# US 12,771,290 B2 · Solar panel system

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- Number: US 12,771,290 B2
- Document ID: US12771290B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 19/069,913
- Filed: 2025-03-04
- Published: 2026-09-10
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2025-03-04
- Assignees: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University
- Applicants: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University
- Inventors: Faramarz Djavanroodi; Feroz Shaik; Fouad Mohmmed Jastaniah; Ahmed Ghazi Alharbi; Meshari Khalid Almutlaq; Mohammad Salah Al Yousif; Hatem Masfer Alghamdi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12771290B2

## CPC

- H02S 40/10: Cleaning arrangements
- A46B 13/001: {Cylindrical or annular brush bodies}
- A46B 13/02: power-driven {carriers}
- A46B 15/0008: {with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing}
- A46B 15/0034: {with a source of radiation, e.g. UV, IR, LASER, X-ray for irradiating the teeth and associated surfaces}
- A46B 15/0051: {Brushes fitted with ventilation means, e.g. with air buffers, air vents}
- H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
- A46B 2200/3073: Brush for cleaning specific unusual places not otherwise covered, e.g. gutters, golf clubs, tops of tin cans, corners
- 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)
- A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G)

## Abstract

A solar panel system includes solar panels and a frame that has slider structures on two sides and is configured to receive the solar panels. A brush cleaner, including two end structures coupled with the slider structures, slides along the frame to clean the solar panels. The brush cleaner includes a brush extending between the end structures and a plate with air nozzles configured to blow air based on dust detection. The solar panel system further includes a light source emitting source light towards the solar panels, an optical sensor detecting dust based on received light, and an air compressor box positioned on one end of the plate. The air compressor box is mounted on one end structure of the brush cleaner such that the air compressor box does not obstruct the source light, received light, or airflow from the nozzles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar panel system, 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 comprising two end structures and a brush, the two end structures coupled with the slider structures and oriented parallel to 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 configured to detect dust on the solar panels based on received light;
a plate attached to a first side of the brush cleaner, being in direct contact with both of the two end structures of the brush cleaner, and comprising a line of air nozzles that are configured to blow air towards the brush based on dust detection by the optical sensor; and
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,
wherein the brush comprises a shaft and brush fibers that are attached to the shaft and extend radially from the shaft around a circumference of the shaft, a longitudinal axis of the shaft extends parallel to the line of air nozzles, and when viewed from the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the shaft is surrounded by the brush fibers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, further comprising:
a film positioned on the solar panels, the film being transparent to the visible light and configured to generate an emitted light when absorbing the source light.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solar panel 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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solar panel 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.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The solar panel system of claim 3, wherein:
the glass matrix has a light transmission rate of 80% or more for visible light.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The solar panel system of claim 3, wherein:
the glass matrix comprises silica.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein:
the plate extends between the two end structures of the brush cleaner.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The solar panel 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 line of air nozzles.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The solar panel 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.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The solar panel system of claim 7, wherein:
the brush cleaner further comprises a top panel extending between the two end structures and positioned above the brush.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The solar panel system of claim 10, wherein:
the top panel includes an array of holes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, further comprising:
a motor configured to rotate the shaft of the brush.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The solar panel 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 line of air nozzles based on the dust data.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The solar panel 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.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein:
the light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED).

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

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.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein:
the brush is as long as or longer than a width of the frame,
the brush has a single rotating axis around which the shaft rotates, and
the single rotating axis extends parallel to the line of air nozzles.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein:
the plate is attached to the first side of the brush cleaner,
a second side of the brush cleaner is open to a surrounding environment not to block the air from the line of air nozzles, and
the first side of the brush cleaner and the second side of the brush cleaner are opposing sides of the brush cleaner.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein:
the air compressor box is positioned on only one of the two end structures of the brush cleaner and positioned on only one end of the plate such that the air compressor box does not block the source light, the received light or the air.