Apparatuses, systems and methods for cleaning photovoltaic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9355873-B2
Application number	US-201213567205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2012
Priority date	Aug 4, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of solar panel cleaning apparatuses, solar panel cleaning systems, and solar panel cleaning methods are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the disclosed solar panel cleaning apparatuses, systems and methods do may not require any water or other cleaning liquids in the whole cleaning process, which makes them prominent well suited in for water-deficit environments such as deserts. In one embodiment, the solar panel cleaning apparatus comprises one or more rotatable brushes each having a rotational axis and a drive configured to move each of the one or more rotatable brushes in a direction that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis. The solar panel cleaning apparatus is may be configured such that the angle of the rotational axis of at least one of the one or more rotatable brushes is adjustable relative to the direction of travel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar panel cleaning apparatus comprising:
one or more rotatable brushes each having a rotational axis;
a track coupled to the one or more rotatable brushes and configured to guide the one or more rotatable brushes along a path, where the path is in a direction of travel, wherein the direction of travel is not perpendicular to the rotational axis; and
a drive configured to move each of the one or more rotatable brushes in the direction of travel.

2. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , where the system is configured such that the angle of the rotational axis of at least one of the one or more rotatable brushes is adjustable relative to the direction of travel.

3. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotation drive coupled to the one or more rotatable brushes and configured to rotate the one or more rotatable brushes.

4. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a support assembly configured to support the one or more brushes.

5. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , where the drive comprises one or more motors.

6. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , where the one or more motors are configured to operate the rotatable brushes.

7. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , where each of the one or more rotatable brushes comprises:
a shaft extending along the rotational axis; and
a sweeping member coupled to the shaft and configured to be rotatable about the rotational axis.

8. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the angle between the shaft and the direction of travel is ninety (90) degrees in a rest position, and wherein the angle between the shaft and the direction of travel is less than or greater than ninety (90) degrees in a run position.

9. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the rotation drive comprises a worm drive.

10. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the support assembly comprises one or more thrust slide bearings.

11. The solar panel cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a dock coupled to the support assembly and configured to shelter the one or more brushes.

12. A solar panel cleaning system, comprising:
a solar panel power system comprising one or more solar panels; and
a solar panel cleaning apparatus coupled to the one or more solar panels, comprising:
one or more rotatable brushes each having a rotational axis;
a track coupled to the one or more rotatable brushes and configured to guide the one or more rotatable brushes along a path, where the path is in a direction of travel that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis; and
a drive configured to move each of the one or more rotatable brushes in the direction of travel.

13. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , where the system is configured such that the angle of the rotational axis of at least one of the one or more rotatable brushes is adjustable relative to the direction of travel.

14. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , further comprising a rotation drive coupled to the one or more rotatable brushes and configured to rotate the one or more rotatable brushes.

15. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , further comprising a support assembly configured to support the one or more brushes.

16. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , where the drive comprises one or more motors.

17. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 16 , where the one or more motors are configured to operate the rotatable brushes.

18. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , where each of the one or more rotatable brushes comprises:
a shaft extending along the rotational axis; and
a sweeping member coupled to the shaft and configured to be rotatable about the rotational axis.

19. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the angle between the one or more brushes and the direction of travel is between zero (0) and ninety (90) degrees.

20. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 14 , wherein the rotation drive comprises a worm drive.

21. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 15 , wherein the support assembly comprises one or more thrust slide bearings.

22. The solar panel cleaning system of claim 12 , further comprising a dock coupled to the support assembly and configured to shelter the one or more brushes.

23. A method for cleaning solar panels, comprising:
rotating one or more rotatable brushes around a rotational axis such that the one or more rotatable brushes contact the one or more solar panels;
guiding the one or more rotatable brushes along a path with a track, where the path is in a direction of travel that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis; and
moving the one or more rotatable brushes in the direction.

24. The method of 23 , where the one or more rotatable bushes are adjustable such that the one or more rotatable brushes are not perpendicular to the direction of travel.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising supporting, with a support assembly, the one or more rotatable brushes.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising operating the one or more rotatable brushes with one or more motors.

27. The method of claim 24 , further comprising adjusting the one or more rotatable brushes such that the angle between the one or more rotatable brushes and the direction of travel is between zero (0) and ninety (90) degrees.

28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising lowering the one or more rotatable brushes such that the one or more rotatable bushes are in contact with a surface of the one or more solar panels.

29. The method of claim 23 , further comprising stopping the one or more rotatable brushes after a cleaning process.

30. The method of claim 23 , further comprising resting the one or more rotatable brushes in a dock after a cleaning process.

Assignees

• Eitelhuber Georg
• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Eitelhuber Georg

Classifications

• H10P72/0412 Primary

  using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes · CPC title

• H02S40/10

  Cleaning arrangements · CPC title

• H01L21/67046 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F24S40/20

  Cleaning; Removing snow · CPC title

• Y02E10/40

  Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers · CPC title