Smart actuator for solar applications (SASA)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11976641-B1
Application number	US-202318160042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2023
Priority date	Jan 26, 2023
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a thermomechanical actuator and a cleaning system implementing the thermomechanical actuator. The thermomechanical actuator includes a solar heat collector (SHC) housing shape memory alloy springs connected between a piston movably disposed therein and one end of the SHC. A cable extending from the piston through an opposite end of the SHC is connected to a bias load that develops returning force on the springs. In presence of solar radiation, the springs contract and cause linear movement of the piston in a direction of contraction and, in absence of the solar radiation, the springs expand and cause linear movement of the piston in direction of expansion. Useful power and work is extracted in form of the cleaning system from such linear movement of the piston.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermomechanical actuator, comprising:
a piston, a solar heat collector, a plurality of springs, a rod, a pulley, a bias load, and a cable,
wherein the solar heat collector is in the form of a tube capped on opposing ends with a back cover plate and a front cover plate,
wherein the solar heat collector contains the plurality of springs,
wherein a first end of each spring of the plurality of springs is connected to an interior surface of the front cover plate and a second end of each spring of the plurality of springs is connected to a back face of the piston,
wherein the piston is housed in the interior of the solar heat collector,
wherein a first end of the rod being connected to the back face of the piston in line with the plurality of springs with a front face of the piston being attached to a pulley system comprising:
the cable, the bias load, and the pulley,

wherein the cable is attached to the front face of the piston centrally disposed in the solar heat collector,
the cable running linearly through the solar heat collector attaching to the pulley and the bias load, and the bias load comprises a mass providing tension to the cable,
the cable passing through the back cover plate, and
the rod passing through the center of the front cover plate.

2. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs is comprised of a memory shape alloy,
wherein the plurality of springs is configured in one state at one temperature,
the plurality of springs is configured in a second state at a second temperature,
the first state being the springs in contraction,
the second state being in relaxed state,
the first temperature being greater than the second temperature.

3. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the solar heat collector is a triangular tube with the front cover plate and the back cover plate being of an equilateral triangle shape,
the front cover plate and the back cover plate being of equal dimensions,
wherein the rod passes through the center of the back cover plate, and passes through the center of the front cover plate,
a base of the triangular tube facing upwards, wherein the base of triangular tube is comprised of a transparent material,
the piston face matching the triangular shape of the front cover plate, and the back cover plate.

4. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of springs is configured to contract linearly parallel to the axis of the triangular tube.

5. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the bias load provides a return function for the plurality of springs,
the return function comprising a tensile force applied to the plurality of springs,
the tensile force drawing the plurality of springs back to their equilibrium position,
the tensile force applied by the mass of the bias load.

6. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs are nickel-titanium springs.

7. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 3 , wherein the piston is a triangular plate attached to the rod and the plurality of springs,
the rod running through the center of the triangular plate,
the rod being perpendicular to the triangular plate,
the triangular plate configured to slide along the inside of the triangular tube of the solar heat collector in line with the plurality of springs.

8. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , configured to harness solar heat radiation with the solar heat collector to focus the solar heat radiation onto the plurality of springs,
wherein the solar heat collector is configured to transfer the solar heat radiation to the plurality of springs via a convective, and a conductive process.

9. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the interior surfaces of the body of the solar heat collector comprise a reflective material.

10. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs exerts a range of forces varying from 2.95 Newtons to 11.8 Newtons.

11. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs is displaceable in a range of 30 millimeters to 50 millimeters.

12. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 1 , wherein the front cover plate and the back cover plate comprise aluminum.

13. The thermomechanical actuator of claim 3 , wherein the rod is configured to slide linearly parallel to the axis of the triangular tube.

14. A cleaning system, comprising:
a gear mechanism, a cleaning spindle, a photovoltaic panel, and a thermomechanical actuator,
wherein the thermomechanical actuator comprises:
a piston, a solar heat collector, a plurality of springs, a rod, a pulley, a bias load, and a cable,

wherein the piston of the thermomechanical actuator is attached to the gear mechanism,
the gear mechanism comprising a rack and a pinion,
the rack mechanically attaching to the pinion,
wherein the cleaning spindle is attached to a top face of the pinion,
wherein the thermomechanical actuator, the gear mechanism, and the cleaning spindle are fixed to the photovoltaic panel.

15. The cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the cleaning spindle comprises a linear rod extending across the length of one side of the photovoltaic panel,
the spindle attaching to the face of the pinion,
the spindle rotating 90-degrees across the face of the photovoltaic panel.

16. The cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the rod of the thermomechanical actuator is configured to pass through the gear mechanism,
the rod of the thermomechanical actuator being attached to the gear mechanism,
the rod being mechanically attached to the rack of the gear mechanism,
the rack is fixed to the pinion,
the extension of the rod rotating the pinion via the rack.

17. The cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the thermomechanical actuator is centrally attached to a side of the photovoltaic panel,
the rod of the thermomechanical actuator extending in parallel with the side of the photovoltaic panel,
wherein the gear mechanism is attached to a corner of the photovoltaic panel, wherein the cleaning spindle rests on a face of the photovoltaic panel.

18. The cleaning system of claim 14 , comprising:
a plurality of the thermomechanical actuators, a plurality of the gear mechanisms, and a plurality of the cleaning spindles,
the plurality of thermomechanical actuators fixed to a plurality of sides of the photovoltaic panel,
the plurality of gear mechanisms fixed to the plurality of thermomechanical actuators,
the plurality of cleaning spindles fixed to the plurality of gear mechanisms.

19. The cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the cleaning spindle has a linear brush fixed along an underside of the cleaning spindle.

20. The cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the solar heat collector of the thermomechanical actuator comprises one of three configurations,
wherein a first configuration is a cylindrical tube,
the cylindrical tube comprising a circular front cover, a cylindrical central volume, and a circular back cover,
wherein a second configuration is a triangular tube,
the triangular tube comprising an equilateral triangular front cover, a triangular central volume, and an equilateral triangular back cover,
wherein a third configuration is an isosceles trapezoid tube,
the isosceles trapezoid tube comprising an isosceles trapezoid front cover, an isosceles trapezoid central volume, and an isosceles trapezoid back cover.

Assignees

• Univ Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal

Inventors

• Hariri Nasir Ghazi
• Almadani Ibrahim Khalil
• Osman Ibrahim Sufian

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• F24S10/00

  Solar heat collectors using working fluids · CPC title

• F24S40/20

  Cleaning; Removing snow · CPC title

• H02S40/10

  Cleaning arrangements · CPC title

• F03G7/06145 Primary

  Springs · CPC title