Ultrasonic system for solar panel cleaning

A lot of applications are required for surfaces or walls to remain free from airborne particle deposition. A typical example is the deposition of dust on the solar panels in dusty zones. Pollen, bird droppings, dirt, and dust can build up on solar panels. The ultrasonic cleaning action is able to infiltrate the smallest crevices and hard-to-reach surfaces, penetrating areas normally inaccessible to other cleaning methods. During the rarefaction cycle the liquid is torn apart. This creates a vacuum cavity within the liquid. These cavities will grow larger and smaller as the compression waves are continued. This paper proposes a possibility to create the ultrasonic cavity into liquid in motion with depth of water from 0.1 to 1 mm. We are created the ultrasonic cleaning system that performs an ultrasonic cavity in thin water layer in motion (Fig. 1). The finite element method (FEM) was used to define both harmonical analysis and interaction between ultrasonic actuator and medium (air or/and water). The prototype ultrasonic cleaning system was developed and some experimental results were defined. The laser vibrometer used for measuring of mechanical fluctuations on the piezoelectric actuator's surface and measuring results are presented. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.