Research Impact of Solar Panel Cleaning Robot on Photovoltaic Panel's Deflection

TL;DR

This study uses ANSYS simulations and experiments to analyze how solar panel cleaning robots affect photovoltaic panel deflection, aiming to inform damper system design to mitigate potential damage.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach to assess PV panel deflection caused by SPCR and proposes a polynomial model for damper system design.

Findings

Simulation accurately predicts PV panel deformation.

Polynomial model describes deflection amplitude.

Experimental results validate simulation accuracy.

Abstract

In the last few decades, solar panel cleaning robots (SPCR) have been widely used for sanitizing photovoltaic (PV) panels as an effective solution for ensuring PV efficiency. However, the dynamic load generated by the SPCR during operation might have a negative impact on PV panels. To reduce these effects, this paper presents the utilization of ANSYS software to simulate multiple scenarios involving the impact of SPCR on PV panels. The simulation scenarios provided in the paper are derived from the typical movements of SPCR observed during practical operations. The simulation results show the deformation process of PV panels, and a second-order polynomial is established to describe the deformed amplitude along the centerline of PV panels. This second-order polynomial contributes to the design process of a damper system for SPCR aiming to reduce the influence of SPCR on PV panels. Moreover, the experiments are conducted to examine the correlation between the results of the simulation and the experiment.