Apparatus, Systems and Methodologies Configured to Enable Electrical Output Management of Solar Energy Infrastructure, Including Management via Remotely Operated Coating Application System and/or Wireless Monitoring Systems
AssigneeSolar Developments Pty., Ltd.
InventorJames Douglas Foran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus, systems and methods for dispensing a coating material onto a solar power infrastructure unit (140), such as solar panel arrays (140), in order to reduce their electrical output to negligible levels and/or safe levels. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) (120, 130) or drone with a suitable dispensing apparatus (124) may be adapted and improved in order to apply the coating material to the solar power unit (140). The UAV (120, 130) may be remotely controlled and/or operate autonomously.
Claims33
A method of operating an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for applying a coating to a solar power infrastructure unit, the method including:
- identifying the solar power infrastructure unit;
- processing input data thereby to determine an orientation of the solar infrastructure unit, wherein the orientation defines a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis of a surface plane;
- and
- defining a flight plan that is configured to enable dispensing of a coating material from the UAV;
- wherein the flight plan is defined to cause application of the coating material across the surface plane of the solar power infrastructure unit substantially along either the longitudinal axis or the lateral axis.
-4. (canceled)
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-9. (canceled)
-12. (canceled)
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A system for applying a coating to a solar power infrastructure unit, the system including:
- an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) including:
- an input module configured to wirelessly receive control instructions from a control unit, wherein the control instructions include data representative of a predefined flight plan;
- a flight control module configured to execute the predefined flight plan;
- and
- a dispensing module/apparatus that is configured to dispense a coating material, wherein the dispensing module is configured to be actuated into a dispensing mode responsive to the predefined flight plan;
- a control module configured to:
- enable identification of a solar power infrastructure unit via a unique identifier representative of the solar power infrastructure unit;
- based on the unique identifier representative of the solar power infrastructure unit, access data configured to enable defining of flight plan data for a flight plan that is configured to cause application of the coating material across the surface plane of the solar power infrastructure unit substantially along either a longitudinal axis or a lateral axis of a surface plane of the solar power infrastructure unit;
- and
- transmit the defined flight plan data to the UAV.
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-28. (canceled)
A system according to claim 28 wherein the transmitter beacon is configured to provide a signal having predefined attributes only when electrical output of the solar power infrastructure unit exceeds a predefined threshold and wherein the beacon is coupled to a power supply provided by the solar power infrastructure unit, wherein the coupling is configured such that the beacon is at least partially deactivated and able to provide the wireless signal for at least a limited time period upon electrical output of the solar power infrastructure unit ceasing to exceed the predefined threshold.
-31. (canceled)
-35. (canceled)
A system according to claim 34 wherein the unique identifier is read from a wireless beacon and identified via operation of a user interface device based on a geolocational process which includes accessing a map interface which displays a locations of a plurality of solar power infrastructure units.
-56. (canceled)
An apparatus for applying a coating material to a solar power infrastructure unit, comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- and
- a dispensing apparatus attached to the UAV for dispensing the coating material to coat the solar power infrastructure unit;
- wherein the UAV is configured to dispense coating material on the solar power infrastructure unit until an electrical output is substantially reduced.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.