Automatic solar panel cleaning system with sun tracking

The main conclusions can be summarized as: The dirt and bird drop make a hot spot in the panel, and it can result in the temporary failure of panel. Dry cleaning cannot remove all the dirt on the surface of the solar panel, but it is able to remove the outer layers of the dust. Cleaning solar panel

Project Title

Automatic solar panel cleaning system with sun tracking

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

The main conclusions can be summarized as: The dirt and bird drop make a hot spot in the panel, and it can result in the temporary failure of panel. Dry cleaning cannot remove all the dirt on the surface of the solar panel, but it is able to remove the outer layers of the dust. Cleaning solar panel with water increases the cleaning efficiency by removing majority of the dirt deposited on the panel. The other main part of this project is to track the sun and move the platform towards the sunlight. The project will be design to use sun energy efficiently. This device is made up of light weight material, so there will be no much weight, applied on to the panel. Comparing the costs of cleaning by Manual operation and Automatic operation the cost for automatic cleaning is proved to be more economic and significantly less cumbersome particularly in systems having large number of solar panels. Also frequent periodic cleaning ensures that the solar panel works with a good transmittance consistently at all times.

The main conclusions can be summarized as: The dirt and bird drop make a hot spot in the panel, and it can result in the temporary failure of panel. Dry cleaning cannot remove all the dirt on the surface of the solar panel, but it is able to remove the outer layers of the dust. Cleaning solar panel with water increases the cleaning efficiency by removing majority of the dirt deposited on the panel. The other main part of this project is to track the sun and move the platform towards the sunlight. The project will be design to use sun energy efficiently. This device is made up of light weight material, so there will be no much weight, applied on to the panel. Comparing the costs of cleaning by Manual operation and Automatic operation the cost for automatic cleaning is proved to be more economic and significantly less cumbersome particularly in systems having large number of solar panels. Also frequent periodic cleaning ensures that the solar panel works with a good transmittance consistently at all times.

There is more than enough solar radiation available around the world to satisfy the demand for solar power systems. The proportion of the sun’s rays that reaches the earth’s surface is enough to provide for global energy consumption 10,000 times over. On average, each square metre of land is exposed to enough sunlight to produce 1,700 kWh of power every year “Photovoltaic” is a union of two words: “photo”, meaning light, and “voltaic”,

Project Objectives

Manual  cleaning  and  cooling  of  large  solar  plants  can  be  time  consuming.  The two things that reduce the efficiency of the solar panel are dust accumulation and temperature rise. Firstly, the dust accumulated on the solar panel reduces the output voltage. Secondly, the temperature rise in the surrounding leads to inefficient output. Also the performance of the solar panel decrease when the sun is in the opposite direction, therefore we are proposing a solar tracker, using light sensor which will move the panel towards the sun rays. This will increase the performance of the solar panel according to the direction of the sun or weather. The objective  of  this  project  is  to  design  a  self-directing  system  to  sense  the  physical  parameters  like  dust  and temperature  of  the  solar panel  with  the  help of  dust  and  temperature  sensors  respectively, and create a prototype solar tracker using stepper motor to move the panel step by step each angle necessary.  When the sensor readings traverse the fixed values, then using a wiper the dust is removed. When the rise in temperature exceeds 25 degree Celsius, the cooling system starts to cool or maintain the temperature of the solar panel. By doing this, the time consumption and labour is reduced and the efficiency is expected to increase based on the temperature coefficient of the solar panel.

There is more than enough solar radiation available around the world to satisfy the demand for solar power systems. The proportion of the sun’s rays that reaches the earth’s surface is enough to provide for global energy consumption 10,000 times over. On average, each square metre of land is exposed to enough sunlight to produce 1,700 kWh of power every year “Photovoltaic” is a union of two words: “photo”, meaning light, and “voltaic”,

Meaning electricity. Photovoltaic technology, the scientific term used to describe what we use to convert solar energy into electricity, generates electricity from light. We use a semi-conductor material which can be adapted to release electrons, the negatively charged particles that form the basis of electricity. Accumulation of dust on the solar panels leads to reduction of the transmittance of the panel. Solar desalination plants in some of the middle-east countries like the solar desalination plant of Abu Dhabi suffers from the deposition of dust on its solar plates. The effect of the accumulate dust will be reduced with the increasing of tilt angle, since the tilt angle will affect the exposure time to the sunlight also. But the best way to eliminate the effect of the accumulated dust on the solar panels is to clean the panels. In practice cleaning of solar panels should be frequently done. The objective of the project work is to design a cleaning mechanism that runs across the length of the panels so that we can improve over all solar panel efficiency

to avoid labour cost

to avoid power loss

to avoid manual cleaning

Project Implementation Method

Cleaning Unit

Cleaning Unit is responsible for taking care of the cleaning action of the robot. It is placed perpendicular to both the legs. The legs are having a water pump which will spray the water to wipe out the dust. The RTC will be connected to the system for real time clocking. The solar panel will be washed everyday on a specific time.

 Linear Actuator

Linear actuator is an actuator that creates motion in a straight line, in contrast to the circular motion of a conventional electric motor. Linear actuator is used in machine tools and industrial machinery, in computer peripherals, in valve and dam and dampers. There are various categories of linear actuators depending upon the mechanism used and power source, namely, mechanical actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, electro-mechanical actuators, linear motor and telescopic linear actuators. In this project we propose to use electro-mechanical linear actuator, which works on the principle of conversion of rotary motion of the electric motor into the linear motion. This actuator consists of a stepper motor mounted at one end of the aluminium rail. A platform moves on the rail with the help of v-wheels and idler pulley. A timing belt is attached to the platform and is run by the stepper motor. Thus the circular motion of the motor is converted in the linear motion. The linear actuator also acts as the central spine which connects both the legs. The platform also carries the cylindrical brush with it. So as the platform does a “to and fro” linear motion on the rails so does the brush attached to it.

Water Pump

Water Pump is a device that suck and push water molecules from a sealed volume in order to spray the water with high pressure.   Water pump range: 0-16” of Hg Voltage: 12 V DC Pressure Range: 0-32 psi Power: 12W

Stepper Motor

A Stepper Motor is a class of electrical machine that convert direct current electrical power into mechanical power. The most common type rely on the forces produced by the magnetic field. Stepper motors speed can be controlled over a wide range by using a variable supply voltage or by changing the strength of current in the field winding. A stepper motor move step wise as advised by the microcontroller. Stepper motors are having good torque that can move large size of solar panel.The brush is responsible for scrubbing and dusting away of the dust accumulated on the surface of the solar panel. It is attached to the v-slot gantry plate platform which moves in the linear actuator. The brush is mounted on radial bearing which is rotated with the help of a 12 volt DC motor.

Benefits of the Project

Manual  cleaning  and  cooling  of  large  solar  plants  can  be  time  consuming.  The two things that reduce the efficiency of the solar panel are dust accumulation and temperature rise. Firstly, the dust accumulated on the solar panel reduces the output voltage. Secondly, the temperature rise in the surrounding leads to inefficient output. Also the performance of the solar panel decrease when the sun is in the opposite direction, therefore we are proposing a solar tracker, using light sensor which will move the panel towards the sun rays. This will increase the performance of the solar panel according to the direction of the sun or weather. The objective  of  this  project  is  to  design  a  self-directing  system  to  sense  the  physical  parameters  like  dust  and temperature  of  the  solar panel  with  the  help of  dust  and  temperature  sensors  respectively, and create a prototype solar tracker using stepper motor to move the panel step by step each angle necessary.  When the sensor readings traverse the fixed values, then using a wiper the dust is removed. When the rise in temperature exceeds 25 degree Celsius, the cooling system starts to cool or maintain the temperature of the solar panel. By doing this, the time consumption and labour is reduced and the efficiency is expected to increase based on the temperature coefficient of the solar panel.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Proposed Method

The solar panel cleaning and tracking system consists of two basic system unit depending on their functioning, namely Locomotion Unit and Cleaning Unit.

 Locomotion Unit

Locomotion Unit is responsible for the movement of robot towards the sunlight by sensing the light around him. Since the solar panels are mounted at an angle to ground level so as to capture maximum solar irradiance, the robot cannot rely entirely on the conventional wheel based system for its Movement. The inclined surface of the solar panel demands for a movement mechanism that can stick to the surface of the panel and prevent the robot from sliding on the surface. So the pneumatic suction system was used along with a double rack and pinion mechanism. The design consists of two legs present at the top and bottom of the robot. Each leg has two moving platform which move parallel to each other with the help of a double rack and pinion mechanism. On the base of each moving platform a Pair of Suction Cups are mounted which are attached to a vacuum pump. The working of the legs is demonstrated. The suction cups get actuated alternatively on each of the moving platform in individual legs. A rack is attached to each moving platform. When the suction cup in Platform 1 is actuated, it becomes stationary. The motor attached to the pinion moves in the clockwise direction and the pinion moves on platform 1. As a result the rack attached to platform 2 also moves in the forward direction. Once the pinion reaches to the end of the first rack the motor stops and the suction cups on platform 2 actuates making it stationary. In the same time the suction cups attached to platform 1 gets disengaged making it mobile. Now the pinion moves in the anticlockwise direction on the rack attached to the platform 2. So the platform 1 now moves in the forward direction. This cycle repeats itself for moving the robot in the forward direction. The water pump will be used to wipe and wash the solar panel from the dust. The locomotion unit is used to move the panel around the sunlight. The unit will

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Others

Core Technology

Clean Tech

Other Technologies

Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

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