ES1234504U - CLEANING DEVICE FOR SOLAR CONCENTRATOR PANELS (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for cleaning concentrator panels, characterized by including a quick coupling system, between the cleaning implement and the orientation coupling, and counterbalance systems, which may be one or a combination of some of the following: a) Using the existing structural profiles under the boom, whose primary use was to accommodate the leveling legs and which are now used to accommodate displaced mass supports. b) Adding to the water tank for cleaning an inner chamber, connected to the rest of the tank by means of pipes that can be closed to keep the water retained, acting as a weight. c) Adding an additional tank, fixed laterally. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Cleaning device for solar concentrator panels.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The cleaning of mirrors in solar concentration parks in general (parabolic trough or heliostats) is usually done with truck mounted systems with a crane, so that the crane attaches at its tip a bearing structure of the cleaning systems themselves. It is also common in this type of installation that the roads through which the cleaning equipment must run are not paved and also that its layout is not perfectly parallel to that marked by the line of concentrator panels or mirrors.

In the case of cleaning equipment intended for concentration parks by parabolic trough technology, cleaning usually occurs by placing the cleaning system in front of the cabin as they are heavy and the effect of moving away from the center of mass with the proper weight must be counteracted vehicle. In the case of heliostats, on the contrary, it is normal to clean by placing the cleaning system orthogonally and behind the cabin.

The improvement in the devices and object of the present invention consists of a series of systems whose purpose is to reduce the influence of moving away from the center of mass, as well as allowing a rapid exchange of tools intended for cleaning concentration panels both Parabolic cylinder type as heliostats.

To this end, a series of counterweighting systems is available, and on the other hand a quick anchoring system is included between the cleaning equipment and the orientation system located at the tip of the boom. In this way, when the distribution of rails with respect to mirrors so requires, cleaning can be carried out with the equipment behind the cabin of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different systems that carry out similar processes are currently known, the mention of the following being of special interest:

1st) Spanish patent application number ES2649989 A1: of the applicant himself. It refers to a device, implemented in a self-supporting vehicle or with the tractor system as an integral part of it, intended for cleaning reflective surfaces of any profile (flat, parabolic trough, others) covering the length where they are installed and used to it both pressurized liquids (osmotized water or water with some dissolved cleaning agent), with or without help of rotary brushes or scraping lips and with or without blow drying.

1o) ES-1074781_U: the object of the invention is centered on a vehicle that incorporates a series of elements intended to clean the upper surface of the solar energy collection panels, especially those installed in solar fields, with in order to increase their performance, presenting the particularity of incorporating, on the one hand, means to effectively control the approximation of the brush or cleaning cylinder that it has, to the surface of the panels and to maintain its position even if the vehicle travels through terrain with irregularities, and on the other hand, means to ensure the immediate drying of the panels after cleaning them.

2o) ES2365777: the automatic hydrolimpiador for cleaning of solar panels, is in an arm for the cleaning of solar panels formed by a set of articulated bars, joined by articulation to a tractor vehicle. Thanks to the positioning bars it is possible to place the spray bars in the optimum position for the correct cleaning of the plates. The movement between the different bars that make up the assembly is achieved thanks to a hydraulic system run by an electronic control unit located in the control cabin of the tractor vehicle itself. This invention suffers from the accessories described as necessary components in this description, which provide concrete improvements both in construction and in the execution of work by the team.

3rd) ES2682967: Device for cleaning the solar concentrator panel equipped for water saving. Device for cleaning the solar concentrator panel equipped for water saving, including the use of lips for residual water scanning. Also the use of retractable covers that cover the volume contained between the implement of water and the mirror and that allow to collect the water that, after impacting on the mirror, bounces and It is suspended in the area that is being cleaned, subsequently conducting its pipeline for possible recycling of said water.

4th) W2016 / 185078 A1: Allows a safe approach to the curvature of the mirrors, without affecting its structural integrity and avoiding obstacles inherent in them (absolve tube, central pylon, simple pylons, etc.), allowing the absorption of variations of length of the arms as well as irregularities of the terrain where it is to be circulated, the cleaning equipment comprising: a support structure equipped with telescopically extensible sub-assemblies vertically through mechanical actuators, a pair of support frames fixed to the sub-assemblies, a pair of telescopic arms housed inside the support frames and extensible horizontally, a pair of brush-bearing arches, arranged at the distal ends of each of the telescopic arms and which in turn have one friction cleaning means.

The proposed invention contains the following advantages and, therefore, novelty, with respect to the known state of the art, as long as there are no references to a system that meets all these characteristics that the proposed invention meets:

- Possibility of cleaning parabolic trough concentration panels and heliostats at distances greater than currently.

- Reduction of the time needed to change the cleaning equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The proposed invention, "Device for cleaning solar concentrator panels", is carried out from the following constituent elements:

1. Incorporation of a quick coupling system that enables quick and agile connection between cleaning implement and orientation coupling, the components existing in the cleaning implement being such that it can be used both laterally and frontally, and the attachment of the cleaning for use in front of the cabin (laterally) or behind the cabin (frontally).

In order to enable frontal catching, it may be necessary for the crane to be articulated, although certain commercial configurations allow “type T” cranes.

2. Counterbalance systems, which may be one or more of the following.

to. Anchored to the hollow beams that are used in the boom trucks as a support for the leveling legs, weights are arranged on the opposite side of the cleaning work, so that this weight can be moved away from the center of the truck.

b. Inner chamber of the water tank that carry this type of vehicles, on the opposite side of the cleaning, so that there is always a residual mass of water acting as a counterweight. C. Additional cistern, on the opposite side to cleaning, which in addition to extending the cleaning autonomy, favors stability when the implement must act especially away from the center of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of figures is attached as an integral part of this description. in which, by way of illustration and not limitation, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows an isometric view of the assembly.

Figure 2.- Shows a section of the cistern, with inner chambers.

Figure 3.- Shows an isometric of the counterweight detail in leveling foot guides.

Figure 4.- Shows an isometric of the additional tank.

Figure 5.- Shows an isometric detail of the double quick coupler support.

In the mentioned figures the following constituent elements can be highlighted: 01. - Quick hitch system.

02. - Quick coupling system in coupling.

03. - Counterweight in crane guides.

04. - Interior chamber in the cistern

05. - Additional Cuba.

06. - Crane.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For the purposes of the present preferred embodiment, and in relation to the configuration that includes all saving systems, the construction of the mirror cleaning equipment in concentration camps will include the elements described below.

Quick hitch system [01], similar to those that commonly exist in earthmoving equipment (shovels, for example), with duplicate attachment pick-up system, so that it can be used interchangeably. One of them is located on the side of the structure of the cleaning implement and the other is located on the opposite side of the cleaning system (brushes, water injection nozzles, etc.).

The coupling has the main function of correctly orienting the implement, ensuring that its position is perpendicular to the parabola of the mirror to be cleaned. On the opposite side to which there is the axis that produces the rotation of orientation are a quick coupling consisting of a series of inclined plates and a housing for bolt that together facilitate a correct, agile and fast attachment of the attachment to the coupling. This quick coupling system [01] consists of a front support plate, whose perimeter has inclined plates that act as funnels that facilitate the positioning of the homologous plate that will exist in the implement. In addition to this main support plate and centering perimetrals, there are bushings that are coaxially arranged with their counterparts on the implement plate, and that by inserting a bolt allows the safety lock of the joint between coupling and implement, this bolt and the bushes together are the hitch retention system system Quick. As has been said, the parts that are identified in the implement are duplicated, in different orientations (approximately 90 degrees).

For optimal operation of this system in its two possible configurations, it will be necessary for the crane [06] to acquire certain positions, in order to locate certain distances in height and horizontal displacement, being possible to do it with articulated crane [06] and some crane models [06] type T.

Next, the different forms of counterweight will be explained.

The first counterweight option consists of structural profiles that fit and can slide along the existing structural profiles at the base of the crane. The fixing of the extension of these new structural profiles is secured by retaining bolts. At the outer end of the new structural profiles, masses are added that add weight. The side on which this system is installed is the opposite of cleaning.

The second counterweight option consists in producing an interior chamber in the cistern that contains the water used for cleaning, which can be configured as disabled for its use the water that is housed in it by closing some pipes that communicate the interior of this chamber with the rest of the interior of the tank, so that this body of water acts as a counterweight.

The third counterweight option consists in adding an additional tank, fixed to the structure of the vehicle, and which additionally contains water, which can be used as a counterweight or as an increase in autonomy when the way of cleaning can be the traditional one.

Claims (2)

1. - Cleaning device for concentrator panels, characterized by including a quick coupling system, between the cleaning implement and the orientation coupling, and counterbalance systems, which may be one or a combination of some of the following: a) Using the existing structural profiles under the boom, whose primary use was to accommodate the leveling legs and which are now used to accommodate displaced mass supports. b) Adding to the water tank for cleaning an inner chamber, connected to the rest of the tank by means of pipes that can be closed to keep the water retained, acting as a weight. c) Adding an additional tank, fixed laterally. 2. - Device for cleaning concentrator panels, according to claim one, characterized in that the existing equipment in the cleaning implement is duplicated allowing the hitch to be both lateral and frontal.