# US 12,110,880 B1 · Photovoltaic installation including triangular tube heat collector and piston > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,880 B1 - Document ID: US12110880B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/739,506 - Filed: 2024-06-11 - Published: 2024-10-03 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-01-26 - Assignees: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University - Applicants: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University - Inventors: Nasir Ghazi Hariri; Ibrahim Khalil Almadani; Ibrahim Sufian Osman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110880B1 ## CPC - F03G 7/06145: {Springs} - F24S 10/00: Solar heat collectors using working fluids - F24S 20/60: Solar heat collectors integrated in fixed constructions, e.g. in buildings - F24S 40/20: Cleaning; Removing snow - H02S 40/10: Cleaning arrangements - F24S 2030/115: {Linear actuators, e.g. pneumatic cylinders} - Y02E 10/46: Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00) - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a thermomechanical actuator and a cleaning system implementing the thermomechanical actuator. The thermomechanical actuator includes a solar heat collector (SHC) housing shape memory alloy springs connected between a piston movably disposed therein and one end of the SHC. A cable extending from the piston through an opposite end of the SHC is connected to a bias load that develops returning force on the springs. In presence of solar radiation, the springs contract and cause linear movement of the piston in a direction of contraction and, in absence of the solar radiation, the springs expand and cause linear movement of the piston in direction of expansion. Useful power and work is extracted in form of the cleaning system from such linear movement of the piston. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaning system for photovoltaic installations, comprising: a gear mechanism, a cleaning spindle, a photovoltaic panel, and a thermomechanical actuator, wherein the thermomechanical actuator comprises: a piston, a solar heat collector, a plurality of springs, a rod, a pulley, a bias load, and a cable, wherein the piston of the thermomechanical actuator is attached to the gear mechanism, the gear mechanism comprising a rack and a pinion, the rack mechanically attaching to the pinion, wherein the cleaning spindle is attached to a top face of the pinion, wherein the thermomechanical actuator, the gear mechanism, and the cleaning spindle are fixed to the photovoltaic panel, wherein the solar heat collector of the thermomechanical actuator is a triangular tube comprising a triangular front cover, a triangular central volume, and a triangular back cover, wherein the piston is in the form of a triangular plate matching the triangular front cover and the triangular back cover, and wherein the rod is configured to slide linearly parallel to an axis of the triangular tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning spindle comprises a linear rod extending across the length of one side of the photovoltaic panel, the spindle attaching to the face of the pinion, the spindle rotating 90-degrees across the face of the photovoltaic panel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the rod of the thermomechanical actuator is configured to pass through the gear mechanism, the rod of the thermomechanical actuator being attached to the gear mechanism, the rod being mechanically attached to the rack of the gear mechanism, the rack is fixed to the pinion, the extension of the rod rotating the pinion via the rack. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the thermomechanical actuator is centrally attached to a side of the photovoltaic panel, the rod of the thermomechanical actuator extending in parallel with the side of the photovoltaic panel, wherein the gear mechanism is attached to a corner of the photovoltaic panel, wherein the cleaning spindle rests on a face of the photovoltaic panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cleaning system of claim 1, comprising: a plurality of the thermomechanical actuators, a plurality of the gear mechanisms, and a plurality of the cleaning spindles, the plurality of thermomechanical actuators fixed to a plurality of sides of the photovoltaic panel, the plurality of gear mechanisms fixed to the plurality of thermomechanical actuators, the plurality of cleaning spindles fixed to the plurality of gear mechanisms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning spindle has a linear brush fixed along an underside of the cleaning spindle.