Ideas for a solar panel cleaner |
Ideas for a solar panel cleaner |
May 22 2008, 05:55 PM
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#1
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Director of Galilean Photography Group: Members Posts: 896 Joined: 15-July 04 From: Austin, TX Member No.: 93 |
Just had an idea for a solar panel cleaner. Place a small, black tank on top of the deck. At the bottom of the tank is a one-way valve pointing into the tank. At the side of the tank is a pressure-relief valve tied to the dust removal tubes.
This removes the need for storing a gas for the cleaning, as well as any need for a pump. Ready...Set...Rip 'er apart! -------------------- Space Enthusiast Richard Hendricks
-- "The engineers, as usual, made a tremendous fuss. Again as usual, they did the job in half the time they had dismissed as being absolutely impossible." --Rescue Party, Arthur C Clarke Mother Nature is the final inspector of all quality. |
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May 23 2008, 09:54 AM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
I understand that the dust buid-up on the arrays has been gradual, with 'cleaning events' every so often improving the situation for a time. How about a plastic 'sticker' over the panels similar to the protective plastic you get over the screen of a new mobile or camera? This could be left in place until the mission is 'power-critical' and then peeled back from the arrays (taking the dust with it) by a mechanism similar to that which opens the arrays initially.
I imagine the plastic cover would be quite inexpensive, the peeling mechanism less so. |
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May 23 2008, 12:56 PM
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#3
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Forum Contributor Group: Members Posts: 1374 Joined: 8-February 04 From: North East Florida, USA. Member No.: 11 |
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