Towards autonomous cleaning of photovoltaic modules: Design and realization of a robotic cleaner

Hassan, Masood Ul; Nawaz, Muhammad Ibtisam; Iqbal, Jamshed

doi:10.1109/INTELLECT.2017.8277631

Towards autonomous cleaning of photovoltaic modules: Design and realization of a robotic cleaner

Hassan, Masood Ul; Nawaz, Muhammad Ibtisam; Iqbal, Jamshed

Authors

Masood Ul Hassan

Muhammad Ibtisam Nawaz

Dr Jamshed Iqbal J.Iqbal@hull.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer

Abstract

Solar panels typically consist of photovoltaic (PV) cells covered by a protective glass coating, which generate electricity when subjected to radiations. However, the capability of electricity generation is constrained due to layer of dust on PV modules. In contrast with conventional method of cleaning the modules using water, this paper presents design and development of a robotic cleaner for cleaning PV modules of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP). The hardware as well as software architectures of the proposed robotic cleaner are detailed. The novelty of the design lies in its low cost indigenous development and simplicity in design. The mechanism primarily consists of ducted fan, roller brush and blower fan to offer slippage-free motion and cleaning on a glassy surface. Series of experiments and field trials demonstrate efficiency of the mechanism in cleaning the modules effectively.

Citation

Hassan, M. U., Nawaz, M. I., & Iqbal, J. (2017, November). Towards autonomous cleaning of photovoltaic modules: Design and realization of a robotic cleaner. Presented at 1st International Conference on Latest Trends in Electrical Engineering and Computing Technologies (INTELLECT), Karachi, Pakistan

Presentation Conference Type	Conference Paper (published)
Conference Name	1st International Conference on Latest Trends in Electrical Engineering and Computing Technologies (INTELLECT)
Start Date	Nov 15, 2017
End Date	Nov 16, 2017
Acceptance Date	Oct 1, 2017
Publication Date	Feb 1, 2018
Deposit Date	Sep 14, 2021
Publicly Available Date	Dec 3, 2021
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Book Title	2017 1st International Conference on Latest Trends in Electrical Engineering and Computing Technologies (INTELLECT)
ISBN	9781538629697
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1109/INTELLECT.2017.8277631
Public URL	https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3796960
Publisher URL	https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/8267171/proceeding

Files

Paper (984 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
© 2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.