Magnetic parking of cleaning robot on solar cell panel
阅读说明：本技术 清洁机器人在太阳能电池板上的磁性停放 (Magnetic parking of cleaning robot on solar cell panel ) 是由 E·梅勒 M·梅勒 于 2019-07-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于清洁具有锚固机构的太阳能电池板的自主清洁机器人(ARC),包括至少一个可再充电电源、至少一个清洁机构、控制器和锚固机构,所述清洁机构用于清洁掉所述太阳能电池板的表面上的污垢,所述控制器用于控制所述ARC的清洁过程,并且所述锚固机构用于将所述ARC磁性锚固至与太阳能电池板联接的锚固表面,所述锚固机构包括臂和驱动机构,所述臂包括至少一个铁磁端件,并且所述驱动机构与所述臂联接,其中所述驱动机构使所述臂在与所述锚固表面的磁性接合位置和与所述锚固表面的磁性脱离位置之间移动。(An autonomous cleaning robot (ARC) for cleaning a solar panel having an anchoring mechanism, comprising at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning mechanism for cleaning dirt off a surface of the solar panel, a controller for controlling a cleaning process of the ARC, and an anchoring mechanism for magnetically anchoring the ARC to an anchoring surface coupled to the solar panel, the anchoring mechanism comprising an arm comprising at least one ferromagnetic endpiece and a drive mechanism coupled to the arm, wherein the drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position with the anchoring surface and a magnetically disengaged position with the anchoring surface.)
1. An autonomous cleaning robot (ARC) for cleaning a solar panel having an anchoring mechanism, the ARC comprising:
at least one rechargeable power source;
at least one cleaning mechanism for cleaning off dirt on a non-ferromagnetic surface of the solar panel;
a controller for controlling the cleaning process of the ARC;
a support structure for supporting a back end of the ARC; and
an anchoring mechanism for magnetically anchoring the ARC to a ferromagnetic anchoring surface coupled with a solar panel,
the anchoring mechanism includes:
an arm comprising at least one ferromagnetic end piece; and
a drive mechanism coupled with the arm,
wherein the drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position with the ferromagnetic anchor surface for parking the ARC and a magnetically disengaged position with the ferromagnetic anchor surface for enabling the ARC to clean the solar panel; and is
Wherein when the arm is in the magnetically engaged position, the arm is longer than a height of the support structure, thereby lifting the support structure off of the ferromagnetic anchor surface and preventing movement of the ARC.
2. The ARC of claim 1, wherein said at least one cleaning mechanism is selected from the list consisting of:
a cleaning mechanism using water;
a cleaning mechanism using a cleaning agent;
a cleaning mechanism using liquid;
a cleaning mechanism using vacuum;
a cleaning mechanism including a brush;
a cleaning mechanism comprising microfibre fins;
a cleaning mechanism that generates a directed air flow;
a cleaning mechanism that generates a pressurized airflow; and
a cleaning mechanism comprising at least one wiper.
3. The ARC as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism is selected from the list consisting of:
a drive motor including a rotating shaft;
an electronic piston;
an actuator;
a worm gear including a bolt and a nut wheel;
a solenoid;
a hydraulic piston;
a hydraulic motor;
a pneumatic compressor; and
a pneumatic piston.
4. The ARC according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ferromagnetic end piece is a permanent magnet, and wherein said ferromagnetic anchoring surface is made of a ferromagnetic material.
5. The ARC of claim 1, wherein said at least one ferromagnetic end piece is made of a ferromagnetic material, and wherein said ferromagnetic anchoring surface comprises at least one permanent magnet.
6. The ARC of claim 1, wherein said at least one ferromagnetic end piece is made of a ferromagnetic material selected from the list consisting of:
galvanized steel;
cobalt;
iron;
iron oxide;
nickel;
chromium dioxide;
gadolinium;
samarium cobalt;
neodymium;
permalloy;
magnetite;
a rare earth metal magnet material;
alloys of the materials listed above; and
a combination of the materials listed above.
7. The ARC as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support structure is selected from the list consisting of:
a rotary wheel;
a brush;
a plastic block; and
a rubber block.
8. The ARC of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit signals to and receive signals from the ARC.
9. A solar tracker cleaning system for cleaning a solar panel of a solar tracker under varying weather conditions, the solar tracker positionable at a predetermined angle, the solar tracker cleaning system comprising:
a plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations coupled with at least one edge of the solar tracker;
an autonomous cleaning robot (ARC); and
a master controller to receive data from and transmit data to the solar tracker and the ARC,
the ARC comprises:
at least one rechargeable power source;
at least one cleaning mechanism for cleaning off dirt on a surface of the solar panel;
a controller for controlling the cleaning process of the ARC; and
an anchoring mechanism for magnetically anchoring the ARC to at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations,
the anchoring mechanism includes:
an arm comprising at least one ferromagnetic end piece; and
a drive mechanism coupled with the arm,
wherein the drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position and a magnetically disengaged position with the at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations;
wherein the master controller determines a weather condition and provides a clean command to the ARC if the determined weather condition is below a predetermined threshold; and is
Wherein the master controller provides an anchor command to the ARC to anchor in one of the at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchor stations if the determined weather condition is above the predetermined threshold.
10. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the master controller provides the anchor command to the ARC after the ARC completes a cleaning cycle of the solar panel.
11. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations are selected from the list consisting of:
a parking bay;
a docking station; and
a bridge coupling at least two sections of the solar tracker.
12. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the master controller determines the weather condition via a weather information center.
13. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9 further comprising at least one weather meter for determining the weather condition.
14. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 13, wherein the at least one meteorological instrument is selected from the list consisting of:
a barometer;
a hygrometer;
an anemometer; and
a thermometer.
15. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the weather condition is selected from the list consisting of:
peak gust wind speed;
thunderstorm;
raining;
snow falls; and
bad weather.
16. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein if the determined weather condition is above the predetermined threshold, the master controller determines and selects the one of the at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations to which the ARC is to be anchored using a shortest path algorithm.
17. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined threshold is a peak wind gust speed.
18. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the drive mechanism is selected from the list consisting of:
a drive motor including a rotating shaft;
an electronic piston;
an actuator;
a worm gear including a bolt and a nut wheel;
a solenoid;
a hydraulic piston;
a hydraulic motor;
a pneumatic compressor; and
a pneumatic piston.
19. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one ferromagnetic end piece is a permanent magnet, and wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations are made of a ferromagnetic material.
20. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one ferromagnetic end piece is made of a ferromagnetic material, and wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations each comprise at least one permanent magnet.
21. The solar tracker cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to transmit and receive signals to and from the ARC.
22. A fixed angle solar panel cleaning system for cleaning solar panels under varying weather conditions, the solar panels being positioned at predetermined angles, the fixed angle solar panel cleaning system comprising:
a plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations coupled with at least one edge of the solar panel;
an autonomous cleaning robot (ARC); and
a master controller to receive data from and transmit data to the ARC,
the ARC comprises:
at least one rechargeable power source;
at least one cleaning mechanism for cleaning off dirt on a surface of the solar panel;
a controller for controlling the cleaning process of the ARC; and
an anchoring mechanism for magnetically anchoring the ARC to at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations,
the anchoring mechanism includes:
an arm comprising at least one ferromagnetic end piece; and
a drive mechanism coupled with the arm,
wherein the drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position and a magnetically disengaged position with the at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchoring stations;
wherein the master controller determines a weather condition and provides a clean command to the ARC if the determined weather condition is below a predetermined threshold; and is
Wherein the master controller provides an anchor command to the ARC to anchor in one of the at least one of the plurality of ferromagnetic anchor stations if the determined weather condition is above the predetermined threshold.
23. The fixed angle solar panel cleaning system of claim 22, wherein the master controller provides the anchor command to the ARC after the ARC completes a cleaning cycle of the solar panel.
Technical Field
The disclosed technology relates generally to solar panel technology, and in particular to methods and systems for a cleaning robot to park and dock solar panels.
Background
Challenges in global climate change and energy circuit requirements have made the development of renewable energy alternatives critical to the human future. The use of direct solar radiation on solar panels may produce enough energy to meet the energy needs of the entire earth. With the declining price of solar power and the aggravation of pollution caused by conventional fuels, solar business has entered a new era of global growth.
In order to bring the technology of utilizing solar energy further away from and up to comparable with conventional fuels, the efficiency of solar energy systems must be increased. Solar panel efficiency depends inter alia on the cleanliness of its surfaces. The energy loss due to dust and dirt may reach over 40%. In desert areas where many solar parks are located, dirt and dust problems are severe.
The type of solar park that is growing rapidly is the solar tracker park. Solar trackers have the ability to continuously track the position of the sun from morning to evening by changing its tilt angle from east (morning) to west (evening) in order to improve efficiency. Automated cleaning solutions for solar trackers typically involve large volumes of water and/or installation of a dedicated grid in the solar tracker park to move the robotic cleaner from one solar tracker to another. Such solutions are not cost effective and require increased installation labor.
Autonomous cleaning robots (abbreviated herein as ARC) for cleaning the surface of solar panels and solar trackers are known in the art. Examples of such systems are described in U.S. patent No. 9,455,665, U.S. patent application publication No. 2015/0272413, and U.S. patent application publication No. 2015/0236640. ARCs equipped with rechargeable batteries need to be recharged periodically and also require docking bays or parking locations when not in use (e.g., during the hours of the day that the solar panel is generating electricity). In general, there is a tradeoff between the weight of the ARC and its stability on the surface of the solar panel and in the parked position, especially in high wind conditions. As the weight of the ARC increases, it will be more stable on the surface of the solar panel even at an angle and even during windy conditions, however, if the weight is too heavy, the movement of the ARC may crack or damage the surface of the solar panel or any coating covering the surface of the solar panel. Lighter ARCs may be more cost effective due to less raw materials used in production and will not damage the surface of the solar panel. However, such ARCs may more easily fall off the solar panel in high winds, may be dislodged from the parking bay or docking station in high wind conditions, or may be blown over the surface of the solar panel, causing damage to the solar panel, other components in the solar park in which the solar panel is located, or even causing injury to nearby personnel or workers. Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for parking an ARC in high wind conditions and severe weather conditions so that the ARC does not fall or be blown over the solar panel during cleaning and does not move out of the parking bay or docking station even in the presence of wind gusts and severe weather.
Disclosure of Invention
The disclosed technology overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a novel and inventive system and mechanism for anchoring an autonomous cleaning robot to an anchoring station coupled with a solar panel. Thus, according to one aspect of the disclosed technology, an autonomous cleaning robot (ARC) for cleaning a solar panel having an anchoring mechanism is provided. The ARC includes at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning mechanism, a controller, and an anchoring mechanism. The cleaning mechanism is used to clean off dirt on the surface of the solar panel, the controller is used to control the cleaning process of the ARC, and the anchoring mechanism is used to magnetically anchor the ARC to an anchoring surface coupled to the solar panel. The anchoring mechanism includes an arm and a drive mechanism. The arm includes at least one ferromagnetic end piece, and a drive mechanism is coupled with the arm. The drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position with the anchor surface and a magnetically disengaged position with the anchor surface.
Thus, in accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technology, there is provided a solar tracker cleaning system for cleaning a solar panel of a solar tracker under varying weather conditions, wherein the solar tracker is positionable at a predetermined angle. The solar tracker cleaning system includes a plurality of ferromagnetic anchor stations, an autonomous cleaning robot (ARC), and a master controller. The anchor station is coupled to at least one edge of the solar tracker, and the master controller is configured to receive data from and transmit data to the solar tracker and the ARC. The ARC includes at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning mechanism, a controller, and an anchoring mechanism. A cleaning mechanism is used to clean off dirt on the surface of the solar panel, a controller is used to control the ARC cleaning process, and an anchoring mechanism is used to magnetically anchor the ARC to at least one of the ferromagnetic anchoring stations. The anchoring mechanism includes an arm and a drive mechanism. The arm includes at least one ferromagnetic end piece, and a drive mechanism is coupled with the arm. A drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position and a magnetically disengaged position with at least one of the ferromagnetic anchoring stations. The master controller determines weather conditions and provides a cleaning command to the ARC if the determined weather conditions are below a predetermined threshold. If the determined weather condition is above the predetermined threshold, the master controller provides an anchor command to the ARC to anchor in one of the ferromagnetic anchor stations.
Thus, in accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technology, there is provided a fixed angle solar panel cleaning system for cleaning solar panels under varying weather conditions, wherein the solar panels are positioned at a predetermined angle. The fixed angle solar panel cleaning system includes a plurality of ferromagnetic anchor stations, an autonomous cleaning robot (ARC), and a master controller. The ferromagnetic anchor station is coupled to at least one edge of the solar panel, and the master controller is configured to receive data from and transmit data to the ARC. The ARC includes at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning mechanism, a controller, and an anchoring mechanism. A cleaning mechanism is used to clean off dirt on the surface of the solar panel, a controller is used to control the ARC cleaning process, and an anchoring mechanism is used to magnetically anchor the ARC to at least one of the ferromagnetic anchoring stations. The anchoring mechanism includes an arm and a drive mechanism. The arm includes at least one ferromagnetic end piece, and a drive mechanism is coupled with the arm. A drive mechanism moves the arm between a magnetically engaged position and a magnetically disengaged position with at least one of the ferromagnetic anchoring stations. The master controller determines weather conditions and provides a cleaning command to the ARC if the determined weather conditions are below a predetermined threshold. If the determined weather condition is above the predetermined threshold, the master controller provides an anchor command to the ARC to anchor in one of the ferromagnetic anchor stations.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technology, the cleaning mechanism is selected from the list consisting of: a cleaning mechanism using water; a cleaning mechanism using a cleaning agent; a cleaning mechanism using liquid; a cleaning mechanism using vacuum; a cleaning mechanism including a brush; a cleaning mechanism comprising microfibre fins; a cleaning mechanism that generates a directed air flow; a cleaning mechanism that generates a pressurized airflow; and a cleaning mechanism including at least one wiper.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technology, the drive mechanism is selected from the list consisting of: a drive motor including a rotating shaft; an electronic piston; an actuator; a worm gear including a bolt and a nut wheel; a solenoid; a hydraulic piston; a hydraulic motor; a pneumatic compressor; and a pneumatic piston.
Drawings
The disclosed technology will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a solar tracker with ferromagnetic docking stations constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology;
fig. 2A is a bottom view of an autonomous cleaning robot including a first embodiment of a magnetic parking arm, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology;
FIG. 2B is a side view of the autonomous cleaning robot of FIG. 2A along line A-A, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology;
FIG. 3 is a collection of side views of an autonomous cleaning robot including a magnetic parking arm in various positions constructed and operated in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology;
FIG. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of a magnetic parking arm for use with an autonomous cleaning robot, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology; and is
FIG. 5 is a side view of a third embodiment of a magnetic parking arm for use with an autonomous cleaning robot, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology.
Detailed Description
The disclosed technology overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a ferromagnetic docking bay and ferromagnetic docking station configuration on a solar tracker and an autonomous cleaning robot (abbreviated herein as ARC) equipped with a magnetic arm that can engage and disengage the ferromagnetic docking bay, the ferromagnetic docking station, or both. According to the disclosed technology, a strong magnetic coupling is formed between the ARC and the anchoring station (parking bay, docking station, etc.) so that the ARC remains securely coupled even in high wind conditions and inclement weather (such as rain, snow). In one embodiment, the ARC is equipped with magnetic arms comprising strong permanent magnets so that when engaged with a docking bay or docking station, the ARC remains securely coupled via the magnetic arms even in high wind conditions, such as 140km/h or even faster tornado-like winds. In another embodiment, the anchoring station comprises a strong permanent magnet, and the ARC comprises a ferromagnetic arm that is magnetically couplable to the permanent magnet of the anchoring station. The ARC is wirelessly coupled to a processor that may be coupled to a weather kiosk or other weather indicator near the solar tracker. During the cleaning cycle, when a strong wind above a predetermined wind speed threshold is detected, a signal is sent to the ARC to travel to the closest docking bay or docking station and engage its magnetic arm. Once the high wind and/or inclement weather dissipates and the detected wind speed is below the predetermined wind speed threshold, the cleaning cycle may continue. The predetermined wind speed threshold may be a peak gust wind speed, meaning that even within a short time (such as a few seconds) the wind speed is sufficient to exceed the threshold, and an anchor signal may be provided to the ARC. The magnetic arm of the ARC may also form an electrical connection with the docking station or dock so that the ARC, when magnetically coupled, may recharge its battery or power source. The electrical connections may also be used to transmit information to and/or receive information from the central processor. In another embodiment, the ARC may communicate wirelessly with a master controller or central processor using a radio frequency (abbreviated herein as RF) protocol or a global system for mobile communications (abbreviated herein as GSM) protocol.
In general, the term "ferromagnetic material" as used throughout this specification refers to any material that is processed to form the mechanism of a permanent magnet and/or that is attracted to a magnet. Examples of ferromagnetic materials include galvanized steel, cobalt, iron oxide, nickel, chromium dioxide, gadolinium, samarium cobalt, neodymium, permalloy, magnetite, and the like, including alloys and combinations of the elements and compounds listed above.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a top view of a solar tracker with a ferromagnetic metal docking station, generally designated by the numeral 150, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology is shown. Two solar tracker stages 152A and 152B are illustrated. The solar tracker stations 152A and 152B are oriented in a north-south direction (as shown) so that they may tilt from east to west during the day (also shown). Many solar tracker tables include two sections, such as shown in fig. 1, however the solar tracker table may include more than two sections (not shown), such as three, four, five, six, or even more sections, each coupled to each other via a bridge. Each of the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B is comprised of a plurality of solar panels 154. The plurality of solar panels 154 may be covered with an anti-reflection coating (not shown) for improving solar energy production efficiency. In accordance with the disclosed technique, the two sections of each solar tracker are coupled together via a bridge 158. The bridge 158 may be equipped with a solar panel 162 for generating power to charge the rechargeable power supply of the ARC of the disclosed technology, as explained below. The bridge 158 is made of a ferromagnetic material. The solar panel 162 differs from the plurality of solar panels 154 that make up each solar tracker station because the solar tracker campus uses the power generated from the plurality of solar panels 154 to store power that is available for sale to customers, wherein the power generated from the solar panel 162 is used to recharge and power the ARC of the disclosed technology. The solar park in which the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B are located may also be coupled to a power grid, such as a town or municipality, where the power generated by the plurality of solar panels 154 is transferred to the power grid via a converter. Additionally, one of the sections of the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B may be equipped with a docking station 160. The docking station 160 may be located on the north or south side of the solar tracker station depending on which hemisphere the solar tracker station of the disclosed technology is mounted on. As shown in fig. 1, the docking station 160 is located on the north side of the solar tracker station. The docking station 160 includes a plurality of anchoring elements 164 and a charging assembly (not shown in fig. 1) for receiving an ARC166, which is only schematically shown in fig. 1. The docking station 160 may be made of a ferromagnetic material. Details of ARC166 are provided below in fig. 2A, 2B, and 3. In one embodiment, the plurality of anchoring elements 164 enable the ARC166 to be anchored to the docking station 160 during periods of inclement weather. The plurality of anchoring elements 164 may form part of a charging assembly (not shown) such that the ARC166 may be anchored and recharged simultaneously. The plurality of anchoring elements 164 are optional and need not be included in the docking station 160. The solar trackers 152A and 152B also include a plurality of docking stations 170 and 172. The docking stations 170 and 172 may also be referred to as docking bays or docks. The docking stations 170 and 172 may be made of ferromagnetic material. As shown, the multiple docking stations 170 and 172 may be located on the east or west side of the solar tracker (docking station 170) and/or the south side of the solar tracker (docking station 172) (or the opposite side of the docking station 160). When the solar trackers 152A and 152B are generating electricity, the docking station 160 may be the preferred docking site for the ARC166 during sunlight sources, however, each of the docking stations 170 and 172 and the docking station 160 may be used as a magnetic docking station for the ARC 166. The docking stations 170 and 172 may be electrically coupled with the solar panel 162, and as explained below, when the ARC166 is docked in one of the docking stations 170 and 172, the ARC166 may be electrically coupled with the solar panel 162 to charge a rechargeable power source or battery (not shown) of the ARC 166.
As an autonomous robot, ARC166 may move in a variety of patterns and paths (e.g., in a zig-zag path, a sweeping path, a raster scan path (none shown)) across the surface of the solar tracker to clean the entire surface of solar trackers 152A and 152B. In general, when ARC166 cleans the surfaces of solar trackers 152A and 152B, the solar trackers are brought to a horizontal angle between +10 ° and-10 °, and preferably at a horizontal angle of approximately 0 ° degrees. In windless weather conditions in this range of angles, ARC166 can clean the surface of the solar panel without fear of falling due to breeze or moderate wind or due to the angle at which the solar tracker is positioned. It should be noted that when the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B are installed, they are preferably positioned in a north-south orientation, however the actual orientation of the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B depends on the instrumentation and calibration used at the time of installation. For example, the solar tracker stations 152A and 152B may be mounted such that the docking station 160 faces magnetic north, true north, or deviates from one of these directions, depending on the instruments used during solar tracker installation and how they are calibrated (or uncalibrated).
In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the docking station 160, the bridge 158, and the plurality of docking stations 170 and 172 are each made of a ferromagnetic metal, such as iron, steel, galvanized metal (i.e., zinc-coated metal), and the like. It should be noted that, in general, the solar trackers 152A and 152B and the plurality of solar panels 154 are all made of materials such as aluminum, plastic, and glass (in other words, non-ferromagnetic materials). This is the preferred construction for solar panels. However, in another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the solar panels of the solar tracker may be made of ferromagnetic materials (such as stainless steel or galvanized steel) while the anchoring surfaces (i.e., docking station, and bridge) are made of non-ferromagnetic materials. As described below, the ARC166 is equipped with a magnetic arm (not shown) for magnetically coupling the ARC166 with the docking station 160, the bridge 158, and any of the plurality of docking stations 170 and 172. The magnetic connection of the magnetic arms is strong and, if engaged, may damage the plurality of solar panels 154. However, because solar panel 154 and solar trackers 152A and 152B are not generally made of magnetic materials, there is little concern that the magnetic arms will engage the surfaces of solar panel 154 because the magnetic arms will not anchor ARC166 to these surfaces. The docking station 160, the bridge 158, and the plurality of docking stations 170 and 172 may also each have a wired or wireless connection to a central processor (not shown) of the solar park in which the solar trackers 152A and 152B are located. When the ARC166 is parked in the docking station 160, the bridge 158, or one of the multiple docking stations 170 and 172, the ARC166 may be able to pass data to the central processor via this connection.
As shown, the plurality of docking stations 170 are positioned at various locations around the plurality of solar panels 154 such that no matter where the ARC166 is located on the surface of the solar panels 154, the ARC166 is always close enough to where it can dock and is anchored quickly, requiring only a few seconds, in inclement weather conditions. In general, during daylight hours, the solar trackers 152A and 152B follow the movement of the sun on the horizon and generate electricity, and during the nighttime period, the ARC166 moves over the surface of the solar panel 154 and cleans the surface of dirt, dust, and debris to maintain the energy efficiency of the solar panel 154 at an optimal level. The solar trackers 152A and 152B may be in a solar park (not shown) containing a plurality of solar trackers, wherein the solar park is typically located in an open area away from natural structures (such as hills and valleys) and man-made structures (such as tall buildings and bridges) that may shade the surface of the solar panel 154. Such open areas may be subject to severe weather, and particularly in desert areas, severe weather may include strong wind and gust conditions, including tornado-like winds with speeds up to 140km/h and even higher. Such wind speeds may cause the ARC166 to fall off the solar panel 154 during the cleaning cycle, may cause the ARC166 to dislodge from the docking station 160, and may cause the ARC166 to fall and tip over the surface of the solar panel 154, causing damage to the solar panel and other elements of the solar park. The ARC166 may even be blown off the surface of the solar panel 154, thereby causing damage to workers or personnel near the solar park. As mentioned above, prior art solutions have not been successful in preventing an ARC from remaining in its parking bay or station under high wind and high wind conditions (e.g., tornado-like wind speeds).
In accordance with the disclosed technique, and as described in detail below in fig. 2A, 2B and 3, ARC166 is equipped with a magnetic arm made of a strong magnet, such as a rare earth magnet or any known rare earth magnetic material. The ARC166 may be equipped with a wireless transceiver (not shown) and the solar park in which the solar trackers 152A and 152B are located may include a central processor (not shown) coupled to a weather information center and/or may include a weather meter, such as a barometer, hygrometer, anemometer, thermometer, etc., for determining weather conditions near the solar park. During the cleaning cycle, the weather message center and/or the weather profiler continuously monitors the weather conditions near the solar park as the ARC166 travels over the surface of the solar panel 154. A predetermined wind speed threshold or other threshold severe weather indicator (such as rain, thunderstorm, snow, etc.) may be programmed such that if the weather information center and/or the weather meter determines that this threshold has been reached, a signal is sent to the ARC166 to immediately stop its cleaning cycle and anchor and park in one of the docking station 160, the bridge 158, or the parking stations 170 and 172 until the severe weather subsides and the determined weather conditions near the solar park are below the predetermined wind speed threshold or severe weather threshold. The predetermined wind speed threshold may be a wind speed of 100km/h, 120km/h, 140km/h, or any other wind speed deemed strong enough to potentially cause the ARC166 to fall off the surface of the solar panel 154 and/or cause damage to the solar panel or surrounding terrain. Because the disclosed techniques are applicable to any kind of autonomous cleaning robot that can autonomously move over the surface of a solar panel, the predetermined wind speed threshold and/or inclement weather threshold are design parameters that can be specific to the design, size, shape, and weight of the ARC and can be determined by one skilled in the art. The threshold mentioned above may also vary with the physical and environmental location in which the solar park is located and the type of inclement weather experienced by the solar park. The ARC166 is equipped with encoders (not shown) and/or sensors (not shown) for determining its position on the surface of the solar panel 154. When the ARC166 receives a stop cleaning cycle signal due to inclement weather, a processor (not shown) in the ARC166 or a central processor of the solar park may determine the closest parking location for anchoring the ARC166 until the inclement weather has passed. As mentioned above, the anchoring location may include the docking station 160, the bridge 158, and the docking stations 170 and 172. Known shortest path algorithms may be used to determine which anchor location is closest and where the ARC166 should travel to reach the closest anchor station. Once in the anchoring station, the ARC166 engages its magnetic arms to magnetically couple the ARC166 with the anchoring station. As mentioned above, all possible anchor stations on the solar trackers 152A and 152B are ferromagnetic surfaces. The magnetic connection formed by the attractive forces between the anchor surface and ARC166 is sufficiently strong that ARC166 remains parked and coupled to the anchor surface even under severe weather conditions and high velocity winds. For example, the magnetic connection may be sufficiently strong that a horizontal force of 15 kilograms is required to remove the magnetic connection in the horizontal direction. As another example, a vertical force equal to the weight of ARC166 plus another 12 kgf force is required to remove the magnetic connection in the vertical direction. When anchored, the rechargeable battery of ARC166 can be recharged because an electrical connection can also be established between ARC166 and the anchoring surface via the magnetic arm. The rechargeable battery of ARC166 may be recharged using energy collected by solar panel 162 and stored in a battery cell (not shown). Once the inclement weather indicated by the weather information center and/or the weather instruments coupled to the solar park has subsided, the ARC166 may be provided with a recovery cleaning cycle signal from the central processor or its own processor. The previous location of the ARC166 may be stored so that the ARC166 may resume cleaning the surface of the solar panel 154 where it left off.
As mentioned above, the anchoring surface, including the docking station 160, the bridge 158, and the docking stations 170 and 172, may be made of any ferromagnetic material or may be made of a non-ferromagnetic material, but may include at least one permanent magnet. In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the ferromagnetic material is made permanent so that the ARC166 can be parked and anchored with only its ferromagnetic arms engaging the anchoring surface. In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, each anchoring station comprises at least one permanent magnet, wherein the ARC comprises ferromagnetic arms that can be engaged to couple the ARC with the permanent magnets of the anchoring surface. In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the anchoring surface may be made of an electromagnetic material such that the anchoring surface exhibits strong magnetism only when an electrical current is supplied to the anchoring surface. In this embodiment, each anchoring surface is coupled to a power source. When ARC166 is provided with a stop cleaning cycle signal to stop cleaning due to inclement weather, a similar signal is provided to send power to each anchor surface, thereby causing electromagnetic effects to occur and magnetizing each anchor surface. When a recovery clean signal is provided to each ARC, a similar signal will be provided to stop sending power to each anchor surface. In this embodiment, permanent magnets may be added to the anchoring surface so that the ARC may engage its ferromagnetic arms. As mentioned above, in another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the solar panel may be made of a non-magnetic material, while the anchoring surface may comprise a permanent magnet, and the ARC may comprise ferromagnetic arms that may couple with the magnets of the anchoring surface.
Referring now to fig. 2A, fig. 2A is a bottom view of an autonomous cleaning robot, generally designated by the numeral 200, including a first embodiment of a magnetic parking arm, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology. Fig. 2A shows a first docking station 202 and ARC 204, which are substantially similar to docking station 160 and ARC166 (fig. 1), respectively, which have been shown in more detail. The ARC 204 may have a plastic body or may be made of other materials (not shown). The ARC 204 includes a left drive wheel 206A, a right drive wheel 206B, a left direct current (abbreviated herein as DC) drive motor 208A, and a right DC drive motor 208B. The left drive wheel 206A includes a left wheel encoder 248A and the right drive wheel 206B includes a right wheel encoder 248B. A left drive belt 210A couples the left drive wheel 206A to the left DC drive motor 208A such that the left DC drive motor 208A can drive the left drive wheel 206A. A right drive belt 210B couples the right drive wheel 206B to the right DC drive motor 208B such that the right DC drive motor 208B can drive the right drive wheel 206B. The left wheel encoder 248A and the right wheel encoder 248B may be implemented as proximity sensors, and may read the number of revolutions of each of the left drive wheel 206A and the right drive wheel 206B, respectively. For example, the left wheel encoder 248A and the right wheel encoder 248B may count the number of links or ribs in the drive wheel or belt. In one example, the drive wheel may have 6 pulses per revolution, 12 pulses per revolution, or any other number of pulses per revolution, where each pulse may be counted and read by the left wheel encoder 248A and the right wheel encoder 248B. Thus, the left wheel encoder 248A and the right wheel encoder 248B may be used to determine the angular position of the left drive wheel 206A and the right drive wheel 206B. The wheel encoders, along with a control unit 220 (explained below), support control of the ARC 204 steering and linear motion over the surface of the solar tracker. It should be noted that the left wheel encoder 248A and the right wheel encoder 248B are optional components and may be implemented using other elements. For example, the left and right DC drive motors 208A and 208B may be off-the-shelf components with built-in encoders using hall effect, thereby eliminating the need for additional encoders such as the left and right wheel drive encoders 248A and 248B. Such a DC drive motor with a built-in hall effect encoder may have a simpler construction and higher resolution than an embodiment in which the encoder and the DC motor are separate. In addition, hall effect encoders are not affected by dust and debris and are therefore an appropriate choice for designing an encoder in an ARC for removing dust, dirt, and debris.
The ARC 204 also includes a cleaning roller 212. A plurality of fins (e.g., a plurality of microfiber fins 214) are coupled to the cleaning drum 212 to clean the surface of the solar tracker stage. The plurality of microfibre fins 214 are used to push dirt away from the surface of the solar tracker stage by creating a directed air flow or stream over the surface of the solar panel of the solar tracker stage. The air flow is oriented such that the pressure exerted by the plurality of microfibre fins 214 on the surface of the solar panel is less than 0.1g/cm2This should not damage the anti-reflection coating on the surface of the solar panel. As mentioned above, ARC 204 neither includes nor requires a vacuum box or filter for collecting debris and dirt in accordance with the disclosed techniques. The ARC 204 also includes a cleaning drum DC drive motor 216 and a cleaning drum drive belt 218 for coupling the cleaning drum DC drive motor 216 with the cleaning drum 212 to drive the cleaning drum. The ARC 208 also includes a control unit 220 (also simply referred to as a controller). The control unit 220 includes at least a 6-axis motion sensor 246, a caster wheel 226, and a rechargeable power source 228. At least 6-axis motion sensor 246 includes electronic gyroscope 222 and accelerometer 224. The at least 6-axis motion sensor 246 may also be implemented as a 9-axis sensor without using the functionality of a magnetometer. The at least 6-axis motion sensor 246 may be implemented as a motion sensor that detects movement in more than six axes. It should be noted that the turret 226 may be replaced with any support structure (such as a brush, plastic block, rubber block, etc.) for supporting the back end of the ARC 204. The support structure need not move or have movable parts, but should be sufficiently smooth to not cause any damage to the surface of the solar tracker stage when the ARC is moved over its surface. The control unit 220 may also include a processor (not shown) and a wireless transmitter-receiver (not shown). The control unit 220 controls the operation of the ARC 204, including receiving commands and forwarding from the ARC to the centerA controller (not shown) transmits information (e.g., via a wireless transmitter-receiver). The accelerometer 224 may identify the tilt position and movement of the ARC 204. The electronic gyroscope 222 may identify the direction of forward motion of the ARC 204 when it is stationary or moving. The control unit 220 uses at least a 6-axis motion sensor 246 to navigate the ARC 204 over the surface of the solar tracker stage. It should be noted that the at least 6-axis motion sensor 246 may also be implemented as a 9-axis motion sensor, also including a magnetometer (not shown). The at least 6-axis motion sensor 246 may be implemented using any known motion sensor combining at least one accelerometer with an electronic gyroscope, such as from Hillcrest LabsTMBNO 0809 axis SiP and other similar motion sensors. The turret 226 supports the rear of the ARC 204 while allowing it to be fully steerable. As mentioned above, the caster wheels 226 may be implemented as a support structure that does not involve wheels, and may simply be rubber or plastic blocks. The rechargeable power source 228 may be a rechargeable battery, such as a 12 volt Ni-MH (nickel metal hydride) battery, but may also be implemented as other types of rechargeable batteries, such as lead-acid, lithium ion, LiFePO4, NiCad, and the like. The ARC 204 also includes a plurality of recharging connectors 232, as explained below.
Additionally, the ARC 204 includes at least one edge sensor, such as a proximity sensor, for identifying and determining edges of the solar tracker stage. In one example, as shown in fig. 2A, the ARC 204 includes five proximity sensors 230A-230E, however this is merely an example and any number of proximity sensors may be used. Due to the general dust conditions of cleaning solar tracker stages using autonomous cleaning robots, the edge sensors or proximity sensors may preferably be implemented as ultrasonic proximity sensors, however other types of sensors may also be used, such as IR sensors, capacitive sensors, etc. As mentioned above, the proximity sensor is used with the control unit 220 to prevent the ARC 204 from falling off the side of the solar tracker stage, and also to allow the ARC 204 to move precisely along the edge of the solar tracker stage. A cross-sectional view of the ARC 204 along line a-a is shown below and is explained in fig. 2B.
Fig. 2A also shows components of the first docking station 202, including a plurality of anchoring elements 238 and a physical barrier 244. As described below, the physical barrier 244 may be specifically positioned on the northern side of the first docking station 202 (in a northern hemisphere installation) for use in calibrating the electronic gyroscope 222 at the beginning of the cleaning process. In a southern hemisphere installation, the physical barrier may be positioned on the southern side of the docking station. The plurality of anchoring elements 238 are substantially similar to the plurality of anchoring elements 164 (fig. 1). The anchoring element is used to anchor and recharge the rechargeable power supply 228 of the ARC 204. Each of the plurality of anchoring elements 238 includes: conductive strips 242, which may be made of a conductive metal (such as stainless steel alloy 316 or other alloys); and a plurality of support elements 240 coupled at an end of each conductive strip. The conductive strips 242 are used to anchor and charge the ARC on either the east or west side of the first docking station 202. In one embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first docking station 202 may include a plurality of anchoring elements on both the east and west sides of the docking station. The support elements 240 are flexible, wherein each support element 240 includes a spring (not shown) to ensure proper conductivity to recharge the rechargeable power source 228. As mentioned above, the ARC 204 includes a plurality of recharging connectors 232 for coupling the ARC 204 with the conductive strips 242. A plurality of recharging connectors 232 are coupled with the rechargeable power source 228. Also as mentioned above, the first docking station 202 may include a physical barrier 244, which may be implemented as a vertical wall, for stopping the ARC 204 as it moves into the first docking station 202. The physical barrier 244 may also be used in a calibration process for at least the 6-axis motion sensor 246, and in particular for calibrating the electronic gyroscope 222.
As mentioned above, the plurality of anchoring elements 238 and the plurality of recharging connectors 232 are optional elements. As shown in FIG. 2A, ARC 204 also includes a park arm 250 having a magnetic end piece 252, a park arm DC gear motor 254, a park arm shaft 253, a park motor support 255, and a park shaft support 256. Together, these elements (250, 252, 253, 254, 255, and 256) may be referred to as an anchoring mechanism. Park arm shaft 253 is coupled to park arm 250 with one end coupled to park shaft support 256 and the other end coupled to park arm DC gear motor 254. As shown in FIG. 2A, a parking shaft support 256 and a parking motor support 255 are coupled with the frame of the ARC 204. Park arm DC gear motor 254 rotates park arm 250 via park arm shaft 253. The magnetic end piece 252 may be fabricated as a rare earth magnet, such as a neodymium magnet or a samarium cobalt magnet, or from a rare earth magnetic material, although other materials used to fabricate permanent magnets may be used to fabricate the magnetic end piece 252.
Park arm DC gear motor 254 rotates park arm shaft 253 by 90 ° to enable park arm 250 to be in one of two positions, horizontal (disengaged) or vertical (engaged). In the horizontal position of the resting arm 250, the ARC 204 may clean the surface of the solar panel. In the upright position of the docking arm 250, the ARC 204 may be magnetically coupled with a docking bay, bridge, or docking station, as shown and described above in fig. 1. In the vertical position, the ARC 204 cannot move, and as shown in more detail below in fig. 3, the park arm 250 is slightly longer than the vertical distance of the caster wheel 226, thereby lifting the caster wheel 226 off the surface of the anchor surface and preventing the ARC 204 from moving around while parked and anchored. By way of example, the park arm DC gear motor 254 may have an RPM (revolutions per minute) of 5 or 6, meaning a full turn in about 10 seconds or a 90 degree turn in about 2.5 seconds. In this example, parking arm 250 can be quickly engaged and disengaged within a few seconds. Other RPMs are also possible and are a matter of design choice. Further, the torque of the park arm DC gear motor 254 may be approximately 30kg/cm to ensure a strong and fast magnetic coupling between the park arm 250 and the anchor surface, although other torques are possible and a design choice depending on the design considerations and factors of the ARC 204. Using the above example of RPM and torque, ARC 204 using rare earth magnets as magnetic end pieces 252 as shown in fig. 2A may be strongly coupled with the anchoring surface and securely parked and anchored even in wind conditions as fast as 140 km/h. As mentioned above, if ARC 204 needs to be securely coupled at faster wind speeds, a more powerful or larger magnet may be used as magnetic end piece 252. The anchoring mechanism implemented by the parking arm 250 as shown in fig. 2A is just one example of a magnetic anchoring mechanism for anchoring the ARC 204 to an anchoring surface. Other embodiments of the parking arm of the disclosed technology are also possible, such as an electronic piston configuration, a worm gear configuration, an actuator configuration, a solenoid configuration, a hydraulic piston or hydraulic motor configuration, a pneumatic compressor configuration, and a pneumatic piston configuration. Each of these arrangements may include an arm and a drive mechanism for moving the arm between a magnetically engaged position and a magnetically disengaged position. The various drive mechanisms may include at least one of a drive motor, an electronic piston, a worm gear, an actuator, a solenoid, a hydraulic piston, a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic compressor, and a pneumatic piston. It should be noted that other configurations of the drive mechanism and the anchoring mechanism are possible and are a matter of design choice. As another example, the electronic piston configuration and the worm gear configuration are described in more detail below in fig. 4 and 5, respectively, although as mentioned above, other configurations are possible.
Parking arm shaft 253 can have a circular cross-section or a square cross-section. A square cross-section may be preferable because it may result in greater torque, especially when it is desired to disengage the magnetic end piece 252 from the anchoring surface. As shown, the parking arm 250 may be made of plastic, another non-ferrous material, or any other non-magnetic material, such as for cost effectiveness, with only the magnetic end piece 252 being made as a permanent magnet. The configuration of parking arm 250 as shown in FIG. 2A is by way of example only. The park arm 250, as shown, is centrally positioned within the ARC 204 between the left drive wheel 206A and the right drive wheel 206B and is spaced from the plurality of microfiber fins 214. However, the park arm 250 may be placed anywhere on the bottom side of the ARC 204 that does not interfere with the cleaning function of the plurality of microfiber fins 214 and is not limited to the positioning as shown in fig. 2A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A, the park arm DC gear motor 254 and park arm shaft 253 are coupled with the frame (not labeled) of the ARC 204 via a park shaft support 256 and a park motor support 255. Other configurations for coupling the park arm DC gear motor 254 to the frame of the ARC 204 are possible and are shown as non-limiting examples only.
Reference is now made to fig. 2B, which is a side view of the autonomous cleaning robot of fig. 2A, indicated generally by the numeral 260, along line a-a, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology. All of the elements and features in fig. 2B are shown and have been explained above in fig. 2A, except a few. Therefore, in fig. 2B, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements shown in fig. 2A. Fig. 2B additionally shows a spring 264 that supports the support element 240, thereby making the support element 240 and the conductive strips 242 resilient and flexible. Also shown is an angled flat element 262 positioned adjacent to the cleaning drum 212 for improving the cleaning process by increasing the intensity of the directed air flow generated by the plurality of microfiber fins 214. The angled flat elements 262 improve the cleaning process by directing the air flow generated by the plurality of microfibre fins 214 forward and thereby absorbing some of the dust particles that may fly rearward as the cleaning drum 212 rotates the plurality of microfibre fins 214. The angled flat elements 262 make the directed air flow of the plurality of microfibrous fins 214 powerful and strong and thereby reduce the impact and pressure on the anti-reflection coating of the solar panel. As mentioned above, the plurality of anchoring elements 238 (fig. 2A) are optional, and thus the spring 264 supporting the support element 240 and the conductive strip 242 are optional components.
Although, as mentioned above, parking arm shaft 270 (similar to parking arm shaft 253 in FIG. 2A) is shown having a circular cross-section, it may also have a square or even rectangular cross-section. The parking arm shaft 270 couples parking arms 272, 272 '(similar to parking arm 250 in FIG. 2A) with magnetic end pieces 274, 274' (similar to magnetic end piece 252). The parking arm is shown in a vertical, magnetically engaged position, as is parking arm 272 and magnetic end piece 274, and also in a horizontal, magnetically disengaged position, as is parking arm 272 'and magnetic end piece 274'. In the horizontal position (shown using dashed lines), the magnetic end piece 274' is not magnetically engaged with the ferromagnetic anchor surface 276, and thus the plurality of microfibre fins 214 may rotate and perform the cleaning function of the solar panel surface. In the vertical position (as shown), the magnetic end piece 274 magnetically couples with and engages the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 276, thereby securely coupling the ARC 204 with the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 276. Also shown in FIG. 2B is the 90 movement from the vertical position to the horizontal position by the parking arm shaft 270 of the parking arm.
It should be noted that in the vertical position, the magnetic end piece 274 may electrically couple the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 276 with the control unit 220. For example, the magnetic end piece 274 may include a wire connection (not shown) that couples it to the control unit 220. In this aspect, once the magnetic coupling is established with the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 276, an electrical coupling is also established. Thus, when the parking arm 272 is magnetically engaged, charge and current may be transferred to the rechargeable battery of the ARC 204.
Reference is now made to fig. 3, which is a collection of side views of an autonomous cleaning robot, generally designated by the numeral 300, including a magnetic parking arm in various positions, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology. The first side view 302A shows the ARC 312 with the parking arm 306 engaged with a ferromagnetic anchoring surface (not labeled). The park arm 306 is coupled to the park arm shaft 304, which may rotate the park arm 306 between the vertical position and the horizontal position. Most of the elements of ARC 312 are not labeled so as not to clutter figure 3, however figure 3 shows turret 308. As mentioned above, the first side view 302A shows the ARC 312 with the park arm 306 in an upright position. The parking arm 306 is slightly longer than the diameter of the caster wheel 308 so that when the parking arm 306 is in an upright position, the caster wheel 308 will lift slightly off of the surface or anchor surface of the solar panel that it would normally touch when moving and maneuvering around. As shown, line 310A shows the plane on which the caster wheel 308 may rotate, while line 310B shows the plane on which the parking arm 306 rests when engaged. Line 310B is slightly below line 310A, thereby showing that the caster wheel will lift slightly away from the surface of the anchor surface (not shown) when engaging the parking arm 306. The distance between lines 310A and 310B may be as small as 3 millimeters. Other distances are possible, but in principle, when the parking arm 306 is engaged, the caster wheel 308 should be prevented from rotating and causing the ARC 312 to move around when the parking arm 306 will magnetically couple the ARC 312 to the anchoring surface. This also ensures a good and secure magnetic connection between the parking arm 306 and the ferromagnetic anchoring surface.
The second side view 302B shows the park arm 306 half way off the ARC 312 from the ferromagnetic anchor surface. In this view, the park arm shaft 304 is in the process of rotating the park arm 306 to a horizontal position. The third side view 302C shows the ARC 312 with the park arm 306 completely disengaged from the ferromagnetic anchor surface. The turret wheel now touches the magnetic anchor surface and can move the ARC 312 back onto the surface of the solar panel (not shown).
Reference is now made to fig. 4, which is a side view of a second embodiment of a magnetic parking arm for use with an autonomous cleaning robot, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology, and generally designated by the reference numeral 350. The magnetic park arm 350 is shown as an electronic piston or actuator that is movable between two positions, a magnetically disengaged position (as shown) and a magnetically engaged position (not shown). The magnetic park arm 350 includes an actuator 352, which may also be implemented as an electronic piston. Actuator 352 includes an extension 356 that moves in the direction of arrow 362 to engage and disengage a ferromagnetic anchor surface 364. Coupled to the extension 356 is a non-magnetic plate 358 that includes two magnetic end pieces 360. When the actuator 352 extends the extension 356 in the direction of arrow 362 toward the anchoring surface such that the magnetic endpiece 360 touches the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 364, the magnetic endpiece 360 may couple with the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 364. As mentioned above, the non-magnetic plate 358 may include at least one magnetic end piece (not shown). In addition, the plates extending from the extensions may be made of ferromagnetic material (not shown), with magnetic end pieces (as permanent magnets) incorporated into the anchoring surface (not shown).
The actuator 352 is coupled to a main frame 354 of the ARC (not shown). A plurality of wires 366 electrically couple the actuator 352 to a power source of the ARC. The actuator 352 moves the extension 356 up and down in the direction of arrow 362 based on current provided via a plurality of wires 366. When an ARC is to be anchored due to bad weather or strong wind conditions, an anchor signal is provided from the central processor or control unit to the ARC to find the closest anchoring surface. Once the ARC is positioned on the nearest anchoring surface, current is applied via a plurality of wires 366 to engage the magnetic parking arm 350 by activating the actuator 352. The extension 356 may extend within a few seconds. A second current may be applied via a plurality of wires 366 to disengage the magnetic parking arm 350 by re-enabling the actuator 352 in the opposite direction. The actuator 352 may be coupled with any solid section or portion of the ARC and need not be coupled with the mainframe 354 alone.
Reference is now made to fig. 5, which is a side view of a third embodiment of a magnetic parking arm for use with an autonomous cleaning robot, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technology, and generally represented by the numeral 380. Magnetic parking arm 380 is shown as a worm gear that is movable between two positions, a magnetically disengaged position (as shown) and a magnetically engaged position (not shown). Magnetic parking arm 380 includes a bolt 394, a nut wheel 388, a bolt stop 396, a guide slot 398, a guide pin 400, a bolt housing 408, a non-magnetic plate 402, two magnetic end pieces 404, a worm drive motor 382, a drive wheel 386, and a drive belt 392. Both worm drive motor 382 and bolt housing 408 are coupled with a mainframe 384 of an ARC (not shown) to support magnetic park arm 380. The worm drive motor 382 includes a shaft (not labeled) that is coupled to the drive wheel 386 and can rotate the drive wheel 386 in both directions, as indicated by arrow 390. The worm drive motor 382 may be implemented as a DC drive motor. A drive belt 392 is coupled between the drive wheel 386 and the nut wheel 388. As drive wheel 386 rotates, drive belt 392 causes nut wheel 388 to also rotate. Rotation of the nut wheel 388 causes the bolt 394 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the direction of rotation of the worm drive motor 386, thereby moving the bolt 394 and the non-magnetic plate 402 in the direction of arrow 410. In one direction (e.g., clockwise), rotation of the nut wheel 388 causes the non-magnetic plate 402 to move closer to the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406, and in the opposite direction (e.g., counterclockwise), rotation of the nut wheel 388 causes the non-magnetic plate 402 to move farther from the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406. Bolt stop 396 prevents bolt 394 from rotating beyond the upper end (not labeled) of nut wheel 388. The guide slot 398 enables the guide pin 400 to move up and down in the direction of arrow 410. The guide pin 400 is coupled with the bolt 394 and the guide slot is part of the bolt housing 408. The guide pin 400 and guide slot 398 ensure that the bolt 394 moves toward and away from the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface (not labeled) of the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406. Magnetic parking arms 350 (fig. 4) and 380 are just two examples of anchoring mechanisms that may be used in the disclosed technology. Other drive mechanisms, including actuators, solenoids, hydraulic pistons, hydraulic motors, pneumatic compressors, and pneumatic pistons, may be used to implement a magnetic parking arm as shown above in fig. 2A, 4, and 5. Moreover, as mentioned above, other configurations for the drive mechanism and the anchoring mechanism are possible and are a matter of design choice.
As described above in fig. 4, when an ARC (not shown) receives a park or dock command, the processor (not shown) of the ARC determines the closest anchoring surface and then selects the anchoring surface to which the ARC should be anchored by providing a signal to the drive motor of the ARC to move it to the closest anchoring surface. Once positioned on the anchoring surface, the processor sends a signal to the worm drive motor 382 to rotate, thereby rotating the drive wheel 386, drive belt 392, and nut wheel 388 to move the bolt 394 toward the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406 so that the magnetic end piece 404 can magnetically engage the ferromagnetic anchoring surface 406. When bad weather or wind conditions pass, the processor sends another signal to the worm drive motor 382 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby disengaging the magnetic endpiece 404 from the ferromagnetic anchor surface 406 so that the ARC can continue its cleaning cycle. As mentioned above, the magnetic coupling between the magnetic end piece 404 and the ferromagnetic anchor surface 406 may also form an electrical connection such that the rechargeable battery or power source (not shown) of the ARC may be recharged when the magnetic parking arm 380 is engaged.
The disclosed technology has been described with respect to the above-described systems and methods of magnetically parking and anchoring a cleaning robot on a solar tracker using an example of an autonomous cleaning robot as depicted in fig. 2A, 2B, and 3 and a solar tracker as shown in fig. 1. However, the disclosed techniques are not limited to this particular ARC and may be used with any cleaning robot to clean the surface of a solar panel that may need to be docked and anchored during inclement weather. The ARC may include at least one known cleaning mechanism for cleaning the surface of the solar panel. For example, the ARC may clean the surface of the solar panel using water, a cleaning agent, or a liquid, or may clean the surface of the solar panel without water (i.e., without water) using a vacuum, a brush, a microfiber fin, a directed air stream, a pressurized air stream, at least one wiper, or the like. In addition, even though the disclosed techniques are shown using an example of a solar tracker that can change angle depending on the position of the sun, the disclosed techniques can also be used for solar parks with fixed angle solar panels (e.g., solar panels that are at most about 10 to 15 degrees fixed angle to the horizontal). With the disclosed technology used in a solar park with fixed angle solar panels, docking or parking stations may be positioned along the length of the solar panel so that the ARC may be docked and/or parked in any of these stations. Additionally, when magnetically connected, each docking or docking station may be implemented to form an electrical connection, thereby enabling the ARC to charge its power source. Further, as mentioned above, the disclosed techniques involve forming a magnetic coupling between the ARC and the docking station, parking bay, bridge, or anchor surface. The permanent magnet may be present on the ARC, wherein the anchoring surface is ferromagnetic, or vice versa, and the magnet may be present on the anchoring surface, wherein the element on the ARC is ferromagnetic, couplable with the anchoring surface. Three examples of parking arms (parking arm 250 in fig. 2A, magnetic parking arm 350 in fig. 4, and magnetic parking arm 380 in fig. 5) for magnetically coupling the ARC to the anchor surface are shown above, however other designs, configurations, and mechanisms are possible. It should also be noted that the magnetic coupling described in the disclosed technology may be used not only when severe weather occurs near the solar park, but also periodically when the ARC ends its cleaning cycle and when it docks and parks in its docking station. Thus, the magnetic coupling of the disclosed technology is used to anchor the ARC, whether it just ends the cleaning cycle or during the cleaning cycle, because of the inclement weather that requires stopping the cleaning cycle.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed techniques are not limited to those specifically shown and described above. Rather, the scope of the disclosed technology is limited only by the following claims.