the challenges of developing robotic solar panel cleaning system · 2019-11-04 · key findings...
TRANSCRIPT
The Challenges Of Developing Robotic Solar Panel Cleaning System
Why Do We Need To Clean Solar Panels ? 01
Where do we need robotic solar panel cleaning system? 02
03 Why is waterless robotic cleaning the first choice ?
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Why Do We Need To Clean Solar Panels ?
• Substantial Energy Gain
• Maximizing Solar Panel Life Cycle By Reducing Heat Spots
Soiling Distribution Map Of The World
Automated cleaning system can deliver averagely
11% energy gain annually for utility solar farms in areas with sufficient solar radiation
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Results of decades of scientific research and experiments
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1994 Effect of Dirt on
Transparent Covers in
Flat-plate Solar Energy
Collectors. Solar Energy
By Garg H.
2003
Effect of dust
deposition on the
performance of a solar
desalination plant
operating in an arid
desert area. Solar Energy
By Garg H.
2006 The Effect of Soiling on
Large Grid-Connected
Photovoltaic Systems in
California and the
Southwest Region of the
United States. IEEE 4th
World Conference
By Monto M, Rohit P.
2010
Impact of Dust on Solar
Photovoltaic (PV)
Performance: Research
Status, Challenges and
Recommendations
By Kimber A, Mitchell L, Nogradi S, Wenger H
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The effect of dust on solar photovoltaic systems
2013
By F. Mejia, J. Kleissl, J. L. Bosch
Center for Renewable Resources and Integration, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Key Findings
Soiling losses were found to be 0.21% per day. The site was observed to have a decrease in efficiency
from 7.2% to 5.6%(22% efficiency loss) during a 108 day dry period in the summer at which point
a rain event occurred that recovered most of the lost efficiency going back to 7.1%.
If an automated cleaning system was installed to clean the sites regularly, larger energy gains would be
possible, on average 11.1% of annual energy.
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11.1%
Soiling Problems Are Even Bigger In Middle East Areas
USGS Sand Storm Map
Sand storm seen from space
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By Shaharin Anwar Sulaimana, Atul Kumar Singhb, Mior Maarof Mior Mokhtara, Mohammed A. Bou-Rabeec
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, 31750 Tronoh, Perak, Malaysia
Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India
Public Authority for Applied Education &Training, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Technological Studies, Kuwait
Joint Study on PV Panel Soiling problems by researchers from multiple nations
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2014
Influence of Dirt
Accumulation on
Performance of PV
Panels
Key Findings
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Flat panels are much
more susceptible to soiling
effects
4g/m2 dust layer on panel
decreases output by
600
250
150
00
17% Reduction
64% Reduction
Saudi
India
40%
Kuwait
17% energy reduction
in 6 days
Roorkee
8% energy reduction
in 10 days
Riyadh
32% energy reduction
in 8 months
Tilt 250 Tilt 250 Tilt 450
It was found that the external
soiling could reduce the
photovoltaic performance by
up to 85% up to 85%
It was found that the external
soiling could reduce the
photovoltaic performance by
Rain drop is not always sufficient for natural cleaning
Accumulated contamination
at the panel corners At least 20 mm rainfall is needed to clean the surface of PV system,
otherwise the system will continue to experience power loss due to the
dust and soil disposition.
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Key Findings
For light radiation of 310 W/m², the output power of the solar panel reduced by:
between 9% and 31% due to the effects of presence of talcum ,
between 60% and 70% due to dust ,
between 70% and 80% due to sand , and
between 77% and 83% due to moss .
2015
Thuwal: Considerable dust settlement and missing rainfall lead to substantial annual performance
loss >50% , which requires periodical cleaning for economic operation of a PV power plant. www.bosonrobotics.com
4th PV Performance Modeling and Monitoring Workshop
Location
Ave. annual rainfall
Average SLF decrease between
rainfall events
Max daily SLF
derease
Thuwal/ Saudi-Arabia
70 mm -0.5% per day -7.7%
Impact of Soiling on PV Module Performance for Various Climates
By Dr Werner Herrmann TÜV Rheinland Energie und
Umwelt GmbH
Life of solar panels will be greatly shortened without proper cleaning due to aggregation of energy loss over time and occurrence of hot spots
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Non-compliance to clean the modules, pollution is
increasing and losses rising
Bird drops easy to cause hot spots,
damaging the whole panel quickly
Key Findings
A Climate / Soiling (Pollution) Matrix
Where do we need robotic solar panel cleaning system?
K4:
Coastal Climate
Annual rainfall 800-900mm
Highly salty mist with contaminants and corrosive effect
K3:
Extremely dry, semi-arid and desert climate
Annual rainfall below 300mm
K2:
Dry Summers, continental climate
Annual rainfall 450-550mm
Summer season very dry
(Including Hungary and South part of Romania)
K1:
Temperate and humid climate
Annual rainfall >800mm
Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed through a year
The categories by climatic parameters (K)
Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Spring Summer Autumn Winter
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Spring Summer Autumn Winter
The categories by pollution intensity and frequency of cleaning needs (S)
S1: Solar system with moderate exposure to pollutant effect
The number of pollution sources and their polluting effect is small
Rains occurring throughout the summer, washing away a significant amount of soiling
Cleaning up occasionally, only 1-2 times a year
S4: Areas subject to extremely high contamination
Pollution from multiple sources impacts intensively
Significant amount of soiling ingredients strongly increase energy loss
Semi-desert and arid areas with frequent sand storms (Large amount of sands on solar cell surfaces
causes a significant performance loss)
Very frequent cleaning required, weekly at least
S2: Medium-intensity pollution areas
The given solar system is positioned away from the sources of pollution (industrial, agricultural activities
and traffic of the roads)
Considering the partial cleaning effects of rains, usually quarterly cleaning is enough
S3: Areas where the solar system is subject to heavy soiling
A lot of soiling sources nearby the solar system (Significant industrial, agricultural activities and road
traffic, migratory birds zone)
Cleaning effects of rain only marginal
Need to be cleaned every month
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The Climate / Soiling (Pollution) Matrix
Why is waterless robotic cleaning the first choice ?
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Standard high
efficiency solar panel :
about 2 sq m
8 bottles per panel !
Manual Cleaning and
water tank use
3.5-5 L water/ M2
for cleaning 370 W Panels
A 50MW utility solar farm
will averagely uses a full
swimmingPool for
cleaning once:
1,100 tons of water
8L
What makes a viable robotic solar panel cleaning system ?
BOSON robotic
Reliable Efficient SCADA Weather
Resistance Durable
Has to be light weighted
to minimize the force exerted on
panels during operation
? www.bosonrobotics.com
The main structure has to be
impervious to corrosion
for decades to match the lifetime
of a solar farm
No brittle fracture during
drastic temperature variation between
seasons since it is supposed to move
at a speed anytime during a year
1 2
3
too heavy, rusting
Steel Stainless Steel Aluminum alloy
too heavy, difficult to process, expensive
too soft, low structure strength
Challange
Solution : Metallurgical technology
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1. Liquid forged parts of aluminum alloy
2. To enable the aluminum structure as
strong as steel one but only 1/3 of the
steel weight
3. Aluminum frames hardened after heat
treatment ( T5 + T6 )
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Finer dust particles are bigger trouble for solar panel and for its cleaning robots as well…….
Ball bearing Grease Lubrication Chain and cable system ?
Challange
Most of us think all dusts are equal, but actually some are far more equal than others
Solution :Material Science
Non-metal bearing system, self
lubrication
Micro grooves to drive fine dust
particles out of bearing system
during movement , can weather
the continued sand storms
without maintenance.
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Even connected, the gaps between solar panel plates with various angel and height difference are formidable
obstacles for robotic movement
Connection between gaps must not pose a treat to panel structure.
Challenge : Moving On Unfriendly Terrain
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A sophisticated smart AWD system(ALL Wheel Drive) to ensure the robotic cleaning system to adjust its posture and movement to match the topography of gap connectors
Solution : Smart Electronic Control algorithum
video
video
video
video
Like an orchestral conductor conjuring up the most beautiful music without sounding a note himself, the smart control algorithum acts as the nerve of the robot to nevigate it across the unpredictable gaps between solar panel tables
Challenge : Battery Pack
Harsh outdoor environment damages the battery quickly, leading to very short battery life. Replacement difficult
?
650
-350
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Challange
Solution : High Weather-Resistant Battery Pack and Smart Battery Health Supporting System
Sophisticated BMS (battery
management system) to manage
charging and discharging in a smart way
-350C-650C
1C charging and
discharging ability
between
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video
Untethered power enable
the robotic cleaning system
to work effectively everyday.
Drastically varied radiation leads
to fluctuating charging voltage
Temp variation requires matching charging conditions
Days of no charging
drains the battery and
kill it
Unmatched charging
parameter damages
the charger and battery
No existing solar charger could solve all the above problems, posing a threat to energy storage and battery life, causing default of the whole robotic cleaning system ?
Challange
Sound
Solution : A Smart MPPT Solar Charger with temp and radiation level compensation
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Can keep
charging during
consecutive
cloudy days
To maintain a healthy
charging condition to
protect the battery
Input Voltage: 36V~50V
Output Voltage: 12V 24V
Battery type: Lead acid Lithium battery
Output Power (MAX): 250 W
Maximum Current: 10A
Brush (Cleaning) System Omnipotent or Customized ?
Tiny sand grains, rocks. Leaves, sticks on panels Need to be pushed away before applying rolling brush
+
Strip Brushes
Need a separate brush system to tend the soiling piled on corner
Solution: Customized bushing
system according to actual needs
Soft brushes can not clean sticky
contaminants and easy to get
braided and knotted with dampness
Replacing with different brush fiber
Water Cleaning Module
Challenge Solution
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Steep corners between panel plates
+
Challenge : O & M of Robot Fleet in Large Area
Data communication in solar
farms are difficult due to severe
electromagnetic interference by
substations and numerous power
equipments
Robots scattered in solar farm of
huge size, need to track the
performance of every key parts
(battery, motors and brushes) to
provide good O&M services
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Need to link weather info to avoid
disastrous climate for safe
concern and intelligently decide
best cleaning time to maximize
power output
Solution : Robotic Cleaning System Cloud SCADA Platform and On-Site Monitoring and Control Software
站端系统操作视频播放
云端总部系统操作视频播放
找赵晶录视频,英文版,高清
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video video
Ability of Crosover Collaboration and Supply Chain Integration
Materials Science
Mechanical structure
& Processing
Industrial Electronic Control System
Battery and Off-line
Charging System
Communication and Software Systems
High Reliable Panels Robotic
Cleaning System
Liquid forging, Nonmetallic
Bearing, Phase Change
Filling Materials
Whole Aluminum
Structure
Mater IC & Posture
Correction System
High weather resistance
battery system & Hight efficient
MPPT charge system
IOT cummunication
and SCADA cloud
center
Not unlike e-car design, Design of solar panel cleaning robot is not a solo play of one specific technology, but an ensemble of various technologies combined properly.
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The Symbiosis of panel cleaning robots and solar farms. To keep solar panels clean and productive, let robots do the worry.