and the controller 5 is electrically connected to the battery 3. The controller 5 can be a component with control functions, which can be a single-chip microcomputer, a PLC or a CPU. At the same time, corresponding functions such as wireless information transmission and timer can be attached to its interface.
[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 , the snow amount sensor 6 is disposed on the upper side wall of the housing 1, and the snow amount sensor 6 is electrically connected to the controller 5. The snow amount sensor 6 is used to detect the snow thickness on the solar panel 2. The snow amount sensor 6 can be a structure for detecting the snow thickness on the solar panel 2, and it can detect by ultrasonic or pressure detection principle, and can also be used as the trigger structure of this snow removal device.
[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 , the heating element 7 is disposed on the solar panel 2, the heating element 7 is electrically connected to the battery 3, the heating element 7 is electrically connected to the controller 5, and the maximum heating temperature of the heating element 7 is not greater than 40 degrees Celsius. The heating element 7 can be an electric heating element 7, such as an electric heating wire or other components; the maximum heating temperature of the heating element 7 can prevent the solar panel 2 from being damaged due to overheating.
[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 , in this application, the solar panel 2 is disposed on the housing 1, which can receive sunlight and generate electricity to charge the battery 3 and supply the meteorological monitoring component 4 to work normally; when there is snow on the solar panel 2, the snow amount sensor 6 can detect the snow and control the heating element 7 to heat the solar panel 2 through the controller 5, so that the temperature of the part of the solar panel 2 in contact with the snow increases, melting this part of the snow and causing the snow to slide along the inclined direction of the solar panel 2. This solution can enable the solar panel 2 on the unmanned weather station in the wild to automatically remove snow, so that the unmanned weather station in the wild can work stably in high altitude areas or in winter.
[0034] Please refer to Figure 2 , in some examples, the solar panels 2 are provided in multiple numbers, and the multiple solar panels 2 are spaced apart on the housing 1, and the heating elements are disposed on the multiple solar panels 2 and at the gaps between adjacent solar panels 2. The multiple solar panels 2 can improve the power generation efficiency.
[0035] Please refer to Figure 2 , in some examples, the number of the solar panels 2 can be 3 to 6, and they can be arranged in a row or in a multi-row array distribution; the multiple solar panels 2 can be the same or different.
[0036] Please refer to Figure 1, in some examples, the automatic snow removal device for the solar panel 2 of the unmanned weather station in the wild further includes a vibration motor 8. The vibration motor 8 is electrically connected to the battery 3 and the controller 5. The vibration motor 8 is disposed on the housing 1, and the vibration motor 8 and the solar panel 2 are distributed on opposite sides of the upper side wall of the housing 1. The vibration motor 8 can vibrate the housing 1 and drive the solar panel 2 to vibrate. When the area where the snow accumulates contacts the solar panel melts, it can accelerate the sliding of the snow.
[0037] In some examples, a corresponding clock circuit should be provided in the controller 5 to control the start-up time of the vibration motor 8 and avoid the instability of the solar panel 2 or other components caused by the over-long start-up time of the vibration motor 8.
[0038] The vibration motor 8 belongs to a conventional structure, and the installation between the vibration motor 8 and the inner wall of the housing 1 also belongs to a conventional installation method, which will not be elaborated here.
[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 , in some examples, the angle between the solar panel 2 and the horizontal plane can be 10° to 30°. This angle can enable the snow to slide while avoiding the instability of the solar panel 2 due to excessive wind resistance.
[0040] In some examples, the angle between the solar panel 2 and the horizontal plane can be 10°, or 15°, 25° or 30°. No matter which angle is adopted, the above-mentioned effect of helping the snow to slide can be achieved.
[0041] Please refer to Figure 1 , when the above-mentioned angle is set between the solar panel 2 and the top wall of the housing 1, corresponding brackets can be set on the top wall of the housing 1 to avoid the instability of the solar panel 2 caused by the wind on the back side.
[0042] Please refer to Figure 1 , in some examples, the snow amount sensor 6 is a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the solar panel 2. The pressure sensor can judge the thickness of the snow accumulation according to the pressure on the solar panel 2, so as to trigger the heating of the heating element 7.
[0043] In some examples, the pressure sensor uses the pressure sensor to sense the pressure generated by the snow accumulation on it. The thicker the snow accumulation, the greater the pressure. The thickness of the snow accumulation can be deduced by measuring the pressure value. The pressure sensor can also control the start and stop of the vibration motor 8 to avoid damaging the solar panel 2.
[0044] In some examples, the snow amount sensor 6 is an ultrasonic sensor, and the ultrasonic sensor is disposed on the housing 1. There is a gap between the ultrasonic sensor and the upper panel of the solar panel 2. The ultrasonic sensor can detect the thickness of the snow accumulation according to the ultrasonic wave, so as to trigger the heating of the heating element 7.
[0045] In some examples, the ultrasonic sensor calculates the distance between the sensor and the snow surface by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving the reflected signals, based on the time it takes for the ultrasonic waves to travel through the air. As the snow depth increases, this distance decreases, enabling the determination of the snow depth. The ultrasonic sensor can be installed on a specific bracket, or it can be installed on the brackets of the bird repellent device and the wind speed and direction detection device located on the housing 1, thus realizing ultrasonic detection.
[0046] No structure should be set between the ultrasonic sensor and the solar panel 2 to avoid inaccurate ultrasonic detection.
[0047] Please refer to Figure 1 , in some examples, the heating element 7 is a PTC ceramic heating element 7. The PTC ceramic heating element 7 is disposed on the solar panel 2, and the PTC ceramic heating element 7 abuts against the solar panel 2 so that the PTC ceramic heating element 7 can heat the solar panel 2. The PTC ceramic heating element 7 has the advantages of low power, stable heating, and easy setting of the temperature upper limit. At the same time, it can adapt to complex outdoor environments and has good practicability.
[0048] In some examples, the PTC ceramic heating element 7 can be set on the back surface of the solar panel 2, or it can also be set on the solar panel 2. PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) is a positive temperature coefficient thermistor. When current passes through the PTC ceramic heating element, its resistance value will increase as the temperature rises. Within a certain voltage range, by adjusting the current magnitude, the temperature of the heating element can be controlled within a specific range.
[0049] This range can be between 10° and 40°, preferably 25°. A lower temperature can avoid losses to the solar panel 2 and prevent damage to the solar panel 2 when cleaning the snow.
[0050] In some examples, the heating element 7 is an electric heating wire, and the electric heating wire is wound on the upper surface of the solar panel 2. The electric heating wire has a low cost and a low price, and a fast heating speed.
[0051] In some examples, the metal heating wire is usually made of materials such as nickel-chromium alloy. When current passes through, the metal wire will heat up due to resistance. The metal heating wire has the characteristics of low cost, good stability, and strong customizability. It can be laid at a specified position on the solar panel 2 as needed, and at the same time, it can be wound into a certain shape so that the solar panel 2 can be heated comprehensively.
[0052] In some examples, the heating element 7 further includes a heat conductor. The heat conductor is disposed outside the electric heating wire, and the heat conductor abuts against the solar panel 2. The heat conductor can protect the electric heating wire to avoid the electric heating wire being exposed and broken or having other usage problems.
[0053] In some examples, the heat conductor is a substance or material capable of efficiently transferring heat, which can be copper, aluminum, silver, graphite, silicon carbide or other materials, and its shape can be plate-shaped, block-shaped, or other shapes.
[0054] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.
[0055] As described above, it is only the specific implementation manner of this application, but the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An automatic snow removal device for a solar panel of a field unmanned weather station, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing; A solar panel, disposed on the upper side wall of the housing, and the panel surface of the solar panel is inclined; A battery, disposed within the housing, and the solar panel is electrically connected to the battery; A meteorological monitoring component, disposed within the housing, and the meteorological monitoring component is electrically connected to the battery; A controller, disposed within the housing, and the controller is electrically connected to the battery; A snow amount sensor, disposed on the upper side wall of the housing, and the snow amount sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the snow amount sensor is used to detect the thickness of the snow accumulation on the solar panel; A heating element, disposed on the solar panel, and the heating element is electrically connected to the battery, the heating element is electrically connected to the controller, and the maximum heating temperature of the heating element is not greater than 40 degrees Celsius.
2. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 1, wherein The solar panels are provided in plurality, and the plurality of solar panels are spaced apart and disposed on the housing, and the heating element is disposed on the plurality of solar panels and at the gaps between adjacent solar panels.
3. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 1, wherein The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild further includes a vibration motor, the vibration motor is electrically connected to the battery, the vibration motor is electrically connected to the controller, the vibration motor is disposed on the housing, and the vibration motor and the solar panel are distributed on opposite sides of the upper side wall of the housing.
4. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 1, wherein The included angle between the solar panel and the horizontal plane can be 10° to 30°.
5. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The snow amount sensor is a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the solar panel.
6. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The snow amount sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, the ultrasonic sensor is disposed on the housing, and there is a gap between the ultrasonic sensor and the upper panel surface of the solar panel.
7. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 1, wherein The heating element is a PTC ceramic heating element, the PTC ceramic heating element is disposed on the solar panel, and the PTC ceramic heating element is in contact with the solar panel so that the PTC ceramic heating element can heat the solar panel.
8. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 1, wherein The heating element is an electric heating wire, and the electric heating wire is wound on the upper panel surface of the solar panel.
9. The automatic snow removal device for the solar panel of the unmanned meteorological station in the wild according to claim 8, wherein The heating element further includes a heat conducting body, the heat conducting body is disposed outside the electric heating wire, and the heat conducting body is in contact with the solar panel.