Powder removal apparatus

Abstract

To provide a powder removal apparatus capable of removing powder adhering to a surface of an object without damaging the surface of the object.SOLUTION: A powder removal apparatus that removes powder (PW) adhering to a surface of an object 201, includes a magnetic core 32 that generates magnetic force, a rotating body 33 that is rotatable along a periphery of the magnetic core 32, a support body that supports the rotating body 33 so as to face the surface of the object 201 in a non-contact manner, and a drive unit that drives the rotating body 33. The magnetic core 32 has a strong magnetic region (SM) and a weak magnetic region (WM) provided along a rotation direction (R) of the rotating body 33. It is preferable that a collection unit 40 that collects the powder (PW) is disposed in the vicinity of the weak magnetic region (WM).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder removing device for removing powder adhering to the surface of an object. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of power generation system known is a power generation system that uses solar power generation panels. Solar power generation panels are generally installed on the roof of a building or on a rack laid on the ground. Since solar power generation panels are installed outdoors, dust and other granular matter (powder) tend to adhere to the surface of the solar power generation panel. When powder adheres to the surface of a solar power generation panel, sunlight is blocked and power generation efficiency decreases, so the surface of the solar power generation panel is cleaned as needed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a device for cleaning the surface of a solar panel by installing rail-shaped mounting members on both sides of the solar panel, attaching a brush to a slider that is arranged so that it can move back and forth along the mounting members and is able to come into contact with the surface of the solar panel, and moving the slider back and forth to remove powder adhering to the surface of the solar panel with the brush. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-350684 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the surface of the solar panel is damaged because the powder is removed by bringing a brush into contact with the surface of the solar panel.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a powder removal device that can remove powder adhering to the surface of an object without damaging the surface of the object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The powder removing device according to the present invention, which solves the above problems, has the following characteristic configuration: A powder removal device for removing powder adhering to a surface of an object, a magnetic core that generates magnetic force; a rotor that can rotate or revolve around the periphery of the magnetic core; a support for supporting the rotating body so as to face the surface of the object without contacting the surface; a drive unit that drives the rotating body; The purpose is to provide the following.

[0008] With this powder removal device, when a magnetic force exceeding the combined force of gravity and adhesive force acting on powder adhering to the surface of an object acts on the powder from the magnetic core via the rotor, the powder, including paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles, is attracted to the rotor. When the rotor is driven by the drive unit, the powder attracted to the rotor is transported in the direction of rotation or rotation of the rotor. In this way, the powder adhering to the surface of the object is attracted and transported by the rotor, which is supported by a support so as to face the surface of the object without contacting it, so that the powder adhering to the surface of the object can be removed without damaging the surface of the object.

[0009] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, The support preferably includes a gap adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance between the rotating body and the surface of the object.

[0010] According to the powder removal device of this configuration, the gap adjustment mechanism can easily adjust the distance between the rotating body and the surface of the object to a size suitable for the rotating body to adsorb the powder.

[0011] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, the magnetic core has a strong magnetic region and a weak magnetic region provided along the rotation direction of the rotor, It is preferable that a recovery section for recovering the powder is disposed in the vicinity of the weak magnetic field region.

[0012] With this powder removal device, when a magnetic force exceeding the combined force of the adhesive force and gravity acting on the powder acts on the powder from the ferromagnetic region of the magnetic core through the rotor and on the powder adhering to the surface of the object, the powder, including particles of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials, is attracted to the rotor. The powder attracted to the rotor is transported in the direction of rotation of the rotor by the rotor being driven by the drive unit. The rotation speed of the rotor at this time is determined by the centrifugal force (F c ) is the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and magnetic force from the ferromagnetic region (F m1 ) is smaller than the resultant force (F c <(F a +F m1 )) and the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and the magnetic force from the weak magnetic field region (F m2 ) is greater than the resultant force (F c >(F a +F m2 When the powder conveyed by the rotor reaches the area where the magnetic force acts through the rotor from the weak magnetic area of ​​the magnetic core, the magnetic force acting on the powder becomes relatively weak, and the adhesive force (F a ) and the magnetic force from the weak magnetic field region (F m2 ) acting on the powder is greater than the resultant force of the centrifugal force (F c ) increases, causing the powder to be released (separated) from the rotating body. The released powder is collected by a collection section disposed near the weakly magnetic region of the magnetic core. In this way, the powder removed from the surface of the object can be collected efficiently.

[0013] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, The ferromagnetic region is a region in which north and south poles are alternately arranged, The weak magnetic region is preferably a region in which north poles or south poles are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0014] In the powder removal device of this configuration, in a region where N poles or S poles, i.e., same poles, are arranged adjacent to each other (weak magnetic region), the magnetic force is relatively weaker than in a region where N poles and S poles are arranged alternately (strong magnetic region) due to the influence of the repulsive magnetic field between the two. Therefore, by arranging the N poles and S poles in the magnetic core so that the magnetic characteristics are asymmetric with respect to the center of rotation of the rotor, strong magnetic regions and weak magnetic regions can be easily formed.

[0015] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, It is preferable to provide a movement mechanism that moves the rotating body, which faces the surface of the object without contacting it, relatively while maintaining the non-contact state.

[0016] With this configuration of powder removal device, the rotating body is moved relative to the entire surface or a specified area of ​​the object using a moving mechanism while maintaining a non-contact state with the surface of the object, thereby making it possible to remove powder adhering to the entire surface or a specified area of ​​the object without damaging the surface of the object.

[0017] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, In a state where the rotating body is moved by the moving mechanism to a region that does not face the surface of the object, It is preferable that the rotating body is configured to switch from an adsorption mode in which the centrifugal force acting on the powder as the rotating body rotates is smaller than the resultant force of the adhesive force acting on the powder and the magnetic force from the magnetic core, to a release mode in which the centrifugal force is greater than the resultant force.

[0018] With this configuration of powder removal device, the rotating body is moved by the moving mechanism to an area that does not face the surface of the object, and the mode is switched from adsorption mode to release mode, so that the powder adsorbed by the rotating body in adsorption mode is released in an area that does not face the surface of the object in release mode.This means that the powder can be discharged to an area that does not face the surface of the object without re-adhering to the surface of the object, and the rotating body can be restored to a state where it can adsorb powder again.

[0019] In the powder removing device according to the present invention, The drive unit is In the adsorption mode, the rotor is driven to rotate at a first rotation speed that satisfies a condition that the centrifugal force is smaller than the resultant force; In the release mode, it is preferable that the rotor is driven to rotate at a second rotation speed that satisfies the condition that the centrifugal force is greater than the resultant force.

[0020] In the powder removal device of this configuration, in the adsorption mode, the rotor is driven to rotate at a first rotation speed that satisfies the condition that the centrifugal force is smaller than the resultant force, thereby ensuring that powder adhering to the surface of the object is adsorbed. On the other hand, in the release mode, the rotor is driven at a second rotation speed that satisfies the condition that the centrifugal force is larger than the resultant force, thereby ensuring that powder adhering to the surface of the rotor is released even when the adhesive force of the powder is relatively large. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a powder removing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is set on a photovoltaic power generation module. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of the magnetic roll. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view taken along the arrow E in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a movement mechanism in the powder removing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system in the powder removing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the powder removing operation by the powder removing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of a powder removing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system in the powder removing device of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the powder removing operation by the powder removing device of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotating sleeve is moved to an area that does not face the surface of the photovoltaic panel in the powder removing device of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a powder removing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is set in a workpiece transport facility. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an example will be described in which the powder removal device of the present invention is applied to remove powder adhering to the surface of a photovoltaic panel (corresponding to the "object" of the present invention) in a photovoltaic module. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described below or the configurations shown in the drawings. In Figures 1 to 6, 9, 12, and 13, the various devices and components constituting the powder removal device of the present invention, such as the traveling body 2, frame 3, cleaning unit 4, and moving mechanism 5, are appropriately exaggerated or simplified for ease of explanation and understanding, and do not strictly reflect the relative sizes and arrangements of the various devices and components in an actual powder removal device.

[0023] In this specification, the powder to be removed is "adhered" to the surface of the solar panel (object) when, for example, the liquid bridging force (F L ), van der Waals forces (F V ), electrostatic force (F CE ) and other factors (F a ) and the state in which the powder adheres to the surface of the solar panel with the adhesive force (F a ), and also includes a state in which powder simply accumulates on the surface of the solar panel. Furthermore, after the powder from the surface of the solar panel is attracted to the rotating sleeve 33 (described later), the effect of gravity acting on the powder is negligibly small compared to the effects of the adhesive force acting on the powder, the magnetic force acting on the powder from the magnetic core 32 via the rotating sleeve 33 (described later), and the centrifugal force acting on the powder as the rotating sleeve 33 rotates. Therefore, in the following explanation, the effect of gravity will be considered to be nonexistent after the powder from the surface of the object is attracted to the rotating sleeve 33.

[0024] Powders to be removed by the powder removal device of the present invention include those containing particles of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic materials. Examples of ferromagnetic materials include iron (Fe) and magnetite (Fe3O4). Powders containing ferromagnetic materials can be efficiently removed by the powder removal device of the present invention. Here, "containing ferromagnetic materials" means that when a particle is composed of multiple phases, all or some of the phases may be ferromagnetic. Furthermore, when the particles are aggregated (forming secondary particles), all or some of the constituent particles may be ferromagnetic. The ferromagnetic material may be a hard or soft magnetic material.

[0025] First Embodiment <Overall structure> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a powder removing device 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention is set in a photovoltaic module 200. FIG. 1(a) is a side view, and FIG. 1(b) is a view taken along arrow A in FIG. 1(a). Note that a traveling body 2, which will be described later, is not shown in FIG. 1(b). As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the photovoltaic module 200 includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels 201 and a mount 202 that supports the photovoltaic panels 201. As shown in FIG. 1(b), each of the photovoltaic panels 201 is formed in a rectangular shape so as to extend in a first direction (X direction: horizontal direction) and a second direction (Y direction: vertical direction) that are orthogonal to each other. In the photovoltaic module 200, the plurality of photovoltaic panels 201 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the X direction and the Y direction, and are installed on the mount 202 at a predetermined inclination angle (approximately 30°) suitable for receiving sunlight, as shown in FIG. 1(a). The powder removing device 1A is disposed so as to enclose the photovoltaic power generation module 200 therein.

[0026] <Powder removal equipment> As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), the powder removal device 1A includes a self-propelled running body 2, a frame body 3 supported by the running body 2, a cleaning unit 4 that cleans the solar power generation panel 201, and a movement mechanism 5 that moves the cleaning unit 4 in the X and Y directions.

[0027] The traveling object 2 is configured to be able to travel under its own power to reach the location where the photovoltaic power generation module 200 to be cleaned is installed, based on current location information acquired by, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) and location information of the photovoltaic power generation module 200 to be cleaned. Note that the configuration of the traveling object 2 is not limited to this, and the traveling object 2 may be configured to be driven to the location where the photovoltaic power generation module 200 to be cleaned is installed by a worker directly or remotely controlled.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the frame body 3 includes a pair of horizontal beam members 11 extending in the X direction at a predetermined interval in the Y direction and a pair of vertical beam members 12 extending in the Y direction at a predetermined interval in the X direction. The pair of horizontal beam members 11 and the pair of vertical beam members 12 are assembled to form a rectangular shape that is relatively long in the X direction and relatively short in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the frame body 3 is supported by the traveling body 2 so as to be in an orientation parallel to the solar power generation panel 201 at a predetermined distance above the solar power generation panel 201 in a third direction (Z direction) perpendicular to both the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction). The frame body 3 is set to a size that can surround all of the multiple solar power generation panels 201 supported by the mounting base 202 when viewed down from above the frame body 3 in the Z direction, as shown in FIG. 1(b).

[0029] <Cleaning unit> Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part B in Fig. 1(b) As shown in Fig. 2, the cleaning unit 4 includes a magnetic roll 21, a support 22, and a drive unit .

[0030] <Magnetic roll> FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the magnetic roll 21. FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 2. FIG. 3(b) is a view taken along the D arrow in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the magnetic roll 21 includes a shaft 31, a magnetic core 32, a rotating sleeve 33, a pair of end caps 34, and a pair of bearings 35. The rotating sleeve 33 is one embodiment of the "rotating body" in the present invention.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the shaft 31 extends in the X direction. Both ends of the shaft 31 are partially cut out on the outer periphery (the upper portions in this example) to form a non-circular cross section. Note that the shape of the end face on the left side of the shaft 31 shown in Fig. 3(a) is shown in Fig. 3(b), but the shape of the end face on the right side of the shaft 31 shown in Fig. 3(a) is also the same as the end face shape shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0032] <Magnetic core> 3(a) is made of a permanent magnet that generates magnetic force, and is formed, for example, by extrusion molding a plastic magnet material in which magnetic powder is dispersed in synthetic resin, into a cylindrical hollow shaft shape having a hollow portion through which the shaft 31 can be inserted. In the magnetic core 32, multiple magnetic poles (S1, N1, S2, N2, S3) are formed using a magnetizing device (not shown) so as to achieve a circumferentially asymmetric magnetization pattern with a uniform magnetic field orientation in the axial direction.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow FF in Fig. 3(a). As shown in Fig. 4(a), magnetic pole N1 is formed on the magnetic core 32 on the side facing the solar panel 201 across the rotating sleeve 33. Using magnetic pole N1 as a reference, magnetic poles S1, N2, S2, and S3 are arranged in this order along the rotational direction (R) of the rotating sleeve 33. These multiple magnetic poles (S1, N1, S2, N2, S3) are formed at approximately equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction along the rotational direction (R) of the rotating sleeve 33. A strong magnetic region (SM) and a weak magnetic region (WM) are formed in the space around the magnetic core 32 along the rotational direction (R) of the rotating sleeve 33. The strong magnetic region (SM) is formed in the space around the portion of the magnetic core 32 extending from magnetic pole S3 to magnetic poles N1, S1, N2, and S2 along the rotational direction (R) of the rotating sleeve 33. On the other hand, the weak magnetic region (WM) is formed in the space surrounding the portion of the magnetic core 32 extending from the magnetic pole S2 to the magnetic pole S3 along the rotational direction (R) of the rotating sleeve 33. When the strong magnetic region (SM) and the weak magnetic region (WM) are compared at positions at equal radial distances from the center of the cross section of the magnetic core 32 when the magnetic core 32 is cut along the radial direction of the shaft 31, the weak magnetic region is a region with a lower magnetic flux density (weaker magnetic field (magnetic force)) than the strong magnetic region. In this example, the magnetic poles N1, S1, N2, S2, and S3 are arranged in this order along the rotational direction of the rotating sleeve 33. By arranging the north and south poles in the magnetic core 32 in this way so that the magnetic characteristics are asymmetric with respect to the rotational center of the rotating sleeve 33, the strong magnetic region (SM) and the weak magnetic region (WM) can be easily formed. The weak magnetic region (WM) may also be formed by arranging the north poles adjacent to each other. Furthermore, a weak magnetic region (WM) may be formed by providing a region where a magnetic force acts in the repulsive direction.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 4(a), a box-shaped recovery section 40 for recovering the powder attracted by the rotating sleeve 33 in the weak magnetic region (WM) is attached to the base 41 so as to be positioned near the weak magnetic region (WM).

[0035] As shown in Figure 3(a), the shaft 31 and the magnetic core 32 are fixed to each other so that they cannot rotate relative to each other, with the shaft 31 inserted into the hollow portion of the magnetic core 32 with the shaft 31 protruding from both end faces of the magnetic core 32.

[0036] <Rotating sleeve> The rotating sleeve 33 is a non-magnetic cylindrical sleeve made of, for example, an aluminum alloy or stainless steel, and is fitted onto the outer periphery of the magnetic core 32 with a predetermined gap between it and the outer periphery of the magnetic core 32. The magnetic core 32 and the rotating sleeve 33 are arranged coaxially with the shaft 31 as the reference.

[0037] A pair of end caps 34 are fixed to both ends of the rotating sleeve 33, with a pair of protruding shaft portions 31a that protrude from both end surfaces of the magnetic core 32 of the shaft 31 inserted therethrough. The end caps 34 have a hollow shaft-shaped portion 34a through which the protruding shaft portions 31a are inserted with a gap, and a flange portion 34b that protrudes radially outward at the base end side of the hollow shaft-shaped portion 34a and is fitted and fixed to the end of the rotating sleeve 33.

[0038] A pair of bearings 35 are disposed between the pair of end caps 34 and the pair of protruding shaft portions 31 a, and are fitted between the flange portions 34 b of the end caps 34 and the protruding shaft portions 31 a. In this way, the rotating sleeve 33 is allowed to rotate relatively around the periphery of the magnetic core 32.

[0039] <Support> As shown in Figure 2, the support 22 supports the magnetic roll 21 (rotating sleeve 33) so that the rotating sleeve 33 of the magnetic roll 21 is positioned opposite the surface of the solar panel 201 without contacting it (see Figure 3(b)), and includes a base 41, a support frame 42, a guide post 43, and a gap adjustment mechanism 44.

[0040] The base 41 is formed in a rectangular shape so as to extend in the X and Y directions. The base 41 is installed and fixed to a plurality of Y-direction carriages 65, which will be described later.

[0041] The support frame 42 has a beam portion 42a and a pair of arm portions 42b. The beam portion 42a extends in the X direction so as to overlap in the Z direction (the direction penetrating the plane of the paper in FIG. 2) with a portion of the base 41 near one end in the Y direction (the lower side in FIG. 2). The pair of arm portions 42b are integrally connected to both ends of the beam portion 42a in the X direction and extend in the Y direction so as to protrude from the base 41 to one side in the Y direction (the lower side in FIG. 2) when viewed in the Z direction.

[0042] 3(a) and 3(b), the support frame 42 further has a pair of hanging parts 42c. The pair of hanging parts 42c are integrally connected to the ends of the pair of arm parts 42b in the protruding direction, and extend so as to hang down from the pair of arm parts 42b in the Z direction.

[0043] Both ends of shaft 31 are fitted into pair of hanging portions 42c. Here, as described above, both ends of shaft 31 have a portion (upper portion) of the outer periphery cut out to form a non-circular cross section, and locking plates 45 are attached to hanging portion 42c so as to abut on the cut-out portion. In this way, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), both ends of shaft 31 are supported by pair of hanging portions 42c by locking plates 45 arranged on both end sides so as to be immovable in the axial direction and immovable about the axis.

[0044] Fig. 5 is a view seen from the arrow E in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, a pair of guide posts 43 that can freely expand and contract in the Z direction are interposed between the base 41 and portions of the beam portion 42a near both ends in the X direction. In this way, the support frame 42 is installed on the base 41 so as to be movable (up and down) in the Z direction by being guided by the guide posts 43.

[0045] <Gap adjustment mechanism> The gap adjustment mechanism 44 includes a screw shaft 44a that is screwed into the X-direction intermediate portion of the beam portion 42a so that its tip can abut against the base 41, and a knob portion 44b that is integrally provided on the base end side of the screw shaft 44a, and is configured so that by rotating the screw shaft 44a in one direction via the knob portion 44b, the support frame 42 is moved upward in the Z direction by the thrust force from the screw shaft 44a, and conversely, by rotating the screw shaft 44a in the other direction via the knob portion 44b, the support frame 42 is moved downward in the Z direction by the weight of the support frame 42, etc. By providing such a gap adjustment mechanism 44, the separation distance (G: see FIG. 3(b)) between the rotating sleeve 33 and the surface of the solar panel 201 can be easily adjusted to a size suitable for the rotating sleeve 33 to adsorb powder.

[0046] <Drive unit> As shown in FIG. 2, the drive unit 23 includes a rotating sleeve drive motor 51, a drive timing pulley 52, a driven timing pulley 53, and a timing belt 54. The rotating sleeve drive motor 51 has its output shaft installed and fixed to the base 41 at a position separated by a predetermined axial distance from the shaft 31 of the magnetic roll 21. The drive timing pulley 52 is fixed to the output shaft of the rotating sleeve drive motor 51. The driven timing pulley 53 is fixed to the hollow shaft portion 34a of the end cap 34 on one side (the right side in FIG. 2) of the magnetic roll 21. The timing belt 54 is wound around the drive timing pulley 52 and the driven timing pulley 53. Note that notches 41a are provided in required locations on the base 41 to prevent the timing belt 54 from interfering with the base 41. In the drive unit 23, the rotational power from the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 is transmitted to the driven timing pulley 53 via the drive timing pulley 52 and the timing belt 54 when the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 is operated. The rotational power from the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 is transmitted to the driven timing pulley 53, causing the rotating sleeve 33 to rotate around the periphery of the magnetic core 32.

[0047] <Movement mechanism> Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the movement mechanism 5. The movement mechanism 5 shown in Fig. 6 moves a rotating sleeve (see Figs. 3(a) and (b)), which faces the surface of the solar panel 201 in a non-contact manner across a gap (G), while maintaining the non-contact state. The movement mechanism 5 includes a pair of X-direction guide rails 61, an X-direction carriage 62, an X-direction mover 63, a pair of Y-direction guide rails 64, a Y-direction carriage 65, an X-direction drive unit 66, and a Y-direction drive unit 67.

[0048] A pair of X-direction guide rails 61 are installed and fixed to a pair of cross beam members 11 of the frame body 3. A plurality of (four in this example) X-direction carriages 62 are attached to the pair of X-direction guide rails 61 so as to be slidable in the X direction. An X-direction mover 63 is placed on and fixed to the plurality of X-direction carriages 62. In this way, the X-direction mover 63 is movable in the X direction by being guided by the pair of X-direction guide rails 61 and the plurality of X-direction carriages 62.

[0049] The X-direction movable body 63 has a first slider portion 63a, a second slider portion 63b, and a pair of connecting portions 63c. The first slider portion 63a is placed on and fixed to a plurality of (two in this example) X-direction carriages 62 attached to the X-direction guide rails 61 on one side in the Y direction (the lower side in FIG. 6) of the pair of X-direction guide rails 61. The second slider portion 63b is placed on and fixed to a plurality of (two in this example) X-direction carriages 62 attached to the X-direction guide rails 61 on the other side in the Y direction (the upper side in FIG. 6) of the pair of X-direction guide rails 61. The pair of connecting portions 63c extend in the Y direction at a predetermined interval in the X direction and are installed to connect the first slider portion 63a and the second slider portion 63b.

[0050] The pair of Y-direction guide rails 64 are installed and fixed to the pair of connecting portions 63c. A plurality of (four in this example) Y-direction carriages 65 are attached to the pair of Y-direction guide rails 64 so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The base 41 of the cleaning unit 4 is placed on and fixed to the plurality of Y-direction carriages 65. In this way, the cleaning unit 4 is movable in the Y direction by being guided by the pair of Y-direction guide rails 64 and the plurality of Y-direction carriages 65.

[0051] The X-direction drive unit 66 includes a rack 71, a pinion 72, and an X-direction drive motor 73. The rack 71 is attached to the horizontal rail member 11 on the other side in the Y direction (the upper side in FIG. 6 ) of a pair of horizontal rail members 11 of the frame body 3, so as to extend along the X-direction guide rail 61. The pinion 72 is fixed to the output shaft of the X-direction drive motor 73. The X-direction drive motor 73 is attached to the second slider portion 63b so that the pinion 72 fixed to the output shaft engages with the rack 71. The X-direction drive unit 66 is configured to convert rotational power from the X-direction drive motor 73 into linear power in the X direction by the rack 71 and the pinion 72, causing the X-direction movable body 63 to reciprocate in the X direction, thereby causing the cleaning unit 4 on the X-direction movable body 63 to reciprocate in the X direction.

[0052] The Y-direction drive unit 67 includes a rack 81, a pinion 82, and a Y-direction drive motor 83. The rack 81 is attached to one connecting portion 63c in the X direction (the left side in FIG. 6) of a pair of connecting portions 63c of the X-direction mover 63, so as to extend along the Y-direction guide rail 64. The pinion 82 is fixed to the output shaft of the Y-direction drive motor 83. The Y-direction drive motor 83 is mounted and fixed to the base 41 so that the pinion 82 fixed to its output shaft engages with the rack 81. The Y-direction drive unit 67 is configured to convert rotational power from the Y-direction drive motor 83 into linear power in the Y direction by the rack 81 and the pinion 82, thereby reciprocating the cleaning unit 4 in the Y direction.

[0053] 7 is a functional block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a control system in the powder removal apparatus 1A of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the powder removal apparatus 1A further includes a controller 90 that controls the rotating sleeve drive motor 51, the X-direction drive motor 73, and the Y-direction drive motor 83. The controller 90 is mainly configured as a computer and includes an input / output port 91 and a control unit 92. The controller 90 performs the functions of various functional units by executing a predetermined program. In the controller 90, detection signals from the rotary encoders 51a, 73a, and 83a attached to the rotating sleeve drive motor 51, the X-direction drive motor 73, and the Y-direction drive motor 83 are received by the control unit 92 via the input / output port 91, and drive control signals are transmitted from the control unit 92 to the motors 51, 73, and 83.

[0054] The powder removal operation by the powder removal apparatus 1A configured as described above will now be described. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the powder removal operation executed by the powder removal apparatus 1A of the first embodiment. In Fig. 8, the symbol "S" represents a step (the same applies to Fig. 11).

[0055] <Step S1> The control unit 92 transmits a predetermined drive control signal to the rotating sleeve drive motor 51. As a result, the rotating sleeve 33 is driven to rotate by the drive unit 23. The rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 at this time is determined by the centrifugal force (F c ) is the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and magnetic force from the ferromagnetic region (F m1 ) is smaller than the resultant force (F c <(F a +F m1 )) and the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and the magnetic force from the weak magnetic field region (F m2 ) is greater than the resultant force (F c >(F a +F m2 )) is set to a speed that satisfies both sThe control unit 92 then uses the detection signal from the rotary encoder 51a as a feedback signal to adjust the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 to the set rotation speed (V s The rotation speed of the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 is controlled so that

[0056] <Step S2> The control unit 92 transmits predetermined drive control signals to the X-direction drive motor 73 and the Y-direction drive motor 83 so as to move the rotating sleeve 33 in the X and Y directions relative to the entire surface or a predetermined region of the solar panel 201. The control unit 92 then performs position control using the X-direction drive motor 73 and the Y-direction drive motor 83 using detection signals from the rotary encoders 73a and 83a as feedback signals. This causes the rotating sleeve 33 to move in the X and Y directions relative to the entire surface or a predetermined region of the solar panel 201. Here, the operation of the rotating sleeve 33 is, for example, to complete movement in the Y direction at a predetermined X-direction position, then move the cleaning unit 4 in the X direction by the width (length) of the magnetic core 32, and then move in the Y direction at that X-direction position, repeating this process.

[0057] <Adsorption process> As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), in the powder removal device 1A, when a magnetic force exceeding the resultant force of the adhesive force and gravity acting on the powder (PW) on the surface of the solar panel 201 acts on the powder (PW) adhering to the surface of the solar panel 201 from the ferromagnetic region (SW) of the magnetic core 32 via the rotating sleeve 33, the powder including paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles is adsorbed to the rotating sleeve 33.

[0058] <Transportation process> The powder (PW) adsorbed to the rotating sleeve 33 is transported in the rotation direction of the rotating sleeve 33 as the rotating sleeve 33 is driven by the drive unit 23 (see FIG. 2). In this way, the powder (PW) adhering to the surface of the solar panel 201 is adsorbed and transported by the rotating sleeve 33, which is supported by the support body 22 so as to face the surface of the solar panel 201 without contacting it, so that the powder (PW) adhering to the surface of the solar panel 201 can be removed without damaging the surface of the solar panel 201.

[0059] <Release process (separation process)> When the powder (PW) conveyed by the rotating sleeve 33 reaches the area where the magnetic force acts from the weak magnetic area (WM) of the magnetic core 32 via the rotating sleeve 33, the magnetic force acting on the powder (PW) becomes relatively weak, and the adhesive force (F a ) and the magnetic force from the weak magnetic field region (F m2 The centrifugal force (F) acting on the powder (PW) is smaller than the resultant force of the c ) increases, the powder (PW) is released (separated) from the rotating sleeve 33. The released powder (PW) is collected by the collection unit 40 disposed near the weak magnetic region (WM) of the magnetic core 32. In this way, the powder (PW) removed from the surface of the photovoltaic panel 201 can be collected efficiently.

[0060] Second Embodiment Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of a powder removing apparatus 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a control system in the powder removing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment are simply given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on the components unique to the second embodiment.

[0061] 9, in the powder removing device 1B of the second embodiment, a CCD camera 85 that captures an image of the outer circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve 33 is installed in the beam unit 42a. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the image data from the CCD camera 85 is transmitted to a controller 90. The controller 90 further includes an image data acquiring unit 93, an image processing unit 94, and a determining unit 95.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 2, in the powder removing device 1A of the first embodiment, a collecting unit 40 is provided so as to be located near the rotating sleeve 33. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 9, in the powder removing device 1B of the second embodiment, such a collecting unit 40 is not provided.

[0063] 4(a), in the powder removal device 1A of the first embodiment, strong magnetic regions (SM) and weak magnetic regions (WM) are formed by arranging the north and south poles in the magnetic core 32 so that they have an asymmetric magnetic property distribution with respect to the rotation center of the rotating sleeve 33. In contrast, although detailed explanation using drawings is omitted, in the powder removal device 1B of the second embodiment, the north and south poles in the magnetic core 32 are arranged so that they have a symmetric magnetic property distribution with respect to the rotation center of the rotating sleeve 33, so that a uniform magnetic field orientation is achieved in the circumferential direction.

[0064] The powder removal operation by the powder removing apparatus 1B configured as described above will now be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the powder removing operation executed by the powder removing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment.

[0065] <Step S11> The control unit 92 controls the centrifugal force (F c ) is the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and the magnetic force (F m ) is smaller than the resultant force (F c <(F a +F mA predetermined drive control signal is sent to the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 using the detection signal from the rotary encoder 51a as a feedback signal so that the rotating sleeve 33 rotates at a first rotation speed (V1) that satisfies the above condition (1). As a result, the rotating sleeve 33 is rotated at the first rotation speed (V1) and is driven to rotate in an adsorption mode in which the rotating sleeve 33 adsorbs the powder.

[0066] <Step S12> The control unit 92 transmits predetermined drive control signals to the X-direction drive motor 73 and the Y-direction drive motor 83 so as to move the rotating sleeve in the X and Y directions relative to the entire surface or a predetermined region of the solar power generation panel 201. The control unit 92 then performs position control by the X-direction drive motor 73 and the Y-direction drive motor 83 using the detection signals from the rotary encoders 73a and 83a as feedback signals. This causes the rotating sleeve 33 to move in the X and Y directions relative to the entire surface or a predetermined region of the solar power generation panel 201.

[0067] <Steps S13 to S14> The imaging data acquisition unit 93 acquires imaging data within a predetermined time period output from the CCD camera 85 based on a data acquisition command from the control unit 92 (S13). Next, the image processing unit 94 performs image processing on the acquired imaging data, such as binarization processing, to facilitate analysis of the state of adhesion of powder to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve 33 (S14).

[0068] <Step S15> The determination unit 95 analyzes the state of adhesion of powder to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve 33 based on the image-processed captured data, and determines whether cleaning is necessary.

[0069] <Step S16> FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotating sleeve 33 has been moved to a region not facing the surface of the solar panel 201 in the powder removing device 1B of the second embodiment. FIG. 12(a) is a side view, and FIG. 12(b) is a view taken along arrow H in FIG. 12(a). Note that the traveling body 2 is not shown in FIG. 12(b). If cleaning is required ("YES" in step S15), the control unit 92 transmits a predetermined drive control signal to the Y-direction drive motor 83 to move the rotating sleeve 33 to a region not facing the surface of the solar panel 201, in this example, a position between the horizontal beam member 11 and the solar panel 201 on one side of the frame 3 in the Y direction (the lower side in FIG. 12(b)) in plan view, as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b). This moves the rotating sleeve 33 to a region not facing the surface of the solar panel 201.

[0070] <Step S17> The control unit 92 calculates the centrifugal force (F c ) is the adhesive force acting on the powder (F a ) and the magnetic force (F m ) is greater than the resultant force (F c >(F a +F m A predetermined drive control signal is sent to the rotating sleeve drive motor 51 using the detection signal from the rotary encoder 51a as a feedback signal so that the rotating sleeve 33 rotates at a second rotation speed (V2) that satisfies the above condition (1). As a result, the rotating sleeve 33 is rotated at the second rotation speed (V2) and driven to rotate in a release mode in which at least a portion of the powder adsorbed in the adsorption mode is released.

[0071] In this way, the rotating sleeve 33 is moved by the moving mechanism 5 to an area that does not face the surface of the solar power generation panel 201, and the mode is switched from adsorption to release mode, so that the powder adsorbed by the rotating sleeve 33 in adsorption mode is released in an area that does not face the surface of the solar power generation panel 201 in release mode.In other words, the release mode is executed in a state where the rotating sleeve 33 is positioned in a position where the powder released from the rotating sleeve 33 does not substantially re-adhere to the surface of the solar power generation panel 201.Therefore, the powder can be discharged to an area that does not face the surface of the solar power generation panel 201 without re-adhering the powder to the surface of the solar power generation panel 201, and the rotating sleeve 33 can be regenerated to a state where it can adsorb powder again.

[0072] The powder removal device 1B of the second embodiment has the following advantages over the powder removal device 1A of the first embodiment. Specifically, in the powder removal device 1A of the first embodiment, the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 must be adjusted so that the powder is not released in the strong magnetic region but is released in the weak magnetic region. Because the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 is limited to a certain range, when the powder adhesion force (Fa) is relatively strong, it is not possible to sufficiently increase the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 to increase the centrifugal force and release the powder from the surface of the rotating sleeve 33, which may result in insufficient powder removal. In contrast, in the second embodiment, there is no upper limit on the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 when the release mode is executed. Therefore, the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 can be increased sufficiently to sufficiently remove the powder.

[0073] Third Embodiment Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a powder removing apparatus 1C according to a third embodiment of the present invention is set in a workpiece conveying facility 300. As shown in Fig. 13, the powder removing apparatus 1C of the third embodiment is configured by installing the cleaning unit 4 used in the first or second embodiment on a stand 303 so as to be positioned above the conveying line of the workpiece W conveyed by a conveying table 301 in the workpiece conveying direction. In such a stationary powder removing apparatus 1C, the moving mechanism 5 provided in the above embodiment is not necessary.

[0074] With regard to the "support body" of the present invention, when viewed in part, the "support body 22" in the first to third embodiments corresponds to the "support body" of the present invention, and when viewed as a whole, the configuration including the "running body 2," "frame body 3," "movement mechanism 5," and "support body 22" in the first and second embodiments corresponds to the "support body" of the present invention, and the configuration including the "mounting platform 303" and "support body 22" in the third embodiment corresponds to the "support body" of the present invention.

[0075] Although the powder removing device of the present invention has been described above based on several embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and the configuration can be appropriately changed within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. Specific other embodiments are as follows.

[0076] (Another embodiment 1) In the above first and second embodiments, a configuration in which the frame body 3 is supported by the running body 2 is exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and the frame body 3 may also be supported by a mounting base 202 on which multiple solar power generation panels 201 are installed.

[0077] (Alternative embodiment 2) In the first to third embodiments, the magnetic core 32 is formed using a permanent magnet, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the magnetic core 32 may be formed using an electromagnet.

[0078] (Alternative embodiment 3) In the above first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the cleaning unit 4 equipped with the rotating sleeve 33 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction relative to the solar power generation panel 201 fixedly installed on the mount 202, but the present invention is not limited to this. There may also be an embodiment in which the cleaning unit 4 equipped with the rotating sleeve 33 is fixedly installed, and a moving mechanism or a running body is attached that moves the support body that supports the solar power generation panel 201 relatively in the X direction and the Y direction, so that the solar power generation panel 201 moves relative to the fixed rotating sleeve 33.

[0079] (Alternative embodiment 4) In the above first to third embodiments, the rotating sleeve 33, which is a cylindrical member that rotates around the periphery of the magnetic core 32 with the shaft 31 as its axis, is used as an example of the "rotating body" of the present invention, but this is not limited to this, and something like an endless belt that rotates around the periphery of the magnetic core 32 is also included in the "rotating body" of the present invention.

[0080] (Alternative embodiment 5) In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which powder is released by transporting it from a strong magnetic region to a weak magnetic region, and in the second embodiment, an example is shown in which powder is released by high-speed rotation in release mode, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and any powder removal means that mechanically removes powder adhering to the rotating sleeve 33, such as a brush or a scraping plate such as a doctor blade, that is arranged to be able to remove powder adhering to the rotating sleeve 33, may also be used.

[0081] (Alternative embodiment 6) In the first embodiment described above, in order to promote separation of the powder adhering to the rotating sleeve 33 and to retain the collected powder within the collection section 40, a magnet may be disposed inside the collection section 40 or a magnet may be attached to the external side of the collection section 40.

[0082] (Alternative embodiment 7) In the second embodiment, the CCD camera 85, the image data acquisition unit 93, the image processing unit 94, etc. can also be used to check whether powder remains on the surface of the rotating sleeve 33 after the release mode has been executed. If the determination unit 95 determines that powder remains on the surface of the rotating sleeve 33, the rotation speed of the rotating sleeve 33 is increased compared to when the release mode was first executed, the centrifugal force is increased, and the release mode is executed again, thereby removing the powder remaining on the surface of the rotating sleeve 33.

[0083] (Alternative embodiment 8) In the second embodiment, the CCD camera 85, the image data acquisition unit 93, the image processing unit 94, etc. may be omitted, and the release mode may be executed by moving the rotating sleeve 33 to an area that does not face the surface of the solar panel 201 at regular intervals by operating a timer circuit.

[0084] (Alternative embodiment 9) In the second embodiment described above, when the magnetic core 32 is constructed using an electromagnet, the power supply to the electromagnet is stopped in the release mode, and the magnetic force of the magnetic core 32 is made substantially zero, thereby making it possible to more easily release the powder adhering to the surface of the rotating sleeve 33.

[0085] (Alternative embodiment 10) In the above first to third embodiments, an example is shown in which a magnetic core 32 is used in which a plurality of magnetic poles (S1, N1, S2, N2, S3) is formed using a magnetizing device, but this is not limited to this, and a magnetic core in which a plurality of magnetic poles (S1, N1, S2, N2, S3) is formed by appropriately combining a plurality of permanent magnets may also be used.

[0086] (Alternative embodiment 11) In the first to third embodiments, if the magnetic field from the magnetic core 32 is too strong, even when the rotating sleeve (rotating body) 33 rotates, some or all of the powder attracted to the circumferential surface (surface) along the rotational direction of the rotating sleeve 33 may not be transported in the rotational direction of the rotating sleeve 33 but may slide along the circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve 33 and remain in an area above the magnetic pole where the magnetic field is stronger than an area of ​​the magnetic core 32 where the magnetic field is slightly weaker between the north and south magnetic poles. Therefore, in the first to third embodiments, by appropriately adjusting the surface roughness of the circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve (rotating body) 33 or by forming required grooves on the circumferential surface along the rotational direction of the rotating sleeve 33 so as to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the rotating sleeve 33 (the axial direction of the shaft 31), the powder attracted to the circumferential surface of the rotating sleeve 33 will not remain in an area where the magnetic field from the magnetic core 32 is strong, and the powder can be reliably transported along the rotational direction of the rotating sleeve 33.

[0087] (Alternative embodiment 12) In the first to third embodiments, the power consumed by the rotating sleeve drive motor 51, the X-direction drive motor 73, the Y-direction drive motor 83, the controller 90, etc. may be supplied from the solar power generation panel 201. Furthermore, if a storage battery for storing the electrical energy generated by the solar power generation panel 201 is provided, the power may be supplied from the storage battery. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] The powder removal device of the present invention can be used to clean solar power generation panels, but it can also be used to clean flat structures such as glass surfaces and walls of buildings, and even outdoor signs.In addition, if a base is built on the moon in the future, the powder removal device of the present invention can also be used to remove powder (regolith particles, etc.) adhering to solar power generation panels that will be installed in association with the base. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1A~1C Powder removal equipment 5 Moving mechanism 22 Support 23 Drive unit 32 Magnetic core 33 Rotating sleeve (rotating body) 40 Recovery Department 44 Gap adjustment mechanism 92 Control Unit 201 Solar panel (object) SM ferromagnetic region WM Weak magnetic region

Claims

1. A powder removal device for removing powder adhering to a surface of an object, a magnetic core that generates magnetic force; a rotor that can rotate or revolve around the periphery of the magnetic core; a support for supporting the rotating body so as to face the surface of the object without contacting the surface; a drive unit that drives the rotating body; A powder removal device comprising:

2. The powder removing device according to claim 1 , wherein the support includes a gap adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the rotating body and the surface of the object.

3. the magnetic core has a strong magnetic region and a weak magnetic region provided along the rotation direction of the rotor, 3. The powder removing device according to claim 1, wherein a collecting section for collecting the powder is disposed in the vicinity of the weak magnetic field area.

4. The ferromagnetic region is a region in which north and south poles are alternately arranged, 4. The powder removing device according to claim 3, wherein the weak magnetic region is a region in which north poles or south poles are arranged adjacent to each other.

5. 3. The powder removing device according to claim 1, further comprising a movement mechanism for relatively moving the rotating body, which faces the surface of the object without contacting it, while maintaining the non-contact state.

6. In a state where the rotating body is moved by the moving mechanism to a region that does not face the surface of the object, The powder removal device of claim 5, wherein the device is configured to switch from an adsorption mode in which the centrifugal force acting on the powder as the rotating body rotates is smaller than the resultant force of the adhesive force acting on the powder and the magnetic force from the magnetic core, to a release mode in which the centrifugal force is greater than the resultant force.

7. The drive unit is In the adsorption mode, the rotor is driven to rotate at a first rotation speed that satisfies a condition that the centrifugal force is smaller than the resultant force; 7. The powder removing device according to claim 6, wherein in the release mode, the rotating body is driven to rotate at a second rotation speed that satisfies the condition that the centrifugal force is greater than the resultant force.

Images