Solar Tracking System Employing Multiple Mobile Robots

• US 20150073594A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qbotix, Inc.
• Inventors: Trujillo, Salomon J., Ruiz, Vayardo L., Chu, Kevin C., Bokhari, Wasiq, Esparza, Noe, Rlley, Jessica A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/02 travelling along a guideway
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/452 Vertical primary axis
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/85 Arrangements for protecting solar collectors against adverse weather conditions F24S40/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/00 Arrangements for controlling solar heat collectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 50/60 responsive to wind
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39146 Swarm, multiagent, distributed multitask fusion, cooperation multi robots
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39167 Resources scheduling and balancing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

The present invention relates to a highly-available and fault-tolerant solar tracking system and the process required to manage such a system. A fleet of multiple, redundant mobile robots managed by a task coordinator is deployed to track solar panels in a solar farm in alignment with the sun. Each robot has a control unit for engaging with a coupler connected to one or multiple solar panels and adjusting their orientation, as well as communicating with the task coordinator to receive tasks. The task coordinator senses various events such as robot failure/deterioration, as well as various environmental conditions, and sends tasks reconciled with event types. The system is highly-available and fault-tolerant as it remains operational as long as there is one operational robot. The task coordinator assigns tasks to the mobile robots so as to optimize battery life or other factors, such as, e.g., overall maintenance costs across the fleet.

Claims

1. A highly-available solar tracking system comprising:

a) a mobile robot fleet having at least two mobile robots;

b) a control unit in each of said at least two mobile robots belonging to said mobile robot fleet;

c) at least one solar surface having a coupler for coupling with said control unit;

d) a task coordinator for dispatching said at least two mobile robots to said at least one solar surface in response to an event, and for distributing tasks among said at least two mobile robots to be performed on said at least one solar surface by said control unit.

2. The highly-available solar tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a guide means for supporting the travel of said at least two mobile robots of said mobile robot fleet to and from said at least one solar surface.

3. The highly-available solar tracking system of claim 2, wherein said guide means comprises:

a) at least one rail supporting travel to and from said at least one solar surface and coupling between said coupler and said control unit;

b) at least one rail for supporting at least one inactive mobile robot, said inactive mobile robot being selected by said task coordinator from among said mobile robot fleet.

4. The highly-available solar tracking system of claim 1, wherein said at least two mobile robots are operated by rechargeable batteries.

5. The highly-available solar tracking system of claim 1, wherein said task coordinator further comprises a means for determining a type of said event, wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of robot failure, robot deterioration, wind environmental factor and rain environmental factor.

6. A solar tracking method for managing a highly-available solar tracking system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) managing a mobile robot fleet having at least two mobile robots, each of said at least two mobile robots having a control unit mounted thereon;

b) adjusting the inclination of at least one solar surface with a coupler connected to said at least one solar surface and configured to couple with said control unit;

c) determining an event; and

d) coordinating tasks dispatched to said control unit of each of said at least two mobile robots.

7. The solar tracking method of claim 6, further comprising determining a type of said event, wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of robot failure, robot deterioration, wind environmental factor and rain environmental factor.

8. The solar tracking method of claim 7, wherein said tasks are dispatched by a task coordinator in response to said type of said event.

9. The solar tracking method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining said type of said event comprises the steps of:

a) sensing the condition of each of said at least two mobile robots; and

b) determining said type to be robot failure when a predetermined performance criteria is failed by any of said at least two mobile robots.

10. The solar tracking method of claim 9, wherein in response to said event wherein said type comprises robot failure the method further comprises redistributing tasks previously dispatched to a failed mobile robot from among said at least two mobile robots, to at least one functional mobile robot or at least one deteriorated mobile robot from among said at least two mobile robots.

11. The solar tracking method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining said type of said event comprises the steps of:

a) sensing the condition of each of said at least two mobile robots; and

b) determining said type to be robot deterioration when a predetermined performance criteria are not maintained by any of said at least one mobile robot.

12. The solar tracking method of claim 11, wherein in response to said event where said type comprises robot deterioration the method further comprises the step of redistributing tasks previously dispatched to a deteriorated mobile robot from among said at least two mobile robots, to at least one functional mobile robot from among said at least two mobile robots.

13. The solar tracking method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining said type of said event comprises the steps of:

a) sensing the speed and direction of wind on at least one of said solar surfaces; and

b) determining said type to be a wind environmental factor when a predetermined wind speed and direction criteria are sensed.

14. The solar tracking method of claim 13, wherein in response to said event where said type comprises wind environmental factor the method further comprises a step of assigning tasks to said at least two mobile robots to position said at least one solar surface to a position that minimizes the impact of the said wind environmental, such that the time required to position said at least one solar surface to said position is minimized.

15. The solar tracking method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining said type of said event comprises the steps of:

a) sensing the presence of moisture on said at least one solar surface; and

b) determining said type to comprise rain environmental factor when a predetermined moisture criteria are sensed.

16. The solar tracking method of claim 15, wherein in response to said event where said type comprises rain environmental factor the method further comprises a step of assigning tasks to at least one mobile robot of said at least two mobile robots to visit and change the orientation of said at least one solar surface to a position that facilitates cleaning of said at least one solar surface by rain.

17. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein none of said tasks are assigned by a task coordinator to any of said at least two mobile robots.

18. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein said tasks are assigned by a task coordinator to any mobile robot combination of said at least two mobile robots, such that the time required to perform said tasks by said mobile robot combination is minimized.

19. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein said tasks are assigned by a task coordinator to one of said at least two mobile robots as part of an operational procedure.

20. The solar tracking method of claim 19, wherein said operational procedure comprises the steps of assigning said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots to visit and change the orientation of said at least one solar surface to a position that maximizes energy production.

21. The solar tracking method of claim 20, wherein said operational procedure further comprises the steps of assigning said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots to visit said at least one solar surface whose orientation was adjusted and to further refine its orientation to further maximize energy production.

22. The solar tracking method of claim 19, wherein said operational procedure comprises the steps of assigning said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots to visit and change the orientation of said at least one solar surface to a position that facilitates cleaning of said at least one solar surface.

23. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator dispatches said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots, other any one of said at least two mobile robots that was most recently assigned said tasks, such that the batteries of said at least two mobile robots in said mobile robot fleet are utilized uniformly.

24. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator dispatches said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots that is the same mobile robot that was recently assigned to said tasks, such that the batteries of said at least two mobile robots in said mobile robot fleet are utilized non-uniformly.

25. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator selects a next mobile robot from among said at least two mobile robots to assign the next of said tasks in a manner that optimizes the battery lives of said at least two mobile robots in said mobile robot fleet.

26. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator dispatches said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots in a manner such that mechanical wear on said at least two mobile robots in said mobile robot fleet occurs uniformly.

27. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator dispatches said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots in a manner such that mechanical wear on said at least two mobile robots in said mobile robot fleet occurs non-uniformly.

28. The solar tracking method of claim 6, wherein a task coordinator dispatches said tasks to at least one of said at least two mobile robots in a manner that minimizes the cost of maintenance of said highly-available solar tracking system.