Cleaning system for solar panels

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cleaning system (1) for a solar panel, the cleaning system (1) comprising: rails (10) disposed at both transverse ends of the solar panel (2); a support member (11) that crosses the rails (10) at both ends of the solar panel (2) and is movable along the rails (10) in the longitudinal direction of the solar panel (2); and the cleaning device (12) is arranged on the supporting piece (11), moves along with the supporting piece (11) and cleans the solar panel (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of solar panels, and more specifically to a cleaning system for solar panels. Background Technology

[0002] Solar energy, as a clean energy source, is occupying an increasingly larger proportion of the energy structure. Solar panels, due to their exposure to the environment, require regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent contaminants such as dust, sand, mud, plants, and bird droppings from affecting their efficiency. Cleaning and maintenance of solar panel arrays typically involves regular cleaning according to a fixed procedure. However, in such cases, it is difficult to determine or ensure that the solar panels are thoroughly cleaned. If stubborn dirt (such as bird droppings) is not removed promptly, these corrosive substances can damage the solar panels. Moreover, this damage is not easily detected, which can affect the lifespan of the solar panels to some extent.

[0003] Therefore, those skilled in the art are dedicated to addressing the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a cleaning system for solar panels that overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art.

[0005] This disclosure provides a cleaning system for a solar panel, the cleaning system comprising: a track disposed at both ends of the solar panel in a lateral direction; a support member spanning the track at both ends of the solar panel and capable of moving along the track in a longitudinal direction of the solar panel; and a cleaning device disposed on the support member, moving with the support member and cleaning the solar panel.

[0006] The cleaning system for solar panels disclosed herein can effectively prevent the impact of external environmental contaminants on the solar panels and ensure their normal operation by detecting the type and level of contamination on the surface of the solar panels.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the cleaning device includes a first cleaning device that sprays liquid.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the first cleaning device includes nozzles arranged in at least one row in the lateral direction of the solar panel for spraying liquids such as water or cleaning agents onto the solar panel, and a squeegee for wiping the surface of the solar panel.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the first cleaning device includes a squeegee with openings for fluid ejection.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the cleaning device further includes a second cleaning device that sprays compressed air.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the cleaning system further includes sensors configured to detect the type and level of contamination on the solar panels.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the cleaning system includes a controller configured to activate the cleaning device based on data detected by sensors.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the sensor is an infrared imaging sensor.

[0014] The cleaning system for solar panels disclosed herein can effectively prevent the impact of external environmental contaminants on solar panels by monitoring and cleaning the surface of the solar panels, ensuring the normal operation of the solar panels and improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency and service life of the solar panels. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an example of the use of a cleaning system for solar panels according to this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 This is an example of the use of a cleaning apparatus for a cleaning system for solar panels according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0018] It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this disclosure. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of this disclosure, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms "above" and "a" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of this disclosure's implementation.

[0019] To better understand this disclosure, embodiments of this disclosure are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Solar panels are typically made of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Considering the installation location of solar panel 2, it is susceptible to contamination from the external environment, such as rainwater, mud, dust, insects, leaves, bird droppings, and dirt, which can cause it to malfunction. Therefore, this application includes a cleaning system for the solar panel, which can effectively prevent the impact of external environmental contaminants on the solar panel, ensuring its normal operation and photoelectric conversion efficiency.

[0021] Figure 1 This is an example of the use of a cleaning system for solar panels according to this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning system 1 for the solar panel includes: a track 10 disposed at both ends of the solar panel 2 in the lateral direction; a support member 11 spanning the track 10 at both ends of the solar panel 2 and capable of moving along the track 10 in the longitudinal direction of the solar panel 2; and a cleaning device 12 disposed on the support member 11, which moves with the support member 11 and cleans the solar panel 2. The track 10 is disposed at both ends of the solar panel 2 in the lateral direction, i.e., the track 10 is disposed along the length direction of the solar panel 2. The support member 11 and the cleaning device 12 are located above the solar panel 2 and move along the track 10. The cleaning device 12 moves under the drive of the drive mechanism 101, cleaning the solar panel 2 during the movement, or cleaning a specific position on the solar panel 2 after moving to that specific position.

[0022] The cleaning device 12 and the support 11 can move bidirectionally on the solar panel 2, that is, they can reciprocate along the track 10 in the length direction of the solar panel 2 to repeatedly clean the solar panel 2.

[0023] In one example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the cleaning device 12 includes a first cleaning device 121 that sprays liquid. The first cleaning device 121 cleans the solar panel 2 by spraying liquid onto it. The liquid sprayed by the first cleaning device 121 can be water, cleaning fluid, etc. The first cleaning device 121 can include a cleaning fluid tank, a delivery pipe, a nozzle, and other structures. Specifically, the cleaning fluid tank can be fixed to the end of the solar panel, and the delivery pipe and nozzle, etc., can move along the track 10 together with the support member 11. This arrangement can reduce the power requirement of the drive mechanism 101. Of course, the cleaning fluid tank can also move together with the first cleaning device 121; this application does not impose any specific limitations. The first cleaning device 121 is particularly suitable for cleaning dirt such as bird droppings and mud.

[0024] In one example, the first cleaning device 121 includes nozzles arranged in at least one row in the lateral direction of the solar panel 2 for spraying liquids such as water or cleaning agents onto the solar panel 2, and a squeegee for wiping the surface of the solar panel 2. Stubborn dirt on the solar panel 2 can be effectively removed by spraying water or cleaning liquid onto its surface to wet the dirt, followed by wiping with the squeegee.

[0025] The squeegee strip is preferably replaceable or maintainable, as replacing or maintaining only the squeegee strip can reduce the operating cost of the cleaning device. For example, the squeegee strip can be a rubber squeegee strip.

[0026] In another example, the squeegee itself has a perforated tube, and the fluid is directly connected to the perforated tube. An opening is provided on the squeegee so that the fluid can be sprayed out from the squeegee. In such an example, there is no need to set up an additional nozzle, which helps to simplify the structure of the cleaning device 121 and reduce costs.

[0027] In one example, the cleaning device 12 further includes a second cleaning device 122 that sprays compressed air. The second cleaning device 122 can generate compressed air and spray it onto the surface of the solar panel 2 to clean it. The second cleaning device 122 may include an air compressor, air delivery pipes, nozzles, and other structures. The second cleaning device 122 is particularly suitable for cleaning objects such as dust, insects, and leaves, blowing them away from the surface of the solar panel 2. The second cleaning device 122 can also be used to remove water stains left on the surface of the solar panel 2 after the first cleaning device 121 has finished cleaning, improving cleaning efficiency.

[0028] The first cleaning device 121 and the second cleaning device 122 can be driven by the drive mechanism 101 and move along the track 10 together with the support member 11, or they can be driven separately by their respective drive mechanisms. This application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0029] In one example, the cleaning device 12 also includes a valve 123 for switching between the first cleaning device 121 and the second cleaning device 122. Specifically, the cleaning device 12 can use the first cleaning device 111 to spray compressed air to further clean and dry the solar panel 2 after cleaning it with cleaning fluid using the second cleaning device 112, or it can use the first cleaning device 121 to perform a secondary removal function for any remaining contaminants after cleaning the solar panel 2 with air using the second cleaning device 122. Of course, it is also possible to use only one of the two cleaning devices to clean the solar panel 2, and this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0030] In one example, the cleaning system 1 further includes a sensor 14 configured to detect the type and level of contamination on the surface of the solar panel 2. The sensor 14 preferably has a large detection range, for example, a maximum coverage distance from one end of the solar panel 2 along its length to the other. As a non-limiting example, the sensor 14 is preferably selected from optical remote detection devices, such as lidar, millimeter-wave radar, cameras, webcams, radar, infrared sensors, and ultrasonic rangefinders, or any suitable device. In a specific example, the sensor 14 is an infrared imaging sensor.

[0031] In one example, the cleaning system 1 includes a controller 13 configured to activate the cleaning device 12 based on data detected by a sensor 14. Dirt on the surface of the solar panel 2 is cleaned by applying fluid to the surface of the solar panel 2.

[0032] Specifically, the cleaning system 1 for the solar panel can be configured to perform cleaning when the solar panel 2 is detected to be contaminated. That is, the sensor 14 detects the contaminated area and contamination level of the solar panel and transmits the detected signal to the controller 13; the controller 13 activates the cleaning device 12 to clean the surface of the solar panel 2 based on the received sensor signal.

[0033] In some implementations, the controller 12 of the cleaning system for the solar panel can directly identify contamination on the solar panel 2 and perform sensor cleaning. For example, it can be determined that cleaning is required when there are stains on the surface of the solar panel 2 or when a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%) of the surface of the solar panel 2 is contaminated. The controller 12 may include a processor or microprocessor, a memory or storage device as known in the art, and one or more algorithms executed by the processor or microprocessor for operating the cleaning system for the solar panel.

[0034] Specifically, the controller 3 can also select and switch between the first cleaning device 121 and the second cleaning device 122 according to the type of pollutant detected by the sensor 14. For example, when the pollutant is dust, leaves, etc., the second cleaning device 122 is activated first, and when the pollutant is mud, dirt, etc., the first cleaning device 121 is activated first.

[0035] Sensor 14 can re-detect the cleaned area. If any uncleaned areas are found, a signal is transmitted to controller 13, which then drives cleaning device 12 to perform a second cleaning. This second cleaning also includes determining the type and level of contaminants. The detection and cleaning operations can be repeated multiple times until the surface of the solar panel 2 is completely clean. This design facilitates the removal of stubborn stains from the solar panel, ensuring its normal operation and preventing potential corrosion.

[0036] The cleaning system for solar panels disclosed herein can effectively prevent the impact of dirt in the external environment on the solar panel by monitoring and cleaning the surface of the solar panel 2, ensuring the normal operation of the solar panel, and improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency and service life of the solar panel.

[0037] The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the cleaning system for solar panels provided by this disclosure refers to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, and various combinations can be made to the various technical features and structures proposed in this disclosure without exceeding the protection scope of this disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning system (1) for a solar panel, characterized in that, The cleaning system (1) comprises: a track (10) arranged at both ends of the solar panel (2) in the transverse direction; a support (11) spanning the track (10) at both ends of the solar panel (2) and capable of moving along the track (10) in the longitudinal direction of the solar panel (2); a cleaning device (12) arranged on the support (11) and moving with the support (11) and cleaning the solar panel (2); the cleaning device (12) comprises a first cleaning device (121) for spraying liquid and a second cleaning device (122) for spraying compressed air; the cleaning system further comprises a controller (13) for starting the first cleaning device (121) and / or the second cleaning device (122) according to the type and level of contamination of the solar panel.

2. The cleaning system (1) for solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cleaning device (121) comprises nozzles arranged in at least one row in the transverse direction of the solar panel for spraying water or cleaning agent onto the solar panel, and a wiper strip for wiping the surface of the solar panel.

3. The cleaning system (1) for solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cleaning device (121) comprises a wiper strip provided with openings for spraying fluid.

4. The cleaning system (1) for solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning system (1) further comprises a sensor (14) configured to detect the type and level of contamination of the solar panel.

5. The cleaning system (1) for solar panels according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller (13) is configured to start the cleaning device (12) according to the data detected by the sensor (14).

6. The cleaning system (1) for solar panels according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sensor (14) is an infrared imaging sensor.

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