Slip Resistance Test Apparatus of Synthetic Rubber Trackpad on Photovoltaic Surface

TL;DR

This paper presents a slip resistance test apparatus for synthetic rubber trackpads on photovoltaic surfaces, addressing challenges in measuring slip under varying conditions and establishing safety standards for rubber materials.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel apparatus that converts reciprocating motion into rotational movement to evaluate slip resistance, and sets safety standards for synthetic rubber on PV surfaces.

Findings

Apparatus effectively detects slip and evaluates resistance.

Safety standards established for Shore A30-A40 rubber.

Consideration of wet/dry conditions improves reliability.

Abstract

The increasing development of the solar energy industry in many countries has led to a rising frequency of human and robot presence in this area. To ensure occupational safety, various protective equipment, including rubber material, is commonly used for slip resistance while moving on the surface of solar PV panels. Therefore, the slip resistance test apparatus is built for testing the slip resistance between the synthetic rubber trackpad and the photovoltaic panel (PV) surface. Synthetic rubber is a man-made material, so it is difficult to control the parameters of its mechanical and chemical properties absolutely. Variations in wet/dry working conditions or Shore hardness are factors that make slip computation more challenging. Therefore, an apparatus with the principle of converting the reciprocating motion of the screw and the casters into the rotation of the hinge is introduced to adjust the tilt angle of the upper surface, detect and evaluate the slippage of the rubber trackpad by sensors. Some parameters related to accuracy such as vibration and theoretical-empirical assessment, are also mentioned. In addition to designing a reliable apparatus, the article also succeeded in providing a safety standard for synthetic rubber with Shore A30-A40 when moving on PV surfaces.