Self-cleaning solar panel with integral compressed air cleaning
A solar panel system with integral compressed air cleaning includes solar panels to absorb visible light, a frame to receive the solar panels and slider structures on two sides of the frame, a brush cleaner having two end structures and a brush, the two end structures coupled with the slider structures so as to slide along the frame, the brush extending between the two end structures and configured to clean the solar panels, a light source configured to emit a source light towards the solar panels, an optical sensor to detect dust on the solar panels based on received light, a plate attached has air nozzles to blow air towards the brush based on dust detection by the optical sensor; and a compressed air cleaning module comprising. An air compressor box is positioned on one of the two end structures of the brush cleaner and positioned on one end of the plate such that the air compressor box does not block the source light, the received light or the air, and a conduit fluidly connecting the air compressor box to the air nozzles. The air compressor box and air compressor therein are disposed on a top surface of the plate.
1 . A solar panel system with integral compressed air cleaning, comprising:
solar panels configured to absorb visible light;
a frame configured to receive the solar panels therein and comprising slider structures on two sides of the frame;
a brush cleaner spanning a full width of the solar panels, comprising two end structures and a brush, the two end structures coupled with the slider structures so as to slide along the frame, wherein the brush comprises a shaft extending between the two end structures and a plurality of brush fibers attached to and extending radially and circumferentially outward from a surface of the shaft, the brush extending between the two end structures and configured to clean the solar panels, wherein the brush cleaner is configured to move only in a linear direction along a length of the solar panels to clean an entire surface area of the solar panels, without lateral movement of the brush cleaner across the solar panels;
a motor configured to rotate the shaft of the brush;
a light source configured to emit a source light towards the solar panels;
an optical sensor configured to detect dust on the solar panels based on received light;
a plate attached to one side of the brush cleaner and comprising air nozzles that are configured to blow air towards the brush based on dust detection by the optical sensor; and
a compressed air cleaning module comprising:
an air compressor box positioned on one of the two end structures of the brush cleaner and positioned on one end of the plate such that the air compressor box does not block the source light, the received light or the air,
a conduit fluidly connecting the air compressor box to the air nozzles;
wherein the air compressor box is disposed on a top surface of the plate.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a film positioned on the solar panels, the film being transparent to visible light and configured to generate an emitted light when absorbing the source light.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the film comprises a glass matrix and a fluorescent material dispersed therein, and the light source comprises an ultraviolet light lamp.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the source light comprises ultraviolet light, the received light comprises the emitted light comprising visible light, and the optical sensor is configured to detect the dust on the solar panels based on the emitted light from the film.
5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the glass matrix has a light transmission rate of 80% or more for visible light.
6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the glass matrix comprises silica.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plate extends between the two end structures of the brush cleaner.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the solar panel system comprises a row of the optical sensors distributed along the plate, and each of the row of the optical sensors is positioned below a respective air nozzle of the air nozzles.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the row of the optical sensors are configured to detect the dust as the brush cleaner slides along the frame.
10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the brush cleaner further comprises a top panel extending between the two end structures and positioned above the brush.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the top panel includes an array of holes.
12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plate is in direct contact with both of the two end structures of the brush cleaner.
13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to move the brush cleaner along the frame, receive dust data from the optical sensor in real time, and independently adjust air pressure of each of the air nozzles based on the dust data.
14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a switch sensor that is configured to turn off the controller at sunrise and turn on the controller at sunset by monitoring visible light intensity.
15 . The solar panel system of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED).
16 . The solar panel system of claim 15 , wherein the optical sensor comprises:
a color sensor that is configured to determine a region of the solar panel is clean when respective reflected light rays are blue or dusty when the respective reflected light rays are brown; and
a light intensity sensor that is configured to determine an amount of the dust on the region of the solar panel based on intensity of the respective reflected light rays.