WO2022238732A1 - Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires - Google Patents

Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022238732A1
WO2022238732A1 PCT/IB2021/054009 IB2021054009W WO2022238732A1 WO 2022238732 A1 WO2022238732 A1 WO 2022238732A1 IB 2021054009 W IB2021054009 W IB 2021054009W WO 2022238732 A1 WO2022238732 A1 WO 2022238732A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cleaning
solar panels
active surface
flanks
handling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2021/054009
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Salvatore Occhipinti
Original Assignee
Reiwa S.R.L.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Reiwa S.R.L. filed Critical Reiwa S.R.L.
Priority to EP21733175.0A priority Critical patent/EP4338281A1/fr
Priority to PCT/IB2021/054009 priority patent/WO2022238732A1/fr
Publication of WO2022238732A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022238732A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
    • H02S40/00—Components or accessories in combination with PV modules, not provided for in groups H02S10/00 - H02S30/00
    • H02S40/10—Cleaning arrangements
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
    • F24S40/00—Safety or protection arrangements of solar heat collectors; Preventing malfunction of solar heat collectors
    • F24S40/20—Cleaning; Removing snow
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

  • Structures consisting of a plurality of photovoltaic cells have been present in the art for some time. These are mounted on a covering and support plane and are in turn overhung by a layer of surface glass, possibly interspersed with a protective compound having elastic properties. In order to guarantee the airtight sealing of the system a support frame made of aluminum is provided. Such structures, called from now on “photovoltaic panels” are aimed at absorbing solar radiation and at transforming it into electric energy, so as to be able to obtain a source with low environmental impact and at a substantially zero cost, except for set up and maintenance:no raw material is provided at the moment.
  • photovoltaic parks are conventionally set up according to a lattice design: rows of substantially adjacent panels are provided, separated by paths for the access of means and maintenance workers, on not always level terrains. This implies some remarkable logistic difficulties, and in particular vertical and horizontal disconnections are detected between two panels belonging to the same row, and actual horizontal dips in the case of panels belonging to two different rows of the same lattice design. Taking into account that the gaps between the rows of panels are not below 4.5 m, logistic difficulties are not exactly unimportant and require extensive reflection, especially because conventional devices cannot cover such a long distance and human action remains inevitable.
  • the efficiency of a panel is also determined by the integrity of the individual cells: the presence of Hot Spots, which are developed mainly for the shading limited to the active surface of the solar panels, for the mechanical breaking of the cells and of the welding or due to mismatching, causes a lesser radiation efficiency, and hence dispersion in energy absorption.
  • Fig. 1 represents the view from below of a cleaning device of the panels according to the invention
  • Fig. 4 represents the lateral view of the characterised in that member of the device of Fig. 1; of which
  • Fig. 5 represents the view with parts removed
  • Fig. 8 represents the view of the accessory of Fig. 7 mounted on the device of Fig. 1;
  • Figs. 11 and 12 represent views of the device of Fig. 1 during operation
  • Fig. 14 represents the lateral view
  • Fig. 16 represents the lateral view with the device on board according to Figs, from 1 to 12;
  • Fig.17 represents the front view with the device on board according to Figs, from 1 to 12;
  • the cleaning device 1 of the active surface of the solar panels consists of a central handling member 2 and of a pair of opposite flanks 3, 4, at the ends of which emergency stop buttons 5 are provided which guarantee the safety of the operators using it, forcedly blocking the activity of the device in dangerous situations.
  • the flanks 3, 4 are arranged with inverted symmetry with respect to said central handling body 2.
  • perforations 6 are provided for guaranteeing a low aerodynamic resistance and a greater stability of the device in the operating steps and a pair of winglets 7 arranged at about three quarters' distance from the middle of the structure.
  • Guiding elements 8 are arranged at the ends of flanks 3, 4, while a carter 9 protects handling member 2 and keeps it in stable connection with flanks 3, 4.
  • Track-laying elements 10, actuated by a motor which drives into rotation gears 11 connected - according to very well-known methods - with the tracks, are provided on the bottom surface of the above-said central handling member.
  • a system of handling jacks 12 is furthermore provided, with respect to a central axis, handling and support structures of the individual tracks 10.
  • an appendix 13 is mounted, consisting of a pair of articulated arms 14, interconnected by means of a trapezium-shaped fastening plate 15, having at the end opposite to said plate 15 two innovative resting feet 16 which guarantee the adaptation to different surfaces.
  • Jacks 17 manage the handling of said articulated arms 14. This structure can be made compact, to allow the correct handling as illustrated in Fig. 9.
  • heat cameras 18 are provided arranged along the entire structure, aimed at probing for a width defined in a simplified form by cones C the state of operation of the solar panels, detecting any anomalies or Hot Spots thereof.
  • a further device is associated which makes even more functional the maintenance activities of the plants, and which allows to make up an actual translation and surveillance system.
  • frame 23 provides two mutually symmetrical support structures 24 of the photovoltaic panels, kept in mutual engagement by means of a joint 25, as well as by vertical posts 26, aimed at also supporting - housing the central body in the gap defined by them - the flanks of said cleaning device, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 16 to 18, through suitably accomplished supports 27, wherein perforations are provided for guaranteeing a low aerodynamic resistance and a greater stability of the device in the stationing and operating steps, especially in the presence of wind.
  • Cleaning device 1 has inside a central rotor provided with an integrated brush, to allow the correct cleaning of the active surface of the solar panels, a motion transmission member, which carries - in the embodiment illustrated - through toothed gears the motion to tracks 10 and a supply system consisting of one or more photovoltaic panels having the function of loading and keeping charged batteries.
  • a control unit is furthermore provided, understandably having the task of absorbing the data, possibly transmitting it to a remote unit and of correctly displacing the device so as to allow the correct operation of the panel being worked upon.
  • a manual or automatic height adjustment mechanism may be present, arranged at the ends of the brush, aimed at adjusting the height of the brushes and at obtaining the desired performances on the active surface of the solar panels.
  • the brush consists of a central shaft - which acts as a rotation shaft - wherefrom integrated bristles depart arranged according to a radial design, the above said shaft rotating around a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the active surface.
  • the bristles are made of fibre - particularly preferably natural fibre - having excellent elasticity and resistance to chemical agents, but also high absorption and liquid retention properties.
  • these are fibres not subject to electrostatic charges and with high hygroscopic properties, ideal for use in environments with high temperatures and for which the total absence of abrasive action on the surfaces is required during the cleaning operation.
  • the cleaning device - once brought onto the photovoltaic panel - moves parallel to the longitudinal axis of the active surface of the solar panels, moving with an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the brush body.
  • central handling member 2 enables the structure to evenly unload the entire weight of the cleaning device onto the resting surface, identifying a balancing function, and thus reducing the risk of cracks or in any case of deterioration of the resting surface, normally nevertheless highly fragile.
  • a central handling member 2 has been built so that the basic principle of 1-st-degree-lever physics was guaranteed, by which a balance condition is guaranteed among all intervening forces.
  • a structure has been accomplished wherein the moment of the driving force is constantly equal to the moment of the resistant force, that is, when the sum of the mechanical moments thereto applied is equal to zero.
  • the base provided with handling means - wheels or tracks - has a transmission system consisting of brushless or DC motors, in mechanical coupling with the drive wheels of the platform which is actuated with an automatic driving system, due to the presence of position sensors and of filters and algorithms which identify with high accuracy the actual position of the device in the surrounding environment.
  • the preferred sensors are the following:
  • LIDAR sensor with 360° coverage, arranged on the anchoring system, has the task of mapping the surrounding environment and to detect obstacles. It is the main sensor used for the building of the digital map of the environment;
  • GPS module which converts the longitude and latitude coordinates into X,Y elements of the digital map. It is the main element used for assigning way-points within the area in which it moves;
  • Ultrasounds sensors installed in the anchoring system, they use high-frequency sound waves capable of detecting with a reading radius of 6° the distance from the reflecting object. These are used for establishing the correct position during the raising and aligning steps;
  • Capacitive sensors they are integrated in the anchoring system and detect the presence of the cleaning robot correctly positioned in a stationary condition.
  • Self-levelling and dampening members are furthermore provided which comprise a levelling system consisting of pistons (electric, pneumatic, oleodynamic linear motors) with the object of maintaining the base of the platform always parallel to the ground, regardless of the slopes and of the unevenness of the ground, and a suspension system (pneumatic, hydro-pneumatic, hydraulic, elastomers, helical springs, crossbow, torsion bars).
  • a levelling system consisting of pistons (electric, pneumatic, oleodynamic linear motors) with the object of maintaining the base of the platform always parallel to the ground, regardless of the slopes and of the unevenness of the ground, and a suspension system (pneumatic, hydro-pneumatic, hydraulic, elastomers, helical springs, crossbow, torsion bars).
  • An anchoring system of the cleaning device to the translation device is furthermore provided, consisting of a smooth central surface, of an input wall comprising horizontal cylinders arranged at 45° at the sides, having a self-centring function, and a terminal part comprising vertical rollers arranged in series, also having a self-centring function.
  • recharging devices are also provided by means of contacts or induction ones which use the energy absorbed by the solar panels provided on the translation device.
  • the translation and surveillance device therefore consist of a lifting structure, that is, of a platform with a pantograph system or lifting system employing a fork-lift truck and of a control system consisting of linear actuators (electric, pneumatic, oleodynamic ones), electronically controlled for allowing the vertical movement of the anchoring system, as well as of a series of sensors aimed at sending answer signals to the control unit concerning the reaching of the level check-point.
  • a lifting structure that is, of a platform with a pantograph system or lifting system employing a fork-lift truck and of a control system consisting of linear actuators (electric, pneumatic, oleodynamic ones), electronically controlled for allowing the vertical movement of the anchoring system, as well as of a series of sensors aimed at sending answer signals to the control unit concerning the reaching of the level check-point.
  • the panel cleaning device - once the operator has placed it onto the solar panels, taking care for the flanks to be parallel to the surface of the thrust module - is displaced by the thrust module along the handling axis, allowing cleaning through the cleaning system.
  • Each row can also comprise two or more successions of solar panels, therefore the photovoltaic system can define corridors arranged between two successions, defining a development axis parallel to the crosswise axis of the planar surface.
  • the handling member consists of a fixed central module, containing the mechanical transmission members and the electronic control unit, and two lateral modules comprising tracks having the function of transmitting to the active surface of the solar panels of the force produced by the motor.
  • the two lateral modules are anchored to the central module through a hinge mechanism which, placed in line with the traction axes, allows the constrained rotary movement thereof.
  • the rotary motion of the two lateral modules is mechanically guaranteed by linear actuators which, through the control unit, automatically adjust the opening angle thereof, basing their operation on the third-kind-lever principle.
  • each of said heat cams spaces across an arc C, in order to detect any anomalies or Hot Spots.
  • the control unit within the cleaning device acquires all the signals coming from the heat cams and, through an automatic learning system (Machine learning), processes them continuously during the cleaning operation, also relying on stochastic analysis systems.
  • Machine learning Automatic learning
  • the condition of equilibrium may not occur due to any structural level gaps.
  • one of the winglets impacting against the structure of the solar panels, generates a drive force which tends to bring the entire cleaning device off balance generating a rotary motion which stops upon reaching the new mechanical balance, defined in the longitudinal axis parallel to the active surface of the subsequent row of panels.
  • the handling member is equipped with a system for the automatic generation of trajectories which guarantees a constant alignment condition during the cleaning operation. Said condition arises through the use of two motors which transfer their power each to the transmission members of each belt, but especially through the electronic trajectory control.
  • control unit acquires all the signals (output) coming from the various sensors and, through a sophisticated automatic learning system (Deep Learning), processes them continuously during the cleaning operation, also on the basis of the same information detected in real time from the surrounding environment.
  • This system specifically designed to allow the automatic alignment of the cleaning device, allows to manage each motor, defining, through the speed differentiation of each track, the change in the direction of advancement.
  • the suitably integrated anthropomorphic arms have been designed also to enable the cleaning device to overcome any corridors running across multiple rows of solar panels not below 4.5 m, without the use of complementary devices of the moving bridge type.
  • the device activates the anthropomorphic arms through IPS technology (Intelligent Positioning System), so as to move and position the cleaning device into the photovoltaic plant.
  • IPS Intelligent Positioning System
  • the cleaning device translates to the panels of another row, so as to allow the cleaning of the entire photovoltaic plant.
  • the lifting and alignment system is place in the lowest point of its configuration, that is to allow the lowering of the centre of mass and to increase stability in the navigation steps.
  • the set objects have been obtained, that is a cleaning device for photovoltaic panels which is capable of proceeding with the vertical and horizontal passage from one panel to another, guaranteeing the cleaning of an entire row, but also of continuing on the adjacent row, beyond the service path and at the same time which is capable of performing verification predictive analyses on the yield of the panels, so as to promptly identify any faults or malfunctioning.
  • the handling member has construction features which allow the overcoming of any problem connected to the level gaps among the various rows of panels, due to the sophisticated presence of the guiding members which, associated with the anthropomorphic arms, move fully independently the cleaning device and arrange it in the correct position.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)

Abstract

Dispositif de nettoyage de la surface active de panneaux solaires caractérisé en ce qu'il est constitué d'un élément central de manutention et d'une paire de flancs opposés, lesdits flancs présentant des perforations aptes à garantir une faible résistance aérodynamique et une plus grande stabilité, et une paire d'ailettes disposées à une distance d'environ trois quarts depuis le milieu de la structure, et en ce que sur la surface inférieure de l'élément central précité est caractérisée en ce que des organes de piste d'organe sont prévus, actionnés par un moteur à engrenage rotatif.
PCT/IB2021/054009 2021-05-11 2021-05-11 Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires WO2022238732A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21733175.0A EP4338281A1 (fr) 2021-05-11 2021-05-11 Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires
PCT/IB2021/054009 WO2022238732A1 (fr) 2021-05-11 2021-05-11 Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB2021/054009 WO2022238732A1 (fr) 2021-05-11 2021-05-11 Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2022238732A1 true WO2022238732A1 (fr) 2022-11-17

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2021/054009 WO2022238732A1 (fr) 2021-05-11 2021-05-11 Dispositif de nettoyage pour panneaux solaires

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP4338281A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2022238732A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106026891A (zh) * 2016-07-01 2016-10-12 北京哈工机器人有限公司 一种智能清洁机器人的无水清洁系统
WO2017097065A1 (fr) * 2015-12-09 2017-06-15 北京天诚同创电气有限公司 Dispositif de nettoyage
WO2020253625A1 (fr) * 2019-06-19 2020-12-24 崔正磊 Dispositif de nettoyage mobile, procédé d'installation de pont de connexion, ensemble de commande d'escalade, unité photovoltaïque et réseau photovoltaïque

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2017097065A1 (fr) * 2015-12-09 2017-06-15 北京天诚同创电气有限公司 Dispositif de nettoyage
CN106026891A (zh) * 2016-07-01 2016-10-12 北京哈工机器人有限公司 一种智能清洁机器人的无水清洁系统
WO2020253625A1 (fr) * 2019-06-19 2020-12-24 崔正磊 Dispositif de nettoyage mobile, procédé d'installation de pont de connexion, ensemble de commande d'escalade, unité photovoltaïque et réseau photovoltaïque

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