Waterless cleaning system and method for solar trackers using an autonomous robot

• US 10,498,287 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evermore United S.A.
• Original Assignee: Evermore United S.A.
• Inventors: Meller, Moshe, Meller, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E
• Application Number:
  US15/727,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/10 characterised by the type of cleaning tool
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/32 using rotary cleaning members
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/02 Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/10 for automatic control superimposed on human control to limit the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. to prevent excessive motor current electric devices for safety purposes B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2030/136 for moving several solar collectors by common transmission elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/425 Horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/20 Cleaning; Removing snow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/00 PV power plants; Combinations of PV energy systems with other systems for the generation of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/10 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/36 characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 : Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 : Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Solar tracker waterless cleaning system for cleaning solar tracker solar panels, the solar tracker being able to be positioned at a pre-determined angle, the system including a docking station and an autonomous robotic cleaner (ARC), the ARC including at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning cylinder and a controller, the controller including a 6-axis motion sensor, the 6-axis motion sensor including an accelerometer and an electronic gyroscope, the docking station including at least one electrical connector for recharging the power source, the cleaning cylinder for cleaning dirt off of the solar tracker without water, the 6-axis motion sensor for determining an angle of the solar tracker and a heading of the ARC, wherein the ARC anchors in the docking station and cleans the solar tracker positioned at the pre-determined angle and wherein the 6-axis motion sensor is used for navigating the ARC over the solar tracker surface.

Claims

1. A solar tracker waterless cleaning system for cleaning solar panels of a solar tracker, said solar tracker being able to be positioned at a pre-determined angle, said solar tracker waterless cleaning system comprising:

a docking station, coupled with an edge of said solar tracker; and

an autonomous robotic cleaner (ARC),

said ARC comprising;

at least one rechargeable power source;

at least one cleaning cylinder, for cleaning dirt off of a surface of said solar tracker without water; and

a controller, for controlling a cleaning process of said ARC and for transmitting and receiving signals to and from said ARC,

said controller comprising a 6-axis motion sensor, for determining an angle of said solar tracker and a heading of said ARC;

said at least one cleaning cylinder further comprising a plurality of fins which rotates for generating a directional air flow for pushing said dirt off of said surface of said solar tracker;

said docking station comprising;

at least one electrical connector for recharging said rechargeable power source; and

a plurality of anchoring elements, each one of said plurality of anchoring elements comprising;

a plurality of supporting elements;

at least one conductive bar, coupled between at least two of said plurality of supporting elements; and

a physical barrier, positioned on said docking station, for preventing said ARC from falling from said docking station,

wherein said ARC can anchor in said docking station;

wherein said ARC cleans said solar tracker when said solar tracker is positioned at said pre-determined angle;

wherein said pre-determined angle is between −

10 to +10 degrees from a horizontal angle of zero degrees;

wherein said 6-axis motion sensor is used for navigating said ARC over said surface of said solar tracker;

wherein said 6-axis motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and an electronic gyroscope;

wherein said plurality of fins touches said surface of said solar tracker when said plurality of fins rotates;

wherein said ARC cleans said solar tracker by said directional air flow and said touch of said plurality of fins pushing said dirt off of said surface of said solar tracker;

wherein said at least one conductive bar is said at least one electrical connector;

wherein said at least one conductive bar also anchors said ARC;

wherein said plurality of supporting elements are rigidly coupled with a docking surface of said docking station; and

wherein at least one of said physical barrier and said at least one conductive bar is used for calibrating said electronic gyroscope to a local direction of said solar tracker.

2. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, said solar tracker comprising:

a first section of solar panels;

a second section of solar panels;

a bridge, for coupling said first section to said second section; and

a recharging section of solar panels, positioned on said bridge.

3. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 2, said docking station further comprising a conductive wire, for coupling said at least one electrical connector with said recharging section of solar panels, wherein electricity generated by said recharging section of solar panels is used for recharging said rechargeable power source.

4. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, said ARC further comprising:

at least two drive wheels;

at least two respective direct current (DC) drive motors, for respectively driving each of said at least two drive wheels;

at least two respective drive belts, for coupling each of said at least two drive wheels to said at least two respective DC drive motors;

a support structure, for supporting a rear section of said ARC;

at least one edge sensor, for determining an edge of said solar tracker; and

at least two recharge connectors, coupled with said rechargeable power source, for electrically coupling said rechargeable power source with said at least one electrical connector of said docking station,

wherein each one of said at least two drive wheels comprises at least one respective encoder.

5. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one edge sensor is selected from the list consisting of:

a proximity sensor;

an ultrasonic proximity sensor;

an IR sensor; and

a capacitance sensor.

6. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, said ARC further comprising:

at least one cleaning cylinder direct current (DC) drive motor, for driving said at least one cleaning cylinder;

a cleaning cylinder drive belt, for coupling said at least one cleaning cylinder DC drive motor with said at least one cleaning cylinder; and

an angular flat element,

wherein said angular flat element directs said directional air flow generated by said plurality of fins forward.

7. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of fins is fabricated from a material selected from the list consisting of:

microfiber;

fabric;

textile; and

cloth materials.

8. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said rechargeable power source is a rechargeable battery selected from the list consisting of:

a Ni-MH battery;

a lead acid battery;

a lithium ion battery;

a LiFePO4 battery; and

a NiCad battery.

9. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, said controller further comprising:

a processor; and

a transmitter-receiver.

10. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said pre-determined angle is substantially zero degrees from said horizontal angle.

11. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said ARC pushes said dirt off of said surface of said solar tracker using a pre-defined path.

12. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 11, wherein said pre-defined path is selected from the list consisting of:

a zigzag path;

a scanning path; and

a sweeping path.

13. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said local direction is a local north and said electronic gyroscope is calibrated before a start of said cleaning process.

14. The solar tracker waterless cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein said directional air flow minimizes a pressure exerted on an anti-reflective coating covering said solar panels.

15. A fixed angle solar table waterless cleaning system for cleaning solar panels of a solar table, said solar table being fixed at a pre-determined angle, said solar tracker waterless cleaning system comprising:

a docking station, coupled with an edge of said solar tracker; and

an autonomous robotic cleaner (ARC),

said ARC comprising;

at least one rechargeable power source;

at least one cleaning cylinder, for cleaning dirt off of a surface of said solar tracker without water; and

a controller, for controlling a cleaning process of said ARC and for transmitting and receiving signals to and from said ARC,

said controller comprising a 6-axis motion sensor, for determining a heading of said ARC;

said at least one cleaning cylinder further comprising a plurality of fins which rotates for generating a directional air flow for pushing said dirt off of said surface of said solar tracker;

said docking station comprising;

at least one electrical connector for recharging said rechargeable power source; and

a plurality of anchoring elements, each one of said plurality of anchoring elements comprising;

a plurality of supporting elements;

at least one conductive bar, coupled between at least two of said plurality of supporting elements; and

a physical barrier, positioned on said docking station, for preventing said ARC from falling from said docking station,

wherein said ARC can anchor in said docking station;

wherein said pre-determined angle is between −

10 to +10 degrees from a horizontal angle of zero degrees;

wherein said 6-axis motion sensor is used for navigating said ARC over said surface of said solar tracker;

wherein said 6-axis motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and an electronic gyroscope;

wherein said plurality of fins touches said surface of said solar tracker when said plurality of fins rotates;

wherein said ARC cleans said solar tracker by said directional air flow and said touch of said plurality of fins pushing said dirt off of said surface of said solar tracker;

wherein said at least one conductive bar is said at least one electrical connector;

wherein said at least one conductive bar also anchors said ARC;

wherein said plurality of supporting elements are rigidly coupled with a docking surface of said docking station; and

wherein at least one of said physical barrier and said at least one conductive bar is used for calibrating said electronic gyroscope to a local direction of said solar tracker.