Ideas for a solar panel cleaner Options

[hendric]

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.

1. Starting at daybreak, the tank starts filled with cold, dense atmo.
2. As the tank warms, the pressure builds within the tank.
3. Once the pressure reaches the cut-off of the pressure relief valve, the valve triggers and opens full-bore until the pressure difference reaches zero, and it then closes.
4. Pressurized air comes out of the tank and blows off dust from dust-sensitive devices, camera, solar panels, view ports, etc.
5. At night fall, the tank cools, lowering the pressure within the tank until it is below the outside pressure.
6. The one way valve opens, refilling the tank with colder, denser air.

Because the tank isn't required to hold high pressures, it can be very light. There is about 100 degree C difference between day/night, meaning during the day the tank should reach about 50% higher pressure than night time. The pressure difference can be increased by adding a heating element.

This removes the need for storing a gas for the cleaning, as well as any need for a pump.

Ready...Set...Rip 'er apart!

[Alex Chapman]

The real answer is just to make the solar panels large enough so that they produce enough power throughout the mission even with dust accumulation. For long duration missions go nuke and have it powered by an RTG, they really are the way to go.

Those are the engineering choices Nasa have made and personally I think they are the best.

Next to having an astronaut with a soft bristle brush brush that is.

[nprev]

For long duration missions go nuke and have it powered by an RTG, they really are the way to go.

Gotta agree completely, here, Phoenix's solar arrays are sufficient for its mission, which has an environmentally constrained duration. Solar panels require maintenance in Martian conditions that's probably beyond the scope of automation for very long-term missions; might be also true for lunar conditions, but of course there's no wind transport of dust there so the effect should be smaller.