Cleaning system for planar or micro-curved heliostat

Abstract

The utility model relates to a cleaning system for a planar or micro-curved heliostat, which belongs to the technical field of heliostats and comprises a central control unit, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a cleaning robot and a water storage structure. The central control unit is connected with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the cleaning robot and the water storage structure. The unmanned aerial vehicle is used for transporting the cleaning robot to a designated position. The cleaning robot is used for cleaning a lens of the heliostat at a specified position; the water storage structure comprises baffles, water conveying pipes, a water pump and a water storage device. Baffles are mounted around the lenses, and the multiple baffles are connected to form a closed structure; the water storage device is arranged on the ground near the heliostat; the top end of the water conveying pipe is arranged above the lens and is positioned above or laterally above the lens when the heliostat is in a vertical state; the bottom end of the water pipe is connected with the water storage device. The cleaning robot has no requirement for field pavement flatness, can achieve simultaneous continuous operation of a plurality of cleaning robots, and is efficient and stable in cleaning and high in automation degree.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of heliostat technology, specifically to a cleaning system for planar or slightly curved heliostats. Background Technology

[0002] Tower-type molten salt concentrated solar power (CSP) is one of the technological routes for solar thermal power generation. The concentrator field consists of a large number of concentrating devices (such as heliostats) arranged according to a specific pattern. However, CSP plants are typically built in harsh environments such as deserts and Gobi, where dust and other small particles accumulate on the concentrator surfaces during operation. This significantly reduces the reflectivity of the heliostats, thus affecting the overall power plant's efficiency. Therefore, ensuring the high cleanliness of the heliostat surfaces is crucial for ensuring the efficient operation of the entire CSP plant and improving its power generation efficiency.

[0003] The most common method for cleaning heliostat mirrors is to use a mobile cleaning truck, which is equipped with water tanks, robotic arms, brushes and other related equipment.

[0004] Cleaning trucks require a high degree of road surface smoothness, but the roads in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are usually natural surfaces or simply treated areas with significant undulations. These surfaces often have potholes and unevenness. During the cleaning process, the uneven road surface can cause instability in the truck's center of gravity, potentially leading to interference between the cleaning equipment and the heliostats, and consequently, damage to the heliostats. Furthermore, the uneven road surface can cause the cleaning equipment to deviate from the angle of the heliostats, making it difficult to maintain effective contact between the cleaning brush and the heliostat's working surface. This results in reduced cleaning effectiveness or even detachment, leaving large areas of the heliostat surface uncleaned, ultimately impacting the overall power generation efficiency of the CSP plant.

[0005] Meanwhile, each cleaning truck requires manual driving to maintain its direction and speed. Generally, to ensure the cleaning cycle, each heliostat field needs several cleaning trucks operating continuously at the same time, resulting in high labor costs and low efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, this utility model provides a cleaning system for flat or slightly curved heliostats. The system uses a drone to transport a cleaning robot to the surface of the heliostat for cleaning, which is efficient, stable and effective.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A cleaning system for planar or slightly curved heliostats, the cleaning system comprising a central control unit, a drone, a cleaning robot, and a water storage structure; the central control unit is respectively connected to the drone, the cleaning robot, and the water storage structure;

[0009] The drone is used to transport the cleaning robot to a designated location; the cleaning robot is used to clean the lenses of the heliostat at the designated location.

[0010] The water storage structure includes baffles, water pipes, water pumps, and a water storage device; the baffles are installed around the lens, and multiple baffles are connected to form a closed structure; the water storage device is located on the ground near the heliostat; the top of the water pipe is positioned above the lens, and above or to the side of the lens when the heliostat is in a vertical state; the bottom of the water pipe is connected to the water storage device through the water pump.

[0011] Furthermore, the cleaning robot is an ultrasonic cleaning robot.

[0012] Furthermore, the cleaning robot includes a drone docking platform, a working platform, a control box, a wheel set, and an ultrasonic vibrating rod;

[0013] The drone docking platform is installed parallel to the work platform above it; the control box is installed above the center of the work platform, and the control box contains a control board, an ultrasonic generator, a battery, and a drive motor; the control board is connected to the battery, the ultrasonic generator, and the drive motor via cables, and the battery is connected to the ultrasonic generator and the drive motor via cables; the ultrasonic vibrator is installed below the center of the work platform, and the ultrasonic vibrator has a transducer on it, and the ultrasonic generator is connected to the transducer via a high-frequency cable; the wheel sets are installed on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the work platform, and the drive motor is connected to the wheel sets via a drive shaft to drive the cleaning robot to move.

[0014] Furthermore, the height of the baffle is higher than the top surface of the ultrasonic vibrating rod.

[0015] Furthermore, one or more of the ultrasonic vibrating rods are installed below the center of the work platform in a state parallel to the horizontal axis of the work platform.

[0016] Furthermore, both ends of the ultrasonic vibrator are connected to the working platform in a non-rigid connection manner.

[0017] Furthermore, the high-frequency cable is placed inside a conduit.

[0018] Furthermore, the heliostat is composed of multiple lenses, with gaps between adjacent lenses, and these gaps are sealed by sealing strips.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper part of the water supply pipe is an L-shaped pipe, and a through hole is provided on the baffle on one side of the lens, and the through hole is located above or to the side above the lens when the heliostat is in a vertical state; the horizontal part of the L-shaped pipe passes through the through hole and extends to the top of the lens.

[0020] Furthermore, the heliostat is composed of multiple lenses, each lens is equipped with a baffle around its perimeter, and they are connected to form a closed structure; the water supply pipe includes a riser, a main pipe and branch pipes, the bottom end of the riser is connected to the water pump, the main pipe is installed in the gap between adjacent lenses, the top end of the riser is connected to the main pipe, the main pipe is provided with branch pipes corresponding to the number of lenses, and the branch pipes are located above or to the side above the lenses when the heliostat is in a vertical state.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0022] The cleaning system for flat or slightly curved heliostats of this invention has no requirements for the flatness of the site surface, and can enable several cleaning robots to work continuously at the same time, which is efficient, stable and highly automated.

[0023] The cleaning robot of this invention uses ultrasonic cleaning principle to clean heliostats. Its cleaning quality is far superior to that of conventional cleaning carts, ensuring high cleanliness of the heliostat lens surface and high cleaning efficiency, thereby ensuring the efficient operation of the entire solar thermal power plant.

[0024] This invention utilizes drones to transport cleaning robots, ensuring effective contact between the robot and the surface of the heliostat lenses despite uneven road surfaces. This guarantees the cleaning of the entire surface area of ​​the heliostat lenses. Furthermore, this invention relaxes the site requirements for heliostat sites, reducing the amount of site leveling work and related costs.

[0025] This invention uses drones for mobile cleaning, which is highly automated. The central control unit is used to design the cleaning mode of the entire heliostat field. One person can operate multiple cleaning robots at the same time and 24 hours a day without interruption. The cleaning efficiency is far higher than that of conventional cleaning trucks, which greatly reduces labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning system structure for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the heliostat lens and cleaning robot in this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning robot in this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the heliostat lens in this utility model;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of multiple lenses in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the sealing and water-stopping strip in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the water supply pipe between multiple lenses in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of the water pipe in the local area;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the water supply pipe between the four lenses in Embodiment 3 of this utility model.

[0035] Among them: 100-Cleaning robot, 101-Drone docking platform, 102-Working platform, 103-Control box, 104-Wheel set, 105-Ultrasonic vibrator, 106-Conduit, 200-Heliostat, 201-Lens, 300-Baffle, 400-Water pipe, 401-Riser, 402-Main pipe, 403-Branch pipe, 500-Water pump, 600-Water storage device, 700-Sealing waterstop strip. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0037] The terms used in this application, such as top, bottom, left, right, inside, outside, front end, rear end, head, and tail, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. Different drawings may result in different positional relationships, therefore they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection.

[0038] In this utility model, the terms "installation," "connection," "interlocking," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a connection that allows communication, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. They can also refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] This embodiment describes a cleaning system for flat or slightly curved heliostats. The system is used to clean heliostats and is not affected by the flatness of the road surface inside the solar thermal power plant, resulting in high cleaning efficiency.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning system in this embodiment includes a docking station, a central control unit, a drone, a cleaning robot 100, and a water storage structure.

[0042] The docking station serves as a platform for storing the drone and the cleaning robot 100. The central control unit can be set up independently or integrated into the overall control system of the solar thermal power plant. The central control unit is data-connected to the drone, the cleaning robot 100, the rotating mechanism of the heliostat 200, and the water storage structure. It controls the travel path of the drone and the cleaning robot 100 it carries, controls the operation of the cleaning robot 100, controls the rotating mechanism of the heliostat 200 to ensure its mirrors are parallel to the horizontal plane, and controls the water storage structure to deliver water to the mirrors of the heliostat 200. The drone is used to transport the cleaning robot 100 to a designated location. The cleaning robot 100 is used to clean the mirrors of the heliostat 200 at the designated location.

[0043] In this embodiment, the cleaning robot 100 is an ultrasonic cleaning robot, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the cleaning robot 100 includes a drone docking platform 101, a working platform 102, a control box 103, a wheel set 104, an ultrasonic vibrator 105, and a conduit 106.

[0044] The drone docking platform 101 is mounted parallel to the work platform 102 via multiple support columns, and the drone docking platform 101 and the work platform 102 are coaxial. The drone docking platform 101 is used to connect with a drone to facilitate the drone's transport of the cleaning robot 100. In this embodiment, the drone can be connected to the drone docking platform 101 using a gripping mechanism, suction cup, or magnetic structure.

[0045] The control box 103 is installed above the center of the work platform 102. Inside the control box 103 are a control board, an ultrasonic generator, a battery, and a drive motor. The control board is connected to the battery, ultrasonic generator, and drive motor via cables. The battery is also connected to the ultrasonic generator and drive motor via cables. Under the control of the control board, the battery supplies power to both the ultrasonic generator and the drive motor. To prevent water or dust particles from entering the control box 103 and contaminating the ultrasonic generator, battery, and drive motor, a dust cover can be installed on the outside of the control box 103 and fixed to the work platform 102.

[0046] Below the center of the working platform 102, one or more ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 are installed. The ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 are parallel to the horizontal axis of the working platform 102, and each ultrasonic vibrating rod 105 has a transducer. An ultrasonic generator is connected to the transducer via a high-frequency cable. In this embodiment, the high-frequency cable is placed inside a conduit 106. One end of the conduit 106 is connected to the control box 103, and the other end is connected to the bottom surface of the working platform 102. This prevents the high-frequency cable from becoming entangled with the ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 due to shaking, which would affect the normal operation of the cleaning robot 100. It also prevents the connection between the high-frequency cable and the ultrasonic generator and transducer from becoming loose. The transducer converts the high-frequency electrical energy sent by the ultrasonic generator into ultrasonic waves, causing the ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 to vibrate. In this embodiment, both ends of the ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 are connected to the working platform 102 in a non-rigid connection manner, such as by hinges, so that the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrating rods 105 caused by the ultrasonic waves is unrestricted, ensuring the normal generation of cavitation bubbles.

[0047] Wheel sets 104 are installed on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the working platform 102. The drive motor in the control box 103 is connected to the wheel sets 104 on the left and right sides through the drive shaft to provide rotational power to the wheel sets 104. In order to ensure that the cleaning robot 100 moves stably on the heliostat 200, the wheel sets 104 in this embodiment can be tracked wheels or wheel combinations with deep treads on the surface.

[0048] In addition, a temperature sensor can be installed below the work platform 102 to monitor the temperature of the ultrasonic vibrator 105. The temperature information is fed back to the central control unit in real time through the control board so that the cleaning robot 100 can be stopped in time to troubleshoot when the temperature exceeds the threshold.

[0049] The water storage structure includes a baffle 300, a water supply pipe 400, a water pump 500, and a water storage device 600. The water storage device 600 can be a water tank set near each heliostat 200, or a water storage pool shared by multiple heliostats 200.

[0050] The cleaning system of this embodiment is suitable for heliostats 200 whose upper surface of lens 201 is flat or slightly curved, such as... Figure 3 As shown, baffles 300 are installed around the lens 201 of the heliostat 200, and the four baffles 300 are connected to form a closed structure. The height of the baffles 300 is only higher than the top surface of the ultrasonic vibrator 105. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic vibrator 105 is a small-diameter vibrator, such as the ultrasonic vibrator 105 with a diameter of 1-2 cm, and the height of the baffles 300 is about 3-5 cm.

[0051] A water supply pipe 400 is installed on one side of the heliostat 200, with its top end positioned above the lens 201. The bottom end of the water supply pipe 400 is connected to the output port of a water pump 500, and the input port of the water pump 500 is connected to a water storage device 600 via a water pipe. The water pump 500 transports water to the lens 201 through the water supply pipe 400 until the water depth reaches the top of the baffle 300. Preferably, the upper part of the water supply pipe 400 is an L-shaped pipe, and a through hole is provided on the baffle 300 on one side of the lens 201. The through hole is located above or slightly above the lens 201 when the heliostat 200 is in a vertical position. The horizontal part of the L-shaped pipe at the upper end of the water supply pipe 400 passes through the through hole, extending the top end of the water supply pipe 400 above the lens 201. The limitation of the upper end of the water supply pipe 400 by the through hole enhances the stability of the top end of the water supply pipe 400.

[0052] The steps for cleaning heliostat 200 using the cleaning system for planar or slightly curved heliostats of this embodiment are as follows:

[0053] 1. Before cleaning the heliostat 200, the central control unit controls the rotation device of the heliostat 200 via the control board to adjust the lens 201 to be parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0054] 2. The central control unit starts the water pump 500 to transport water to the lens 201 until the water depth reaches the top of the baffle 300.

[0055] 3. The central control unit controls the drone to transport the cleaning robot 100 to the heliostat 200 lens 201 to be cleaned; the central control unit controls the cleaning robot 100 to start through the control board, and the ultrasonic generator drives the ultrasonic vibrating rod 105 to work through the transducer to clean the lens 201. At the same time, the drive motor drives the wheel set 104 to move the cleaning robot 100 on the lens 201 to ensure that the lens 201 is thoroughly cleaned.

[0056] 4. After cleaning one heliostat 200, the cleaning robot 100 is transported by drone to the next heliostat 200 for cleaning.

[0057] 5. After the heliostat 200 is cleaned, the central control unit controls the rotation device of the heliostat 200 to adjust the lens 201 to a vertical or near-vertical position, allowing the wastewater on the lens 201 to slide freely to the ground. Simultaneously, depending on the cleanliness of the lens 201, the water pump 500 can be restarted to deliver clean water to the lens 201 to rinse it, ensuring that all wastewater residue on the lens 201 is completely removed.

[0058] In addition, if there are still stains on the lens 201, steps 1 to 5 can be repeated to clean the lens 201 a second time.

[0059] Example 2

[0060] This embodiment describes a cleaning system for planar or slightly curved heliostats, which is structurally similar to the cleaning system in Embodiment 1, except that, as Figure 5 As shown, the heliostat 200 is composed of multiple mirrors 201. There are gaps between adjacent mirrors 201, and the gaps are sealed by sealing water-stop strips 700 so that the multiple mirrors 201 are connected to form the mirror surface of the heliostat 200. Baffles 300 are installed around the mirror surface, and the four baffles 300 are connected to form a closed structure.

[0061] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the sealing water-stop strip 700 is pressed or bonded to the lens 201 on both sides, and the lower part of the sealing water-stop strip 700 is inserted into the gap between adjacent lenses 201 to ensure the seal at the gap between adjacent lenses 201. Furthermore, the upper part of the sealing water-stop strip 700 is slightly higher in the middle and lower on both sides, forming two opposing slopes on the upper surface of the sealing water-stop strip 700. This ensures that the cleaning robot can pass smoothly while preventing water from remaining on the sealing water-stop strip 700.

[0062] Example 3

[0063] This embodiment describes a cleaning system for planar or slightly curved heliostats, which is structurally similar to the cleaning system in the above embodiment, except that, as Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the heliostat 200 is composed of multiple mirrors 201 arranged in a matrix. Baffles 300 are installed around each mirror 201, and the four baffles 300 are connected to form a closed structure. The water supply pipe 400 includes a riser 401, a main pipe 402, and branch pipes 403. Main pipes 402 are installed at the gaps between the mirrors 201 along the rotation axis of the heliostat 200. The bottom end of the riser 401 is connected to the output port of the water pump 500, and the top end of the riser 401 is connected to the main pipe 402. A corresponding number of branch pipes 403 are installed on the main pipe 402 according to the number of mirrors 201. A through hole is provided on one side of the baffle 300 of each mirror 201. The branch pipe 403 extends through the through hole to above the mirror 201, and the through hole is located above or slightly above the mirror 201 when the heliostat 200 is in a vertical position.

[0064] In this embodiment, the main pipe 402 is connected and fixed to the steel bracket at the top of the heliostat 200 to ensure the support stability of the water pipe 400.

[0065] Although the principles of this utility model have been described in detail above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely illustrative explanations of the implementation of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. The details in the embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the scope of this utility model. Any obvious changes, such as equivalent transformations or simple substitutions, based on the technical solution of this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat, characterized in that, The cleaning system includes a central control unit, a drone, a cleaning robot (100), and a water storage structure; the central control unit is connected to the drone, the cleaning robot (100), and the water storage structure, respectively. The drone is used to transport the cleaning robot (100) to a designated location; the cleaning robot (100) is used to clean the lens (201) of the heliostat (200) at the designated location; The water storage structure includes baffles (300), water pipes (400), water pumps (500), and water storage devices (600); baffles (300) are installed around the lens (201), and multiple baffles (300) are connected to form a closed structure; the water storage device (600) is located on the ground near the heliostat (200); the top of the water pipe (400) is positioned above the lens (201), and is located above or to the side of the lens (201) when the heliostat (200) is in a vertical state; the bottom of the water pipe (400) is connected to the water storage device (600) through the water pump (500).

2. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning robot (100) is an ultrasonic cleaning robot.

3. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning robot (100) includes a drone docking platform (101), a working platform (102), a control box (103), a wheel set (104), and an ultrasonic vibrator (105); The drone docking platform (101) is installed parallel above the work platform (102); the control box (103) is installed above the center of the work platform (102), and the control box (103) contains a control board, an ultrasonic generator, a battery, and a drive motor; the control board is connected to the battery, the ultrasonic generator, and the drive motor respectively via cables, and the battery is connected to the ultrasonic generator and the drive motor respectively via cables; the ultrasonic vibrating rod (105) is installed below the center of the work platform (102), and the ultrasonic vibrating rod (105) has a transducer, and the ultrasonic generator is connected to the transducer via a high-frequency cable; the wheel sets (104) are installed on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the work platform (102), and the drive motor is connected to the wheel sets (104) via a drive shaft to drive the cleaning robot (100) to move.

4. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 3, characterized in that, The baffle (300) is higher than the top surface of the ultrasonic vibrator (105).

5. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 3, characterized in that, One or more of the ultrasonic vibrating rods (105) are installed below the center of the work platform (102) in a state parallel to the horizontal axis of the work platform (102).

6. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The ultrasonic vibrating rod (105) is connected to the working platform (102) at both ends in a non-rigid connection manner.

7. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 3, characterized in that, The high-frequency cable is placed inside the conduit (106).

8. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heliostat (200) is composed of multiple lenses (201), with gaps between adjacent lenses (201), and the gaps are sealed by sealing strips (700).

9. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that, The upper part of the water supply pipe (400) is an L-shaped pipe. A through hole is provided on the baffle (300) on one side of the lens (201), and the through hole is located above or to the side above the lens (201) when the heliostat (200) is in a vertical state. The horizontal part of the L-shaped pipe passes through the through hole and extends above the lens (201).

10. The cleaning system for a planar or slightly curved heliostat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heliostat (200) is composed of multiple lenses (201), each lens (201) is equipped with baffles (300) around its perimeter, and they are connected to form a closed structure; the water supply pipe (400) includes a riser (401), a main pipe (402) and a branch pipe (403), the bottom end of the riser (401) is connected to the water pump (500), the main pipe (402) is installed in the gap between adjacent lenses (201), the top end of the riser (401) is connected to the main pipe (402), the main pipe (402) is provided with branch pipes (403) corresponding to the number of lenses (201), and the branch pipes (403) are located above or to the side above the lenses (201) when the heliostat (200) is in a vertical state.

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