Solar collector washing device

• US 8,726,458 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aalborg CSP
• Original Assignee: eSolar Inc
• Inventors: Mahr, Scott Reinhold, Grossman, Marc Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US13/481,034
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/26, 153/401
• US Class Current: 15/340.1
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/20 Cleaning; Removing snow
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/10 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Methods and systems for cleaning a plurality of solar collectors by a cleaning device that may traverse the gap between a current solar collector and a proximate solar collector by controlling the interaction between the cleaning device and the plurality of solar collectors.

Claims

1. A cleaning vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of drive wheels attached to the chassis; and

a fluid removal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid removal element is configured to remove at least one of;

a cleaning fluid, dew, and dirt from a surface of a solar collector of a plurality of solar collectors;

a processor having an addressable memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

command at least one of the plurality of drive wheels to move in at least one of;

a forward direction and a backward direction;

command at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors into a new position;

track a position of the cleaning vehicle by at least one of;

a compass, a global positioning system, an object detector circuit, an optical sensor, a mechanical whisker, a sonar transceiver, and a gap counting sensor;

detect a failed solar collector, wherein a failed solar collector is at least one of;

a solar collector with a broken surface, a solar collector with movement limited in at least one axis, and a solar collector that does not respond to a command to move into a new position;

store a location of a detected failed solar collector; and

determine a cleaning path for the cleaning vehicle through the plurality of solar collectors, wherein the determined cleaning path avoids stored locations of detected failed solar collectors.

2. The cleaning vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery disposed in the chassis; and

a solar panel disposed on at least one surface of the chassis, wherein the solar panel is configured to charge the battery.

3. The cleaning vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:

a fluid dispersal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid dispersal element is configured to dispense a cleaning fluid onto the surface of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

a cleaning fluid reservoir disposed in the chassis, wherein the cleaning fluid reservoir is configured to store the cleaning fluid.

4. The cleaning vehicle of claim 3 further comprising:

a fluid recovery element, wherein the fluid recovery element is configured to filter dirt from at least one fluid removed by the fluid removal element and store the filtered fluid in the cleaning fluid reservoir.

5. The cleaning vehicle of claim 3 further comprising:

a surface agitator attached to the chassis, wherein the surface agitator is interposed between the fluid dispersal element and the fluid removal element.

6. The cleaning vehicle of claim 3 further comprising:

at least one guiding element, wherein the at least one guiding element is disposed perpendicular to the plurality of drive wheels, and the at least one guiding element extends from the chassis to an edge of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

7. The cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect an edge, via a forward looking sensor, of at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

8. The cleaning vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine when at least one of;

a battery of the cleaning vehicle is low and the cleaning fluid level is low; and

determine a path for the cleaning vehicle through the plurality of solar collectors to a dock.

9. The cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

store information on at least one of;

time of year, site specific dirt accumulation rates, current weather, predicted weather, electrical power pricing, current plant operation, and planned future plant operation;

analyze cleaning fluid removed by a fluid removal element;

maintain data on real-time solar collector field cleanliness, wherein real-time solar collector field cleanliness is based on at least one of;

stored information and analyzed cleaning fluid for at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

determine a cleaning strategy, wherein the cleaning strategy is based on the maintained data.

10. The cleaning vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a presence of dew on at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

modify the cleaning strategy to incorporate additional cleaning if presence of dew is detected.

11. A cleaning vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of drive wheels attached to the chassis;

a fluid removal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid removal element is configured to remove at least one of;

a cleaning fluid, dew, and dirt from a surface of a solar collector of a plurality of solar collectors; and

a processor having addressable memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine, via an object detector circuit, a strength of a signal reflected off of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors by a sensor disposed on the bottom of the chassis; and

modify, based on the strength of the signal reflected, a cleaning effort of the cleaning vehicle, wherein the cleaning effort is at least one of;

a speed of the surface agitator, a speed of the cleaning vehicle by the plurality of drive wheels, a dispensing of the cleaning fluid by the fluid dispersal element, and an amount of the cleaning fluid dispensed by the fluid dispersal element.

12. The cleaning vehicle of claim 11 further comprising:

a battery disposed in the chassis; and

a solar panel disposed on at least one surface of the chassis, wherein the solar panel is configured to charge the battery.

13. The cleaning vehicle of claim 11 further comprising:

a fluid dispersal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid dispersal element is configured to dispense a cleaning fluid onto the surface of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

a cleaning fluid reservoir disposed in the chassis, wherein the cleaning fluid reservoir is configured to store the cleaning fluid.

14. The cleaning vehicle of claim 13 further comprising:

a fluid recovery element, wherein the fluid recovery element is configured to filter dirt from at least one fluid removed by the fluid removal element and store the filtered fluid in the cleaning fluid reservoir.

15. The cleaning vehicle of claim 13 further comprising:

a surface agitator attached to the chassis, wherein the surface agitator is interposed between the fluid dispersal element and the fluid removal element.

16. The cleaning vehicle of claim 13 further comprising:

at least one guiding element, wherein the at least one guiding element is disposed perpendicular to the plurality of drive wheels, and the at least one guiding element extends from the chassis to an edge of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

17. The cleaning vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect an edge, via a forward looking sensor, of at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

18. The cleaning vehicle of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine when at least one of;

a battery of the cleaning vehicle is low and the cleaning fluid level is low; and

determine a path for the cleaning vehicle through the plurality of solar collectors to a dock.

19. The cleaning vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store information on at least one of;

time of year, site specific dirt accumulation rates, current weather, predicted weather, electrical power pricing, current plant operation, and planned future plant operation;

analyze cleaning fluid removed by a fluid removal element;

maintain data on real-time solar collector field cleanliness, wherein real-time solar collector field cleanliness is based on at least one of;

stored information and analyzed cleaning fluid for at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

determine a cleaning strategy, wherein the cleaning strategy is based on the maintained data.

20. The cleaning vehicle of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a presence of dew on at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

modify the cleaning strategy to incorporate additional cleaning if presence of dew is detected.

21. A cleaning vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of drive wheels attached to the chassis;

a fluid removal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid removal element is configured to remove at least one of;

a cleaning fluid, dew, and dirt from a surface of a solar collector of a plurality of solar collectors;

a fluid dispersal element attached to the chassis, wherein the fluid dispersal element is configured to dispense a cleaning fluid onto the surface of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors;

a cleaning fluid reservoir disposed in the chassis, wherein the cleaning fluid reservoir is configured to store the cleaning fluid;

a surface agitator attached to the chassis, wherein the surface agitator is interposed between the fluid dispersal element and the fluid removal element; and

a processor having addressable memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect an edge of a first solar collector, wherein the edge is proximate to an open region between a first solar collector and a second solar collector;

disengage the surface agitator proximate to the edge of the first solar collector;

disengage the fluid removal element proximate to the edge of the first solar collector;

traverse the open region between the first solar collector and the second solar collector;

detect an edge of the second solar collector, wherein the edge is proximate to the open region between the first solar collector and the second solar collector;

engage the surface agitator proximate to the edge of the second solar collector; and

engage the fluid removal element proximate to the edge of the second solar collector.

22. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21 further comprising:

a battery disposed in the chassis; and

a solar panel disposed on at least one surface of the chassis, wherein the solar panel is configured to charge the battery.

23. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21 further comprising:

a fluid recovery element, wherein the fluid recovery element is configured to filter dirt from at least one fluid removed by the fluid removal element and store the filtered fluid in the cleaning fluid reservoir.

24. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21 further comprising:

at least one guiding element, wherein the at least one guiding element is disposed perpendicular to the plurality of drive wheels, and the at least one guiding element extends from the chassis to an edge of a solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

25. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect an edge, via a forward looking sensor, of at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors.

26. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine when at least one of;

a battery of the cleaning vehicle is low and the cleaning fluid level is low; and

determine a path for the cleaning vehicle through the plurality of solar collectors to a dock.

27. The cleaning vehicle of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store information on at least one of;

time of year, site specific dirt accumulation rates, current weather, predicted weather, electrical power pricing, current plant operation, and planned future plant operation;

analyze cleaning fluid removed by a fluid removal element;

maintain data on real-time solar collector field cleanliness, wherein real-time solar collector field cleanliness is based on at least one of;

stored information and analyzed cleaning fluid for at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

determine a cleaning strategy, wherein the cleaning strategy is based on the maintained data.

28. The cleaning vehicle of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a presence of dew on at least one solar collector of the plurality of solar collectors; and

modify the cleaning strategy to incorporate additional cleaning if presence of dew is detected.