Maintaining a solar power module
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsJames Clyde Hassell, JR., Luiz Gustavo DoVal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar power system includes a plurality of solar power cells mounted on a spherical frame; a hemispherical reservoir mounted to the spherical frame to enclose at least a portion of the spherical frame such that a gap is defined between the spherical frame and an interior surface of the reservoir, the reservoir configured to hold a fluid that includes a solar cell cleaning solution; and at least one actuator mounted to the spherical frame and operable to rotate a portion of the spherical frame that supports the plurality of solar power cells through the gap.
Claims21
A solar power system, comprising:
- a plurality of solar power cells mounted on a spherical frame;
- a hemispherical reservoir mounted to the spherical frame to enclose at least a portion of the spherical frame such that a gap is defined between the spherical frame and an interior surface of the reservoir, the reservoir configured to hold a fluid that comprises a solar cell cleaning solution;
- and
- at least one actuator mounted to the spherical frame and operable to rotate a portion of the spherical frame that supports the plurality of solar power cells through the gap.
A method for cleaning a solar power system, comprising:
- operating a solar power system that comprises a plurality of solar power cells mounted on a spherical frame;
- rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a volume of a hemispherical reservoir that is mounted to the spherical frame;
- rotating the spherical frame to move the plurality of solar power cells into a solar cell cleaning solution fluid enclosed within the volume of the hemispherical reservoir defined between an interior surface of the reservoir and the spherical frame;
- and
- removing, with the solar cell cleaning solution, a plurality of particulates attached to the plurality of solar power cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.