Photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device belongs to photovoltaic operation and maintenance equipment field, aims at solving the problem of difficult transfer of cleaning robot in non-regular photovoltaic array, poor terrain adaptability. The device includes a tracked vehicle and a lifting mechanism, the tracked vehicle contains a vehicle body and a track walking assembly symmetrically arranged on both sides of the vehicle body, and is suitable for rugged terrain, the lifting mechanism is installed on the vehicle body and includes a lifting mechanism and a containing box, the telescopic end of the lifting mechanism is fixedly connected with the bottom of the containing box, the containing box has an internal space capable of containing a cleaning robot, a passage for the robot to enter and exit is arranged on one side, and the containing box can be lifted or folded under the driving of the lifting mechanism. The device can realize the transfer, temporary stay and operation position adjustment of the cleaning robot between different photovoltaic panel areas, improve the operation and maintenance efficiency, and adapt to the operation demand of non-continuous photovoltaic array.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic equipment maintenance technology, and in particular to a photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] As a core application scenario for clean energy, photovoltaic power plants have seen their installed capacity continue to rise. Southwest my country (such as Panzhihua) has become an important area for the construction of photovoltaic power plants due to its abundant sunshine resources and sufficient land reserves. This region is mainly characterized by mountainous and hilly terrain, and photovoltaic modules need to be arranged along the undulating terrain to form a discontinuous and irregular installation pattern, which is significantly different from the large-scale and regular layout of flat areas such as deserts and plains.

[0003] Currently, photovoltaic (PV) panel cleaning methods are mainly divided into two categories: manual cleaning and conventional cleaning robot cleaning. However, both have significant limitations in the application of irregular PV arrays in the mountainous areas of Southwest China. Manual cleaning, as a traditional method, relies on personnel carrying tools to wipe or rinse the surface of the modules. At the same time, the irregular arrangement of the modules leads to their dispersion, requiring more manpower to clean each module individually. Conventional PV cleaning robots are mostly designed for regular PV arrays in plains. Their structure and function cannot adapt to the special environment of the mountainous areas of Southwest China. They have poor mobility and their track-mounted, wheeled, or tracked mobile structures need to travel along fixed paths. However, the height differences and angle changes of the modules in mountainous areas can cause the robots to get stuck, derail, or even be unable to move across modules. The working range is also limited by the continuous arrangement of modules. Due to the protrusions of mountains and the gaps between gullies in mountainous PV arrays, robots cannot cross the gaps to work together, requiring manual assistance to move them, which reduces efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a dedicated photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device that can assist in the transfer, efficiently clean, and stably operate non-continuous and irregular photovoltaic arrays. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, this utility model provides a photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device that can assist in the transfer, efficiently clean, and stably operate discontinuous and irregular photovoltaic arrays.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a photovoltaic maintenance and cleaning device, including a tracked vehicle and a lifting mechanism; the tracked vehicle includes a vehicle body and tracked walking components symmetrically arranged on both sides of the vehicle body, the lifting mechanism is connected to the vehicle body of the tracked vehicle, and the telescopic end of the lifting mechanism is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing box; the housing box has an internal storage space that can accommodate a cleaning robot, and one side is provided with a passage for the cleaning robot to enter and exit, and the housing box can be raised, lowered or folded under the drive of the lifting mechanism to realize the transfer and / or temporary stop of the cleaning robot between different photovoltaic panel installation areas.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes a base plate, at least two folding arms, and multiple sets of telescopic drive components; the base plate is horizontally arranged, and its bottom is rotatably mounted on the top of the tracked vehicle body via a rotary connection structure. The rotary connection structure includes a rotating seat fixed to the top of the vehicle body and a rotating shaft embedded in the rotating seat. The top end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the base plate, so that the base plate can rotate relative to the tracked vehicle around the axis of the rotating shaft; the folding arms are arranged sequentially in the vertical direction, and adjacent folding arms are movably inserted to form a telescopic structure that can move relatively.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom end of the lowest folding arm is hinged to the upper surface edge of the base plate via a first hinge shaft, and the top end of the highest folding arm is hinged to the bottom edge of the receiving box via a second hinge shaft; in two adjacent folding arms, the upper folding arm is slidably inserted into the lower folding arm; the telescopic drive assembly includes a first telescopic drive member, the two ends of which are respectively hinged to the outer sides of two adjacent folding arms to achieve relative telescopic movement of the two adjacent folding arms.

[0009] Furthermore, the telescopic drive assembly also includes a second telescopic drive member, one end of which is hinged to the upper surface of the base plate, and the other end is hinged to the middle position of the bottommost folding arm, for driving the bottommost folding arm to rotate relative to the base plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the telescopic drive assembly also includes a third telescopic drive member, one end of which is hinged to the middle of the topmost folding arm, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the receiving box, for driving the receiving box to rotate relative to the topmost folding arm.

[0011] Furthermore, the access opening of the container is located on the side facing the direction of travel of the tracked vehicle, and the width of the access opening is greater than the width of the cleaning robot; the inner edge of the access opening is provided with a guide portion that slopes inward toward the inside of the container to guide the cleaning robot into the container.

[0012] Furthermore, the tracked vehicle has two sets of support rod assemblies at its front and rear ends, respectively. Each set of support rod assemblies includes a support frame, a support foot, and a lifting drive component. The inner sidewall of the support frame has a guide groove extending along its height direction. The support foot includes a support plate and a sliding rod. The top end of the sliding rod is slidably embedded in the guide groove, and the bottom end of the sliding rod is vertically and fixedly connected to the upper surface of the support plate. The lifting drive component is installed at the top of the support frame, and its output end is connected to the top end of the sliding rod to drive the sliding rod to rise and fall along the guide groove.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper surface of the base plate is also provided with a vehicle cover with a top opening. The vehicle cover is a box-type structure with an opening at one end, and its opening direction is consistent with the travel direction of the tracked vehicle. The internal space dimensions of the vehicle cover are adapted to the overall dimensions of the folded lifting mechanism and the housing box. When the lifting mechanism is folded and retracted, the lifting mechanism and the housing box can be stored as a whole inside the vehicle cover.

[0014] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial effects: (1) This utility model uses a tracked vehicle as a mobile carrier, which can adapt to rugged terrain and slope changes. At the same time, the lifting mechanism can achieve flexible lifting and lowering, and cooperate with the tracked vehicle to adjust the angle and rotate. It can accurately adapt to the arrangement of photovoltaic panels of different heights and tilt angles, ensuring that the container can stably deliver the cleaning robot to the target work position, thus solving the limitation of the terrain on non-continuous and irregularly arranged photovoltaic cleaning.

[0015] (2) This utility model enables the cleaning robot to enter and exit autonomously through the channel and guide structure. With the coordinate position of the cleaning robot on the photovoltaic panel, the cleaning robot can be directly deployed and transferred or temporarily parked between different photovoltaic panel areas without manual handling or assisted transfer. This reduces the time consumption and cleaning difficulty caused by the dispersed components and the arrangement along the mountain terrain of the photovoltaic array in the mountainous area. In addition, the height adjustment of the lifting mechanism can quickly adjust the height of the container box to match the working surface of the photovoltaic panel, and improve the continuity of the operation.

[0016] (3) The support rod components of the front and rear of the tracked vehicle can be firmly grounded through the support feet during operation, which can offset the overturning torque when the lifting mechanism is deployed and avoid the equipment from shaking due to the terrain tilt; the lifting mechanism, the housing box and the cleaning robot can be directly folded back into the vehicle cover, or directly lifted from the vehicle cover to match the surface of the photovoltaic panel, which is more convenient and easier to store. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of the cleaning robot of this utility model housed in a tracked vehicle.

[0019] Figure 3 This is the front view of the photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device of this utility model.

[0020] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 1. Tracked vehicle; 3. Lifting mechanism; 31. Base plate; 32. Folding arm; 33. Telescopic drive assembly; 4. Storage box; 5. Support rod assembly; 6. Vehicle cover; 7. Cleaning robot. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0022] In practical implementation: such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a photovoltaic maintenance and cleaning device includes a tracked vehicle 1 and a lifting mechanism 2. The tracked vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body and tracked walking components symmetrically arranged on both sides of the vehicle body. The lifting mechanism 2 is connected to the top of the vehicle body of the tracked vehicle 1. The lifting mechanism 2 includes a liftable and foldable lifting mechanism 3 and a housing 4 for carrying a cleaning robot 7. The fixed end of the lifting mechanism 3 is connected to the vehicle body of the tracked vehicle 1, and the telescopic end of the lifting mechanism 3 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing 4. The housing 4 is a box structure with an internal storage space. One side of the housing 4 is provided with a passage for the cleaning robot 7 to enter and exit. The housing 4 can be raised, lowered, or folded under the drive of the lifting mechanism 3 to realize the transfer, temporary stop, and adjustment of the working position of the cleaning robot 7 between different photovoltaic panel installation areas.

[0023] The lifting mechanism 3 includes a base plate 31, at least two folding arms 32, and multiple sets of telescopic drive components 33. The base plate 31 is horizontally arranged, and its bottom is rotatably mounted on the top of the tracked vehicle 1 via a rotary connection structure. The rotary connection structure includes a rotating seat fixed to the top of the vehicle body and a rotating shaft embedded in the rotating seat. The top end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the base plate 31 so that the base plate 31 can rotate relative to the tracked vehicle 1 around the vertical axis of the rotating shaft. The folding arms 32 are arranged sequentially in the vertical direction.

[0024] In one implementation, adjacent folding arms 32 are connected by a plug-in connection. The bottom end of the bottom folding arm 32 is hinged to the upper surface edge of the base plate 31 via a first hinge shaft, and the top end of the top folding arm 32 is hinged to the bottom edge of the receiving box 4 via a second hinge shaft. Among two adjacent folding arm sections 32, the lower folding arm 32 is the outer arm, and its top end has an axially penetrating sliding cavity. The upper folding arm 32 is the inner arm, and its bottom end forms a telescopic section that matches the sliding cavity. The telescopic section is slidably inserted into the sliding cavity of the outer arm, forming a plug-in fit that moves relative to each other along the axial direction.

[0025] In another embodiment, adjacent folding arms 32 are hinged together by a hinge shaft to form a folding structure that can rotate relative to each other. The bottom end of the folding arm 32 at the bottom end is hinged to the upper surface edge of the base plate 31 by a first hinge shaft, and the top end of the folding arm 32 at the top end is hinged to the bottom edge of the receiving box 4 by a second hinge shaft. In two adjacent folding arms 32, the bottom end of the upper folding arm 32 is provided with a hinge ear extending along its length direction, and the top end of the lower folding arm 32 is provided with a connecting ear that matches the hinge ear. The hinge ear and the connecting ear are connected by a third hinge shaft to form a rotatable hinged fit.

[0026] The telescopic drive assembly 33 includes a first telescopic drive member. The two ends of the first telescopic drive member are respectively hinged to the middle positions of two adjacent folding arms 32 via a fourth hinge shaft and a fifth hinge shaft. It is used to drive the adjacent folding arms 32 to rotate relative to each other around a third hinge shaft, so as to realize the overall lifting or folding of the lifting mechanism 3.

[0027] The telescopic drive assembly 33 also includes a second telescopic drive member. One end of the second telescopic drive member is hinged to the upper surface of the base plate 31 via a sixth hinge axis, and the other end is hinged to the middle position of the bottommost folding arm 32 via a seventh hinge axis. The hinge point between the second telescopic drive member and the bottommost folding arm 32 is located between the first hinge axis and the third hinge axis, and is used to drive the bottommost folding arm 32 to rotate relative to the base plate 31 around the first hinge axis to adjust the initial unfolding angle of the lifting mechanism 3.

[0028] The telescopic drive assembly 33 also includes a third telescopic drive member. One end of the third telescopic drive member is hinged to the middle position of the topmost folding arm 32 via an eighth hinge axis, and the other end is hinged to the bottom of the housing box 4 via a ninth hinge axis. The hinge point between the third telescopic drive member and the topmost folding arm 32 is located between the second hinge axis and the corresponding third hinge axis. It is used to drive the housing box 4 to rotate around the second hinge axis relative to the topmost folding arm 32 to adjust the tilt angle of the housing box 4 to adapt to the entry and exit of the cleaning robot 7 or the installation slope of the photovoltaic panel.

[0029] The access opening of the receiving box 4 is located on its side facing the direction of travel of the tracked vehicle 1. The height of the access opening is adapted to the height of the cleaning robot 7, and the width of the access opening is greater than the width of the cleaning robot 7. The inner edge of the access opening is provided with a guide plate that slopes inward towards the interior of the receiving box 4. The top of the guide plate smoothly transitions to the inner wall of the receiving box 4, guiding the cleaning robot 7 along the guide plate into the interior of the receiving box 4. In implementation, the bottom of the receiving box 4 is provided with an anti-slip pad, the upper surface of which has anti-slip textures to prevent the cleaning robot 7 from sliding inside the receiving box 4.

[0030] The cleaning robot 7 is currently the most widely used type. It usually adopts a tracked or wheeled chassis and can move autonomously on the surface of photovoltaic panels. It rotates brushes to clean and achieves precise positioning through AI visual navigation or LiDAR. After cleaning, it automatically returns to the charging dock or storage box along the planned path. In this embodiment, the cleaning robot 7 returns either manually or automatically.

[0031] The tracked vehicle 1 is an existing tracked vehicle 1. As an example, the tracked walking assembly includes a drive wheel, a driven wheel, a tension wheel, and a track body. The drive wheel is connected to a drive motor inside the tracked vehicle 1. The driven wheel and the tension wheel are respectively mounted on wheel frames on both sides of the vehicle body through wheel axles. The tension wheel is connected to the wheel frame through a tension adjustment mechanism and can move along the length of the wheel frame to adjust the tension of the track body. The track body is wrapped around the outside of the drive wheel, driven wheel, and tension wheel. Its outer surface is evenly distributed with anti-slip ridges. The anti-slip ridges extend along the width of the track body to enhance the traction of the tracked vehicle 1 in mountainous and hilly terrain.

[0032] The tracked vehicle 1 has at least one set of support rod assemblies 5 at its front and rear ends. Each set of support rod assemblies 5 includes a support frame, support feet, and a lifting drive component. The support frame is a hollow rectangular frame structure, with its bottom end vertically fixed to the side of the tracked vehicle 1. The inner sidewall of the support frame has a guide groove extending along its height direction. The support foot includes a support plate and a sliding rod. The top end of the sliding rod is slidably embedded in the guide groove, and the bottom end of the sliding rod is vertically fixed to the upper surface of the support plate. The lower surface of the support plate is provided with a wear-resistant rubber pad. The lifting drive component is installed at the top of the support frame, and its output end is connected to the top end of the sliding rod. It is used to drive the sliding rod to rise and fall along the guide groove, so that the support plate contacts or detaches from the ground, thereby achieving stable support for the tracked vehicle 1. The lifting drive component can be a bolt, which is threadedly connected to the support rod. The movement of the support rod within the guide groove is controlled by rotating the bolt.

[0033] The upper surface of the base plate 31 is also provided with a top-opening cover 6. The cover 6 is a box-type structure with one end open, and its opening direction is consistent with the travel direction of the tracked vehicle 1. The internal space dimensions of the cover 6 are adapted to the overall dimensions of the folded lifting mechanism 3 and the housing box 4. When the lifting mechanism 3 is folded and retracted, the lifting mechanism 3 and the housing box 4 can be stored as a whole inside the cover 6.

[0034] In practice, the side wall of the top opening of the cover 6 is provided with a slot, and a detachable baffle is provided on the front side of the cover. The baffle is installed through the slot, and a cover is detachably installed on the top of the cover 6. The cover is also installed through the slot, so that the cover can be closed after the cleaning robot 7 is folded and stored. When in use, the baffle and cover can be removed and placed inside the cover 6.

[0035] Located in a mountainous and hilly area, the photovoltaic array exhibits an irregular and discontinuous distributed layout. The photovoltaic modules are arranged along the undulating terrain, with significant height and angle differences between them. In some areas, gaps in the work area are created due to mountain gullies and vegetation, which is a "natural layout" to maximize the use of mountain sunlight resources. The modules are not a continuous and regular array like on a plain, making it difficult for traditional flat-ground cleaning equipment to achieve cross-regional joint operations. The efficiency and safety of manual cleaning or conventional robots are both limited.

[0036] In this embodiment, the tracked vehicle 1 utilizes anti-slip ridges and adjustable tension design to stably travel on rugged mountain roads and sloping areas, overcoming the risks of terrain bumps and slippage, and travels to the vicinity of the target photovoltaic block. Upon reaching the work site, the support rod assemblies 5 at the front and rear of the vehicle can be deployed according to terrain requirements, and the support feet descend along the guide grooves and firmly touch the ground, offsetting the overturning torque of the lifting mechanism 3 during operation and ensuring the stability of the device on sloping terrain. The base plate 31 of the lifting mechanism 3 rotates around the vertical axis through a rotary connection structure, causing the lifting mechanism 3 to turn towards the target photovoltaic panel group, adapting to the distributed layout of the components. The second telescopic drive component drives the bottommost folding arm 32 to rotate relative to the base plate 31, and the third telescopic drive component drives the receiving box 4 to rotate relative to the topmost folding arm 32, jointly adjusting the overall angle of the lifting mechanism 3 so that the inclination of the receiving box 4 matches the installation slope of the photovoltaic panels, ensuring that the cleaning robot 7 can smoothly enter and exit. After the passageway and guide of the housing 4 are aligned with the target photovoltaic panel, the cleaning robot 7 drives out of the passageway and smoothly enters the surface of the photovoltaic panel along the guide to begin cleaning operations. Existing cleaning robots are equipped with the ability to capture the outline and distribution of baselines through visual sensors, such as cameras, to accurately locate the boundaries of individual photovoltaic panels. They can manually or automatically plan a reciprocating cleaning path. After cleaning a single block, the robot returns to the housing 4 manually or automatically. The lifting mechanism 3 folds and lifts, and in conjunction with the movement of the tracked vehicle 1, transfers the robot to the next dispersed photovoltaic block, repeating the above process to achieve cleaning coverage of the entire array.

[0037] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device, characterized in that, The system includes a tracked vehicle (1) and a lifting mechanism (3); the tracked vehicle (1) includes a vehicle body and tracked walking components symmetrically arranged on both sides of the vehicle body; the lifting mechanism (3) is connected to the vehicle body of the tracked vehicle (1); the telescopic end of the lifting mechanism (3) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing (4); the housing (4) has an internal housing space that can accommodate the cleaning robot (7); one side of the housing is provided with a passage for the cleaning robot (7) to enter and exit; and the housing (4) can be raised, lowered or folded under the drive of the lifting mechanism (3) to realize the transfer and / or temporary stop of the cleaning robot (7) between different photovoltaic panel installation areas.

2. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (3) includes a base plate (31), at least two folding arms (32), and multiple sets of telescopic drive components (33). The base plate (31) is horizontally arranged, and its bottom is rotatably mounted on the top of the tracked vehicle (1) through a rotary connection structure. The rotary connection structure includes a rotating seat fixed to the top of the vehicle body and a rotating shaft embedded in the rotating seat. The top end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the base plate (31) so that the base plate (31) can rotate relative to the tracked vehicle (1) around the rotation axis. The folding arms (32) are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and adjacent folding arms (32) are movably inserted to form a telescopic structure that can move relatively.

3. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom end of the folding arm (32) at the bottom end is hinged to the upper surface edge of the base plate (31) through the first hinge shaft, and the top end of the folding arm (32) at the top end is hinged to the bottom edge of the receiving box (4) through the second hinge shaft; in two adjacent folding arms (32), the upper folding arm (32) is slidably inserted into the lower folding arm (32); the telescopic drive assembly (33) includes a first telescopic drive member, the two ends of which are respectively hinged to the outside of the two adjacent folding arms (32) to realize the relative telescopic extension of the two adjacent folding arms (32).

4. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly (33) further includes a second telescopic drive member, one end of which is hinged to the upper surface of the base plate (31), and the other end is hinged to the middle position of the bottom folding arm (32), for driving the bottom folding arm (32) to rotate relative to the base plate (31).

5. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly (33) also includes a third telescopic drive member, one end of which is hinged to the middle of the topmost folding arm (32), and the other end is connected to the bottom of the container (4), for driving the container (4) to rotate relative to the topmost folding arm (32).

6. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The passage opening of the container (4) is located on the side facing the direction of travel of the tracked vehicle (1), and the width of the passage opening is greater than the width of the cleaning robot (7); the inner edge of the passage opening is provided with a guide that is inclined towards the inside of the container (4) to guide the cleaning robot (7) into the inside of the container (4).

7. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tracked vehicle (1) has two sets of support rod assemblies (5) at its front end and rear end, respectively. Each set of support rod assemblies (5) includes a support frame, a support foot, and a lifting drive component. The inner side wall of the support frame is provided with a guide groove extending along its height direction. The support foot includes a support plate and a sliding rod. The top end of the sliding rod is slidably embedded in the guide groove, and the bottom end of the sliding rod is vertically fixedly connected to the upper surface of the support plate. The lifting drive component is installed at the top of the support frame, and its output end is connected to the top end of the sliding rod to drive the sliding rod to rise and fall along the guide groove.

8. The photovoltaic operation and maintenance cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper surface of the base plate (31) is also provided with a top-opening vehicle cover (6). The vehicle cover (6) is a box-type structure with one end open, and its opening direction is consistent with the travel direction of the tracked vehicle (1). The internal space size of the vehicle cover (6) is adapted to the overall size of the folded lifting mechanism (3) and the housing box (4). When the lifting mechanism (3) is folded and retracted, the lifting mechanism (3) and the housing box (4) can be stored as a whole inside the vehicle cover (6).

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