Solar tracker defect inspection using robotic procured data
OwnerJitendra Morankar, Akshay Keshav Rogeinventors
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Abstract
A robotic thermal inspection system includes a robotic body and solar tracker inspection module. The robotic body includes a controller and a sensor device coupled to the controller. The solar tracker inspection module is in communication with the sensor device and includes a programmable processor that executes instructions to cause the programmable processor to: receive, from the sensor device, sensor data related to a solar tracker component, compare this sensor data to at least one predetermined solar tracker component threshold, and, when this sensor data meets the at least one predetermined threshold, provide a solar tracker defect indication.
Claims22
A robotic inspection system comprising:
- a robotic body comprising:
- a controller, a motive source coupled to the controller, a sensor device coupled to the controller, a brush assembly coupled to the controller, and an attachment mechanism for attaching the robotic body to a solar tracker such that the robotic body is configured to move along the solar tracker with the brush assembly disposed to interface with a first side of the solar tracker;
- and
- a solar tracker inspection module in communication with the sensor device, the solar tracker inspection module comprising:
- a programmable processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the programmable processor, cause the programmable processor to:
- receive, from the sensor device, sensor data related to at least one solar tracker component of the solar tracker,
- compare the received sensor data to at least one predetermined solar tracker component threshold, and
- when the received sensor data meets the at least one predetermined solar tracker component threshold, provide a solar tracker defect indication.
A method of inspecting a solar tracker, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a robotic body to the solar tracker;
- sweeping a surface of a photovoltaic module of the solar tracker using a brush assembly at the robotic body while moving the robotic body along the solar tracker;
- while moving the robotic body along the solar tracker, using a sensor device at the robotic body to acquire sensor data relating to at least one component of the solar tracker other than the photovoltaic module;
- comparing the sensor data to at least one predetermined solar tracker component threshold;
- and
- when the sensor data meets the at least one predetermined solar tracker component threshold, providing a solar tracker defect indication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.