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US 10,873,291 B1Granted
Methods for cleaning photovoltaic panels
OwnerMary Ethel Parkerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure herein includes one or more methods for cleaning photovoltaic panels, which includes using cleaning assemblies for photovoltaic panels that may each include: 1) a track coupled to the photovoltaic panel; 2) a housing coupled to the photovoltaic panel; 3) a drive motor coupled to the housing; 4) a drive wheel coupled to the drive motor, wherein the wheel is capable of rolling on the track; 5) a vacuum pump having a suction head coupled to the housing; and/or 6) an air pump having an ionizing electrode.
Claims1
A method of cleaning a photovoltaic panel, comprising:
- providing a cleaning assembly comprising:
- a housing disposed adjacent a surface of the photovoltaic panel for cleaning;
- a drive motor coupled to the housing;
- a first wheel coupled to the drive motor;
- a second wheel coupled to the drive motor;
- a vacuum pump having a suction head disposed in the housing;
- an air pump having a nozzle disposed in the housing;
- an ionizing electrode coupled to the air pump;
- a brush coupled to the drive motor and disposed in the housing;
- a power supply coupled to the drive motor;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled to the drive motor, the vacuum pump, the air pump, the ionizing electrode, and the power supply;
- disposing the first wheel and the second wheel on the photovoltaic panel;
- turning on the drive motor, the vacuum pump, and the air pump with the controller at a pre-determined time;
- rolling the first wheel and the second wheel on the photovoltaic panel in a first direction with the drive motor;
- generating a first volume of air with the air pump;
- ionizing the first volume of air with the ionizing electrode;
- blowing the ionized first volume of air through the nozzle against the photovoltaic panel with the air pump;
- sucking a portion of the ionized first volume of air and debris in the housing out of the housing through the suction head with the vacuum pump;
- rotating the brush with the drive motor;
- and
- brushing the surface of the photovoltaic panel with the brush.
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.