Retrofittable Electrodynamic Cleaning System (RECS) for Solar Panels

A retrofittable electrodynamic cleaning system for a photovoltaic module, comprising:

• an electrodynamic retrofit film (ERF) affixed to a light-receiving surface of the photovoltaic module, the electrodynamic retrofit film (ERF) comprises a plurality of nanomaterial electrodes (NMEs) arranged in one or more layers;
• and
• a power and control unit (PCU) electrically connected to the electrodynamic retrofit film (ERF), wherein the PCU comprises:
• at least one high-voltage generator, wherein:
• the at least one high-voltage generator receives a low direct-current (DC) voltage and generates a higher-voltage, multi-phase alternating-current (AC) voltage waveform,
• the at least one high-voltage generator comprises one or more multi-phase switching circuits electrically coupled to the plurality of nanomaterial electrodes (NMEs), further wherein:
• the one or more multi-phase switching circuits applies the multi-phase AC voltage waveform to the plurality of nanomaterial electrodes (NMEs) to generate an electrodynamic travelling wave for repelling and removing debris from the light-receiving surface of the photovoltaic module;
• at least one power extraction circuit electrically connectable to one or more output terminals of the photovoltaic module, wherein:
• the power extraction circuit comprises one or more maximum power point tracking (MPPT) modules, further wherein:
• the one or more MPPT modules execute a maximum power point tracking logic to draw operating power from the photovoltaic module for self-powered operation;
• a plurality of sensor circuits, wherein:
• the plurality of sensor circuits receive one or more sensor signals indicative of one or more environmental and operating parameters of the photovoltaic module and the electrodynamic retrofit film (ERF);
• a microprocessor operatively coupled to the high-voltage generator, the one or more multi-phase switching circuit, the power extraction circuit, and the plurality of sensor circuits, wherein:
• the microprocessor processes the sensor signals to determine a soiling condition of the photovoltaic module and to initiate and control cleaning cycles of the electrodynamic retrofit film (ERF) based on the determined soiling condition;
• and
• a wireless communication module operatively coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the wireless communication module communicatively couples the microprocessor to a remote software module network for data monitoring and remote control,
• wherein the PCU is integrated on a single printed circuit board and implements closed-loop feedback to dynamically initiate, control, and verify electrodynamic cleaning cycles based on the one or more sensor signals.