WO2014208121A1

WO2014208121A1 - Cleaning device

Info

Publication number: WO2014208121A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/054043
Authority: WO
Inventors: 正明児玉; 秀明名倉; 良治石村; 坂本　泰宏; 石田　淳一
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2013-06-26
Filing date: 2014-02-20
Publication date: 2014-12-31
Also published as: JP6166597B2; JP2015006648A

Abstract

Provided is a device capable of efficiently and inexpensively cleaning solar panels irrespective of the way the solar panels are arranged and the size of surfaces to be cleaned. A cleaning device (10) comprises: cleaning units (40) provided with cleaning bodies (blades (11)) for cleaning surfaces to be cleaned; travel wheels (14a) for traveling on the surfaces to be cleaned; and holding members (12) for holding the cleaning bodies (blades (11)). The cleaning device (10) is characterized in that the cleaning units (40) are connected together by a connection section (20) and in that the connection section (20) is configured from a mechanism capable of moving the cleaning units (40) parallel to the direction of movement of the cleaning device (10).

Description

Cleaning device

The present invention relates to a cleaning device, particularly a solar panel cleaning device.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental protection, an increasing number of households install solar panels (solar cells) that convert sunlight into electric power on the roof. In addition, discussions on alternative energy for oil / nuclear energy are taking place on a global scale, and the measures for the feed-in tariff system for renewable energy such as solar power generation have been implemented. A large-scale solar power plant is managed, and the electric power business by the in-house utilization of the generated electric power and the sale of electric power is being carried out.

Until now, solar panels were supposed to be able to generate electricity without maintenance, such as being able to remove dirt on the surface due to rain. However, since the solar panel generates power by sunlight, if dirt such as dead leaves or dust adheres to the surface, the amount of power to be generated rapidly decreases. In particular, in areas with low rainfall, such as desert / dry areas, and areas with a lot of sediment such as volcanic ash, yellow sand, and snow, it is necessary to clean the surface of the solar panel in order to generate power efficiently throughout the year. Doing work.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a solar panel cleaning apparatus 900 described in Patent Document 1. The solar panel cleaning device 900 has a gear frame 902 that is geared to the frame 901 of the solar panel cleaning device 900, and the gears of the electric vehicle 903 supported by a fixed vehicle on the gear frame 902 are electrically driven. , The rotating mops 904 are rotated and the solar panel 910 is washed by the water supply jet from the water supply hose 905. Moreover, the solar panel cleaning apparatus of patent document 2 self-propels on a solar panel with four legs, and cleans a solar panel with cleaning bodies, such as a brush and a blade which clean the surface of a solar panel. In addition, a high-pressure cleaning mechanism that sprays high-pressure cleaning liquid onto the surface of the solar panel is provided, and the dirt that is firmly stuck to the surface emerges.

Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-287867 (published on December 24, 2010)” Japanese Patent Publication “Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-186819 (published on August 26, 2010)”

However, in the solar panel cleaning machine 900 of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to clean a large number of panel groups represented by a mega solar power plant. Application of the washing machine to the solar panels arranged in a large number of rows requires a gear frame 902 having a length approximately equal to the total length of the rows. Furthermore, in order to clean all the solar panel rows, it is necessary to install gear frames 902 in all rows, or to move the device to another row together with the gear frames, which is very expensive. Have

On the other hand, the solar panel cleaning device of Patent Document 2 is not suitable for application to a large number of solar panel groups such as a mega solar power plant. It is inefficient to clean long rows of solar panels so that they travel back and forth many times. Also, solar panel rows often differ in orientation, number of rows, and panel size. In order for the cleaning device to have a device width that can clean the entire surface by one movement from end to end, it is necessary to correspond to each of these arrangements, but the walking motion requires advanced control, weight restrictions etc. There is a problem that enlargement is difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to realize an apparatus capable of cleaning solar panels efficiently and inexpensively regardless of how solar panels are arranged and the size of the surface to be cleaned. is there.

A cleaning apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of cleaning units including a cleaning body that cleans a surface to be cleaned, a traveling wheel that travels on the surface to be cleaned, and a holding member that holds the cleaning body. In the cleaning apparatus, the cleaning units are connected to each other by a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is configured by a mechanism capable of moving the plurality of cleaning units in parallel with respect to a moving direction of the cleaning device. Features.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an apparatus capable of cleaning a solar panel efficiently and inexpensively regardless of how the solar panels are arranged and the size of the surface to be cleaned.

It is the top view and side view explaining the state of installation of a solar power generation device. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is the perspective view which shows the state which installed the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 in the solar cell module row | line | column, and a connection part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which installed the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 in a solar cell module row | line | column. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a connecting part of a cleaning unit according to Embodiment 2. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning unit which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the attachment which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a table | surface explaining various panel sizes used for a solar cell module. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning unit according to Embodiment 4. FIG. It is the top view which showed the washing | cleaning apparatus 10b which connected three washing | cleaning units 40c vertically. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the washing | cleaning apparatus 10b. It is a figure which shows the state which the washing | cleaning apparatus 10b wash | cleans the solar power generation device top. FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a cleaning unit according to a fifth embodiment. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the conventional washing | cleaning apparatus.

Hereinafter, a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. In the description of the embodiments, for the sake of convenience of explanation, upper, lower, left, and right expressions are used. However, these expressions are based on the drawings and do not limit the configuration of the invention.

In the following embodiment, a solar panel cleaning device will be described. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the solar panel cleaning device, and any cleaning device may be used as long as it is used for flat portions such as a roof and a floor.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a state of installation of the solar power generation device 100, FIG. 1A is a front view of the solar power generation device 100, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the solar power generation device 100. FIG. The solar power generation device 100 includes a solar cell module 101, a gantry 102 for holding the solar cell module 101, and a fixing member 103. The fixing member 103 fixes the solar cell module 101 to the gantry 102. The solar cell module 101 is provided with a frame 104 for protecting the periphery of the solar cell module 101. The installation angle and height between the solar cell module 101 and the installation reference plane G are appropriately selected depending on the installation state. The installation angle is set to about 10 ° to 30 ° in consideration of the amount of power generation. The installation reference plane G itself may be inclined like a roof.

For convenience of explanation, among the solar cell panels constituting the solar cell module 101, the one installed at the highest position is called the upper panel 101a, and the one installed at the lowest position is called the lower panel 101b. . In the present embodiment, two solar cell panels are used in the vertical and horizontal directions.

(Configuration of the cleaning apparatus 10)
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning unit and the side unit constituting the cleaning device 10 according to the present embodiment. 2A shows a state in which the cleaning device 10 is stopped, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the cleaning device 10 is cleaning the solar cell panel.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning unit 40 is composed of a cleaning unit 40a and a cleaning unit 40b in order from the paper surface. A pipe 17 and a nozzle 18 are provided. In addition to the above, the cleaning unit 40 a located on the upper panel 101 a includes a motor 13, a water storage tank 15, a pump 16, and a battery 19. The battery 19 is for supplying electric power to the motor 13 and the pump 16 and various sensors (not shown). Further, the cleaning unit 40a is connected to the cleaning unit 40b located on the lower panel 101b by a connecting portion 20 that can slide in the traveling direction.

A side unit 41 having a guide wheel 14b is connected to both ends of the cleaning unit 40. That is, the side unit 41a is connected to the end of the cleaning unit 40a facing the connecting portion 20, and the side unit 41b is connected to the end of the cleaning unit 40b facing the connecting portion 20.

Further, the moving direction of the cleaning device 10 is X, and the direction parallel to the light receiving surface of the solar cell module 101 and perpendicular to the X direction is Y. The blade 11 includes a blade 11 a provided in the cleaning unit 40 a and a blade 11 b provided in the cleaning unit 40 b, and advances in the X direction together with the cleaning device 10.

In the cleaning device 10, the traveling wheels 14 a are in contact with the frame 104 of the solar cell module 101, and the guide wheels 14 b of the

side units

41 a and 41 b connected to the

cleaning units

40 a and 40 b are connected to the upper and lower ends of the solar cell module 101. It is arranged at the position of contact. The distance between the solar cell module 101 and the cleaning unit 40 is kept constant by the traveling wheel 14a. Further, the guide wheel 14b prevents the cleaning device from dropping or dropping from the solar cell module 101 inclined with respect to the installation reference plane, and the cleaning device linearly extends along the upper and lower ends of the solar cell module 101. Stability is improved when progressing.

The extending direction of the blade 11 is preferably slightly inclined with respect to the direction Y perpendicular to the moving direction of the cleaning unit 40. In the present embodiment, the extending direction of the blade 11 is inclined by about 1 to 5 ° with respect to the direction Y as indicated by θ1 in the drawing. As a result, when the cleaning device 10 proceeds, the force that pushes the sewage (liquid) on the solar cell module 101 wiped off by the blade 11 in the tilt direction of the blade 11 works, and the sewage is smoothly discharged from the light receiving surface of the solar cell module 101. can do. In addition, by slightly tilting the blade 11, when the blade 11 gets over the step of the frame 104 around the solar cell module 101, it gradually gets over from the point where it hits first. Can be reduced. Note that the inclination of the blade 11 is as small as 1 to 5 ° because the width of the holding member 12 that houses the blade 11 increases as the inclination increases.

In the present embodiment, the elastic blade 11 is used as the cleaning body, but the cleaning body is not limited to the blade 11, and a channel brush, a rotating brush, a sponge, or the like may be used instead.

The operation of the cleaning device 10 is performed by the motor 13 driving the traveling wheels 14a of the cleaning unit 40a. In the present embodiment, a single-wheel drive configuration in which the rotation shaft of the motor 13 is directly coupled to the nearest traveling wheel 14a is provided, but the driving force of the motor 13 is transmitted to each traveling wheel by a shaft, a bearing, a timing belt, or the like. Two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive may be used.

The piping 17 of the cleaning unit 40a and the piping 17 of the cleaning unit 40b are connected by a tube 17a, and a nozzle 18 for injecting water in the direction of the solar cell module 101 and the blade 11 is attached. Simultaneously with the driving of the motor 13, water or a liquid such as a cleaning liquid is supplied from the water storage tank 15 through the pump 16 to the pipe 17 and is sprayed onto the solar cell module 101 through the nozzle 18. In this embodiment, the nozzle 18 is attached to the pipe 17 in order to jet the water vigorously and lift the dirt on the solar cell module 101. However, a hole may be directly formed in the pipe 17 to serve as an injection port. The pipe 17 and the nozzle 18 are liquid supply units that supply a liquid for cleaning to the surface to be cleaned.

Hereinafter, various components provided in the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the traveling state of the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the plane of the movement direction X. The blade 11 is arranged so that the surface (light receiving surface) of the solar cell module 101 and the edge of the blade 11 are parallel to each other. Further, the blade 11 is fixed at an inclination of about 30 ° to 45 ° from the normal direction of the plane of the solar cell module 101 to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10 as indicated by θ2 in the drawing. The reason for tilting and fixing the blade 11 is to increase the wiping property of water used for cleaning the solar cell module 101. The material of the blade 11 is preferably an elastic material in consideration of water and dirt wiping performance and weather resistance. For example, a rubber blade using EPT rubber, urethane rubber or the like is preferably used as the blade 11.

The injection port such as a nozzle or a hole arranged in the pipe 17 and the pipe 17 is arranged so that water can be sprayed to the blade 11 or the solar cell module 101. Regarding the number of injection ports and the injection amount, since optimum values differ depending on the traveling speed of the cleaning unit 10 and the maximum pressure / maximum flow rate of the pump, the required amount may be calculated from the performance of the motor 13 and the pump 16.

All the components of the cleaning device 10 are fixed to the holding member 12 directly or indirectly. The holding member 12 is preferably made of a material having excellent weather resistance since the cleaning device 10 is used outdoors and further cleaning is performed using water. In addition, the holding member 12 of the cleaning device 10 has a shape that covers the longitudinal direction of the solar cell module 101, and the size of the cleaning device itself is several meters, which is longer depending on the number of units connected.・ Low weight is required. In this embodiment, the holding member 12 is a lightweight, rust-proof aluminum (A5052) square pipe made of a metal member, and has a welded frame structure with excellent rigidity such as a truss structure different from that shown in the figure. The weight is reduced. The main aluminum square pipe has three cross-sectional shapes of 40 mm x 40 mm (aluminum thickness: t = 2 mm), 20 mm x 20 mm (t = 1.5 mm), and 20 mm x 40 mm (t = 2 mm). Considering high distribution and weldability in Japan, it can be replaced with other cross-sectional shape pipes including cylinders by adopting another frame structure that maintains the same level of rigidity.

Hereinafter, the coupling mechanism of the cleaning unit 40 according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

FIG. 4 shows the solar cell modules 101 arranged in two rows to be cleaned in this embodiment, and the cleaning device 10 installed in the solar cell modules 101. For the sake of simplicity, the cleaning apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 4 mainly draws the cleaning unit 40 and the side unit 41 constituting the casing, and omits other components.

The cleaning device 10 for a two-row solar cell module has a structure in which two

cleaning units

40a and 40b are connected by a connecting portion 20, and two

side surface units

41a and 41b are connected so as to sandwich the

connected cleaning units

40a and 40b. It has become. In the present embodiment, a linear guide 50 is used as a connecting portion for connecting the

cleaning units

40a and 40b. The linear guide 50 is a structure including a guide rail and a base that can be translated on the rail via a bearing. The linear guide 50 allows the two

cleaning units

40a and 40b to slide with respect to the moving direction. Furthermore, since the traveling wheel 14a provided with the motor 13 is disposed in the cleaning unit 40a on the upper panel 101a of the solar cell module 101, the cleaning device 10 performs cleaning (traveling) as shown in FIG. When starting, the cleaning unit 40a on the upper panel 101a automatically precedes, and after the cleaning unit 40b on the lower panel 101b is slid to the maximum position, cleaning is performed while being pulled.

The advantages of this structure can be described as follows with reference to FIG. 2 from the viewpoint of the cleaning principle and the size of the cleaning device 10 (width in the X-axis direction). First, in the solar cell module 101 having the frame 104, the cleaning blade 11 is divided into at least two for the upper panel 101a and the lower panel 101b regardless of the presence or absence of the connecting portion 20 of the cleaning device 10. The structure of the blade 11 is preferable because it does not depend on the frame shape. For removing sewage around the frame 104 and its surroundings, a small sub blade (not shown) specialized for the frame shape may be arranged.

However, when the two

blades

11a and 11b are used to discharge sewage from a high position to a low position, the lower end of the upper blade 11a is indicated by ΔW in the arrangement of the blade 11 being cleaned. Needs to be offset (ΔW> 0) to some extent in the X-axis direction (moving direction) with respect to the upper end of the lower blade 11b. Otherwise, the sewage discharged by the upper blade 11a flows out from the gap between the

blades

11a and 11b to the cleaned panel side. The appropriate amount of offset ΔW varies depending on the inclination of the solar cell module, the distance between the blades, the running speed, and the amount of cleaning water used. In this embodiment, the inclination of the solar cell module is 10 °, the distance between the blades is 35 mm, The offset amount ΔW = 60 mm when the traveling speed is 180 mm / sec and the amount of water used in the upper panel 101a is 0.4 L / sheet.

Here, in the case of the cleaning device 10 that does not include the connecting portion 20 having the slide mechanism, the offset amount ΔW needs to be set at a fixed length, and thus the width (X-axis direction) of the cleaning device 10 is large. turn into. On the other hand, in the case of the cleaning device 10 including the connecting portion 20 having the slide mechanism, the offset amount can be generated by sliding the

cleaning units

40a and 40b. The width of 10 can be made as small as possible. Furthermore, it becomes possible to make the holding member 12, the blade 11, the pipe 17 and the like, which are constituent members of the

cleaning units

40a and 40b, have a common design, and the versatility can be greatly improved.

In addition, when connecting the

cleaning units

40a and 40b, it is not necessary for each cleaning unit to include all the above-described components. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the motor 13 and the battery 19 need only be provided in one of the two cleaning units. In FIG. 2, since the motor 13 and the traveling wheels 14 a that transmit power to the cleaning unit 40 a that travels on the row of solar panels at the highest position are provided, the cleaning unit 40 a that is relatively positioned on the upper panel is It becomes possible to automatically run in the form of leading the cleaning unit 40b located in the lower row panel.

For the same reason, the water storage tank 15 and the pump 16 need only be provided on one side. In addition, when the pump 16 is mounted on only one side, the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the piping of the cleaning unit 40 on the side where the pump 16 is not mounted. Therefore, both the piping 17 are connected by a flexible tube 17a or the like. There is a need.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. This embodiment demonstrates the case where a solar cell module is 3 rows. In addition, since it is the same as that of Embodiment 1 about components other than the holding member and connection member of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the solar cell modules 101 ′ arranged in three rows to be cleaned in this embodiment, and the cleaning device 10 a installed in the solar cell modules 101 ′. In the present embodiment, among the components of the cleaning apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the cleaning unit 40 is replaced with a cleaning unit 48 having a different structure of the holding member, and the connecting portion 20 is replaced with a cylindrical connecting shaft 43 made of stainless steel. Replaced. Since the structure of the

cleaning units

48a, 48b, and 48c of the cleaning apparatus 10a according to the present embodiment and the constituent elements other than the connecting members are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. The cleaning unit 48a cleans the upper panel 101a, the cleaning unit 48b cleans the lower panel 101b, and the cleaning unit 48c cleans the middle panel 101c. As described above, it is possible to perform cleaning at a time for the solar cell modules 101 ′ in three or more rows by increasing the number of connected cleaning units 48. At this time, it is preferable that the distance between the central axes of the connection shafts 43 is incorporated so as to be the same distance as the array pitch in the column direction of the solar cell modules, and the center of the gap between the frames of each panel. It is preferable to determine the arrangement in the column direction of the cleaning device 10a by the

side surface units

41a and 41b so that the connection shaft 43 is arranged on the upper side.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic detailed view of the connecting portion of the cleaning unit 48 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the connecting shaft 43 used as a connecting member is fixed to a bearing (not shown) provided in one cleaning unit 48a, and the other cleaning unit 48c is connected to the other through a bush 44. It is connected. The bearing and bush 44 are all assembled in the hollow of the square pipe. The bush 44 may be a linear bush type using a bearing, but since it is operated using water in the field, it is made of cast or oil-free bush type with a bronze sintered layer and a PTFE layer formed on a steel back metal layer. Is more reliable and preferable.

By using the connection shaft 43 and the bush 44, the connecting portion of the cleaning unit 48 can have a rotation function in addition to a sliding function in the moving direction X of the cleaning device 10a. As described above, the cleaning units to be connected are provided with a rotation mechanism that can rotate with respect to each other, so that the connecting portion between the cleaning units 48 is also a panel when riding on the row N of the solar cell module 101 ′ shown in FIG. Therefore, the traveling wheel 14a and the blade 11 stably come into contact with the solar cell module 101 ', and the traveling performance and the cleaning performance are maintained.

Furthermore, in order to improve the transportability of the apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B, it is preferable that the cleaning unit 48c is provided with a lock shaft 45, and the cleaning unit 48a is provided with a lock shaft holder 46. . The lock shaft 45 may be provided in the cleaning unit 48a, and the lock shaft 46 may be provided in the cleaning unit 48c.

After finishing the cleaning, the

cleaning units

48a and 48c are slid so that the ends of the holding members of the

cleaning units

48a and 48c are almost aligned, and the

cleaning units

48a and 48c are connected. That is, the lock shaft 45 provided at the end of the cleaning unit 48c is inserted into the lock shaft holder 46 of the cleaning unit 48a. By doing in this way, since the washing | cleaning apparatus 10a becomes a single rigid body and is fixed from the rigid body isolate | separated into the some washing | cleaning unit 48, a conveyance property and safety | security improve. Further, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), by incorporating a spring 47 in the connecting shaft 43 in advance, after the cleaning is finished, the blade 11 is separated from the surface of the solar cell module 101 ′ and the frictional force is reduced. If the strength of the spring 47 is adjusted so that the center axis of the lock shaft 45 and the lock shaft holder 46 coincide with each other, the work of aligning the center axis of the lock shaft 45 and the lock shaft holder 46 is reduced, and the work efficiency is improved. Can do.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. This embodiment is different from any of the above embodiments in that the holding member of the cleaning unit is divided into three. In addition, since it is the same as that of the said Embodiment 1 and 2 about components other than the holding member of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration diagram of the cleaning unit 49 of the present embodiment. In the first and second embodiments, the cleaning unit is constituted by an integral holding member, whereas in this embodiment, the holding member constituting the cleaning unit is divided into three. The holding member 12 includes holding

members

12a, 12b, and 12c and an attachment 42 that connects them. Each holding member is bolted by two exchangeable attachments 42. This structure corresponds to various panel sizes provided by various panel manufacturers by replacing attachments 42 with different shapes, and by designing the components of the cleaning device as common as possible, This simplifies and reduces costs.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the attachment 42. The attachment 42 includes a flat part 42a and a leg part 42b. The leg portions 42b of the attachment 42 are fixed by the holding

members

12a and 12b so as to be sandwiched from the left and right. Similarly, the leg portions 42b of the attachment 42 are fixed by being held by the holding

members

12b and 12c from the left and right. Here, the interval between adjacent holding members is determined by the width ΔL of the leg portion 42b. ΔL is a distance between adjacent holding members among the holding

members

12a, 12b, and 12c, which is determined by the attachment 42, depending on the shape of the attachment 42, and is not limited to the width of the leg portion 42b.

The total length of the holding member 12 can be easily changed by changing the width of the leg portion 42b. The shape of the attachment 42 is not limited to this, and any shape can be used as long as the distance between the two holding members can be adjusted and fixed. In the present embodiment, the two attachments 42 have the same shape, but may have different shapes. However, it is more preferable to use the same member in consideration of the production cost and assembly efficiency of the member.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the holding member 12 showed the example comprised by three members and two attachments, it is not restricted to this, The holding member 12 is comprised by two members and one attachment, or 4 You may be comprised by one member and three attachments. About a structure, what is necessary is just to determine suitably by the specification etc. of a washing | cleaning apparatus.

In FIG. 7, when the length between the central axes of the connecting shafts 43 of the holding member 12 constituting the cleaning unit 49 is an inter-axis length L, L is expressed by the following equation.

L = L0 + ΔL × 2 Formula 1
Here, L0 is the length between the central axes of the connection shafts 43 of the holding member 12 only excluding the attachment 42, and this is the basic length L0. The configuration of the cleaning unit 49 for solar cell panels having different sizes will be described using the above formula 1.

FIG. 9 is a table outlining various panel sizes and cleaning unit types used in solar cell modules. Based on the table, the relationship between the column direction cleaning unit type of the solar cell module and the width ΔL of the leg portion 42b of the attachment will be specifically described. The table shows the main panel sizes (approximate dimensions) provided by panel manufacturers regardless of single crystal, polycrystal, or thin film type, as a solar cell module installed vertically (Lp orientation) and horizontally (Wp orientation). This classifies the row direction washing unit type when installed. According to this table and Equation 1 above, the row direction cleaning units are roughly classified into Type A and Type B.

First, Type A is applied when the inter-axis length L is 980 to 1260 mm, and the configuration of the cleaning unit 49 is determined by the following equation.

L = 980 (basic length L0) + 2 × (0 ≦ ΔL ≦ 140) mm
On the other hand, Type B is applied when the inter-axis length L is 1400 to 1660 mm, and the configuration of the cleaning unit 49 is determined by the following equation.

L = 1400 (basic length L0) + 2 × (0 ≦ ΔL ≦ 130) mm
The holding member 12a and the holding member 12c in FIG. 7 are designed to have a common size for all types, and two types of lengths of the central holding member 12b corresponding to type A and type B are prepared. If the basic length L0 is constructed by the three members, that is, the holding

members

12a, 12b, and 12c, and the difference in the panel size corresponds to the width ΔL of the leg portion 42b of the attachment 42, the cleaning corresponding to all the main panel sizes is performed. An apparatus can be configured. The configuration of the cleaning unit 49 has been described with respect to the case where the solar cell modules are installed without gaps. However, even if a gap is provided, the basic length L0 can be similarly increased by increasing the gap distance. Is possible.

<Embodiment 4>
Next, Embodiment 4 will be described. In the present embodiment, an example in which the cleaning unit includes a plurality of blades will be described. In addition, since it is the same as that of Embodiment 1 about components other than the braid | blade and nozzle of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning unit 40c according to the present embodiment. Here, for simplification, only the

blades

11c and 11d, the holding member 12, and the

nozzles

18c and 18d are shown.

The blade 11c is arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction (X direction) of the cleaning device 10, and the edge of the blade 11c is arranged so as to be inclined by about 1 to 5 ° with respect to the end (Y direction) of the panel. In addition, the cleaning device 10 is fixed to the holding member 12 with a fixing member (not shown).

The blade 11d is substantially opposite to the blade 11c and arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10 so as to be paired. The blade 11d is fixed to the cleaning device 10 with a fixing member (not shown) so that the edge of the blade 11d is inclined with respect to the end of the panel (Y direction) by about −1 to −5 °. .

The

nozzles

18c and 18d are composed of a plurality of nozzles and are connected through piping. Water or cleaning liquid in the water storage tank 15 is sprayed from the holes of the

nozzles

18c and 18d onto the solar panel through a pipe. The

nozzles

18c and 18d are disposed inside the substantially

opposite blades

11c and 11d.

As described above, the blade 11c is disposed with an inclination of about 1 to 5 ° with respect to the end (Y direction) of the panel, and the blade 11d is −1 to −5 with respect to the end (Y direction) of the panel. It is arranged at an angle of about °. Further, the blade 11c is inclined by about 30 to 45 ° from the normal direction of the plane of the solar panel to the traveling direction of the cleaning device 10, and the blade 11d is inclined from the normal direction of the plane of the solar panel 110. It is fixed at an angle of -30 to 45 ° with respect to the traveling direction. When cleaning is performed, the blade 11c is used when traveling in the X direction shown in FIG. 10, and the blade 11d is used when traveling in the reverse direction (−X direction). The reason for tilting and fixing the blade in this way is that, as described in the above embodiment, the friction between the solar panel and the blade edge portion is reduced by tilting the blade to be used to some extent in the traveling direction, and the blade is smoothly moved on the solar panel. This is because it becomes possible to move and wipe off water well. In other words, it is not difficult to drive the apparatus, and the wiping residue does not occur due to fine vibration (chatter) of the blade.

The

blades

11c and 11d are fixed by a fixing member (not shown) for fixing the blade. The fixing member is a blade pressing mechanism, and the

blades

11c and 11d are pressed against the panel or separated. It is possible to do. When the blade 11c is pressed against the panel, the blade 11d is away from the panel, and when the blade 11d is pressed against the panel, the blade 11c is controlled away from the panel.

Next, a method for connecting and operating the unit 40c described above will be described.

FIG. 11 shows a cleaning apparatus 10b in which three cleaning units 40c are connected vertically. Here, for simplification, only the

blades

11c and 11d, the holding member 12, and the connecting portion 20 are shown. The cleaning units 40 c are connected to each other by the connecting part 20.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cleaning apparatus 10b. FIG. 12A shows a state where the cleaning device 10b is stopped. FIG. 12B shows a state in which the cleaning device 10b is moving in the X direction from the stopped state of FIG. Of the three cleaning units 40c, the uppermost cleaning unit 40c precedes the X direction, the second cleaning unit 40c connected by the holding member 12 is driven, and the lowermost cleaning unit follows. To follow. At this time, the blade 11c of each cleaning unit 40c is pressed against the surface to be cleaned to perform cleaning.

Even when the cleaning apparatus 10b moves in the −X direction, as shown in FIG. 12C, the uppermost cleaning unit 40c of the three cleaning units 40c precedes the −X direction, and the holding member 12 The second cleaning unit 40c connected by the is driven, and the lowermost cleaning unit is subsequently driven. At this time, the blade 11d of each cleaning unit 40c is pressed against the surface to be cleaned to perform cleaning.

FIG. 13 shows a state in which the cleaning device 10b cleans the solar power generation device 100. The cleaning device 10b starts cleaning from the upper left of the solar power generation device 100 in the figure. The cleaning device 10b moves from the left to the right as indicated by the arrow on the solar cell module 1011 and performs cleaning. At this time, the blade 11c is pressed against the panel for cleaning. When the cleaning device 10b reaches the right end of the solar cell module 1011, the uppermost cleaning unit 40c of the cleaning device 10b detects the end of the row of solar cell modules 1011 and automatically stops. Thereafter, the second and third cleaning units 40c are also stopped.

Next, the cleaning device 10b moves onto the solar cell module 1012 and performs cleaning. At this time, the cleaning device 10b moves from right to left in the drawing. The blade 11c moves to a position away from the panel, and the blade 11d is pressed against the panel to perform cleaning. When the cleaning device 10b reaches the left end of the solar cell module 1012, the uppermost cleaning unit 40c of the cleaning device 10b detects the end of the row of solar cell modules 1012 and automatically stops. Thereafter, the second and third cleaning units 40c are also stopped.

Next, the cleaning device 10b moves onto the solar cell module 1013 and performs cleaning. At this time, the cleaning device 10b moves from left to right in the drawing. The blade 11d moves to a position away from the panel, and the blade 11c is pressed against the panel to perform cleaning. When the cleaning device 10b reaches the right end of the solar cell module 1012, the uppermost cleaning unit 40c of the cleaning device 10b detects the end of the row of solar cell modules 1012 and automatically stops. Thereafter, the second and third cleaning units 40c are also stopped.

By repeating the operation as described above, it is possible to clean the solar cell panels in three rows at a time, and it is possible to clean the solar power generation apparatus 100 very efficiently because it is possible to perform reciprocal cleaning. it can.

<Embodiment 5>
Next, Embodiment 5 will be described. In the present embodiment, another example in which the cleaning unit includes a plurality of blades will be described. In addition, since it is the same as that of Embodiment 1 about components other than the braid | blade and nozzle of the washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning unit 40d according to the present embodiment. Here, for simplicity, only the blades 11e to 11h, the holding member 12, and the nozzles 18e to 18h are shown.

The

blades

11e and 11f are arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction (X direction) of the cleaning device 10, and the edges of the

blades

11e and 11f are inclined by about 1 to 5 ° with respect to the end of the panel (Y direction). It is fixed to the holding member 12 of the cleaning apparatus 10 with a fixing member (not shown) so as to be arranged.

The blade 11g is substantially opposite to the blade 11e, and the blade 11h is substantially opposite to the blade 11f, and is arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the cleaning apparatus 10 so as to be paired. The

blades

11g and 11h are fixed to the cleaning device 10 with a fixing member (not shown) so that the edge of the blade is inclined by about −1 to −5 ° with respect to the end of the panel (Y direction). Yes.

Each blade e to h may be constituted by connecting a plurality of small blades as shown in the figure. This is because, when attached to a large cleaning device, the blade size becomes long, and the cost for producing the blade becomes high, and the maintainability such as attachment of the blade is deteriorated. By arranging and connecting the blades using a plurality of small blades, it is possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing the blades, and it is possible to improve maintainability such as attachment. Further, it is preferable to change the number of small blades because it is possible to deal with objects to be cleaned such as solar panels having different dimensions.

The nozzles 18e to 18h are composed of a plurality of nozzles and are connected through a pipe. Water or cleaning liquid in the water storage tank 15 is sprayed from the holes of the nozzles 18e to h onto the solar panel through a pipe. The

nozzles

18e and 18g are disposed outside the substantially

opposite blades

11e and 11g. The

nozzles

18f and 18h are disposed inside the substantially

opposite blades

11f and 11h.

The blades 11e to 11h are fixed by a fixing member (not shown) for fixing the blade. The fixing member is a blade pressing mechanism, and the blades 11e to 11h are pressed against or released from the panel. It is possible to do. When the

blades

11e and 11f are pressed against the panel, the

blades

11g and 11h are separated from the panel, and when the

blades

11g and 11h are pressed against the panel, the

blades

11e and 11h are controlled to move away from the panel. .

When the cleaning device 10 moves in the X direction, the

blades

11e and 11f are pressed against the panel for cleaning, and when moved in the −X direction, the

blades

11g and 11h are pressed against the panel for cleaning.

In this way, by arranging the blades in a substantially X shape, the width of the cleaning unit can be made smaller than in a substantially C shape or a substantially V shape as in the fourth embodiment. Therefore, the cleaning device can be downsized.

As described above, the solar cell module cleaning system of the present invention includes the above-described cleaning device, and further detects the remaining amount of liquid in the water storage tank 15 and automatically stops and operates the solar cell module. A sensing function that automatically detects the end of the row and stops automatically, and / or a lifter, an automatic guided vehicle, etc. for moving the cleaning device to the next row when there are many rows of solar cell modules. In the present invention, the sensing function for detecting the end of the row of solar cell modules and stopping automatically is provided in the preceding cleaning unit, that is, the cleaning unit disposed on the uppermost side. By doing so, the cleaning unit can be prevented from falling. Moreover, it can apply also to a frameless solar cell module by installing a driving wheel directly on a panel surface. The solar cell module cleaning system is a system that can operate the cleaning device appropriately in accordance with the configuration of the solar power generation device and can be flexible enough to handle a large-scale solar cell module.

According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a cleaning device in which a cleaning unit in which a holding member, a cleaning body, and a traveling wheel are combined for the number of rows of solar panels connected to the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, the entire surface to be cleaned can be efficiently cleaned only by movement in the row direction. In addition, since the cleaning is performed in a state where the cleaning units are slid, the lateral width of the cleaning unit alone can be configured as short as possible. For this reason, the weight and cost of the cleaning device can be reduced, and the transportability is excellent.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the cleaning apparatus, since the cleaning unit is composed of rigid members having different lengths that can be replaced, the unit length in the row direction per cleaning unit can be easily changed. This is possible, and can be used for various panel sizes provided by various panel manufacturers.

Therefore, it is possible to realize an apparatus capable of cleaning solar panels efficiently and inexpensively regardless of how solar panels are arranged and the size of the surface to be cleaned.

Further, according to one embodiment of the above-described cleaning apparatus, since the cleaning unit includes a plurality of blades, it is possible to perform reciprocal cleaning and perform cleaning more efficiently.

Note that the above-described cleaning device is not limited to a solar power generation device, and can be suitably applied to a surface to be cleaned that extends long with the same width. For example, it is possible to adapt the cleaning device described above to curved arcades, general household roofs, and corridors.

In an arcade having a curved surface, the cleaning device units can be cleaned and run by connecting the cleaning device units to each other with a connecting member that can support the curved shape at the apex of the curved surface.

Further, in other words, the present invention is as described below.

Further, the cleaning unit at the highest position among the plurality of cleaning units may include a drive wheel that is driven by a motor.

Further, the connecting portion may include a rotation mechanism in which the cleaning units to be connected can rotate with respect to each other.

Further, the holding member constituting the cleaning unit may be composed of a plurality of parts, and the entire length of the cleaning unit may be variable by exchanging at least a part of the plurality of parts.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

The cleaning device according to the present invention is not limited to a solar power generation device, but can be suitably applied to a surface to be cleaned that extends long with the same width. For example, it is possible to adapt the cleaning device described above to curved arcades, general household roofs, and corridors.

10, 10a,

10b Cleaning device

11, 11a-

h Blade

12, 12a-c, Holding member 13 Motor

14a Traveling wheel

14b Guide wheel 15 Water storage tank 16 Pump 17 Piping 17a Tube 18, 18a-h Nozzle 19 Battery 20 Connecting portion 40a -C, 48a-d, 49

Cleaning unit

41, 41a, 41b Side surface unit 42 Attachment 43 Connection shaft 44 Bush 45 Lock shaft 46 Lock shaft holder 47 Spring

Claims

A cleaning body for cleaning the surface to be cleaned;
Traveling wheels for traveling on the surface to be cleaned;
A cleaning device comprising a plurality of cleaning units provided with a holding member for holding the cleaning body,
The cleaning units are connected to each other by a connecting portion,
2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is configured by a mechanism capable of translating the plurality of cleaning units with respect to a moving direction of the cleaning apparatus.
The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit at the highest position among the plurality of cleaning units includes a drive wheel driven by a motor.
The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting portion includes a rotation mechanism in which cleaning units to be connected can rotate with respect to each other.
The holding member constituting the cleaning unit is composed of a plurality of parts,
The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an overall length of the cleaning unit is variable by exchanging at least a part of the plurality of parts.