JP7580760B2 - Transport device for solar panel cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device for transporting the solar panel cleaning device.

The use of renewable energy sources is being promoted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, solar panels that use sunlight to generate electricity are becoming more and more popular.

For example, construction of mega solar power generation systems capable of generating over 1 MW of electricity is underway all over the country. In a mega solar power generation system, rows of solar panels, each made up of multiple solar panels lined up, are installed within a certain area, with anywhere from tens to hundreds of panels.

By the way, solar panels are devices that generate electricity by capturing sunlight. Therefore, if the light-receiving surface of a solar panel becomes dirty, the dirt blocks sunlight, reducing the amount of light captured and, as a result, reducing the amount of electricity generated. To prevent this reduction in power generation, the light-receiving surface of a solar panel needs to be cleaned regularly.

However, each solar panel row used in a mega solar power generation system has a side length of, for example, 2m or more, and manual cleaning of the solar panel row requires a great deal of time and effort. Against this background, in recent years, development of solar panel cleaning devices for cleaning solar panel rows has been progressing (e.g., Patent Documents 1 to 5). As a solar panel cleaning device, for example, a line-type solar panel cleaning device has been proposed in which a linear brush body extending from the upper edge to the lower edge of the solar panel row is moved in the left-right direction to clean the solar panel row with the brush body.

JP 2017-135962 A JP 2017-163828 A JP 2018-030050 A JP 2018-069223 A JP 2019-217477 A

If the size of the solar panel row is large, the solar panel cleaning device will also be large and heavy accordingly. If the solar panel cleaning device is large and heavy, various efforts are required when transferring the solar panel cleaning device from one solar panel row to another solar panel row. For this reason, it is desirable to develop a transport device for the solar panel cleaning device that can reduce the effort required when transferring the solar panel cleaning device. In addition, if the solar panel cleaning device is large, it is expected that the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device will also be large accordingly. However, if the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device is large, it is expected that it will be difficult to secure a storage space for the transport device and to transport the transport device itself.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device that can reduce the effort required to move a line-type solar panel cleaning device from one row of solar panels to another row of solar panels, and can be made compact when not in use.

The above issues are:
A transport device for a solar panel cleaning device for transporting a line-type solar panel cleaning device that moves along a solar panel row configured by arranging a plurality of solar panels to clean a light receiving surface of the solar panel,
A stage portion for mounting the solar panel cleaning device;
an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height and inclination of the stage unit;
a running body that is equipped with a stage unit and an adjustment mechanism and can run on a ground surface;
The solar panel cleaning device is a device that cleans solar panels from a surface that is exposed to the sun.
is solved by

The transport device for solar panel cleaning equipment according to the present invention makes it easy to transfer the solar panel cleaning equipment from one solar panel row to another. That is, by moving to a position adjacent to the desired solar panel row and adjusting the height and inclination of the stage unit to match the height and inclination of the solar panel row, the solar panel cleaning equipment on the light receiving surface of the solar panel row can be easily transferred to the stage unit. Conversely, the solar panel cleaning equipment on the stage unit can be easily transferred to the light receiving surface of the solar panel row. In addition, by reducing the size of the stage unit when not in use, it becomes easier to secure storage space and transport the transport device for solar panel cleaning equipment itself.

It is preferable that the stage section is provided with an expandable/contractable mechanism, specifically, a mechanism that allows it to be folded in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the stage section to be expanded (in the expanded state) to a size large enough to accommodate the solar panel cleaning device, and folded up (in the stored state) to make it compact.

It is also preferable that the stage portion has a bilaterally symmetrical shape in the expanded state. This makes it easy to transfer the solar panel cleaning device from the right side of the stage portion to the left side of the stage portion.

It is also preferable that the center line of the stage section in the left-right direction is located above the center line of the traveling body in the left-right direction. This stabilizes the left-right weight balance of the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device. It also improves handling when traveling with the solar panel cleaning device placed on the stage section. This is because, if the left-right weight balance is poor, one of the traveling means provided on both the left and right sides will float off the ground, making it difficult to steer in a straight line or turn, but if the left-right weight balance is stable, stable steering is possible.

In addition, it is preferable that the control means for controlling the traveling body is not provided on the traveling body itself, but is provided on a remote controller connected to the traveling body wirelessly or by wire. This is because if the control means is provided on the traveling body, the stage part gets in the way, making it difficult to control the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device, whereas if a remote controller is used, the stage part does not get in the way and the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device can be controlled remotely. In addition, removing the control means from the traveling body eliminates the need to consider interference between the control means and the stage part, which increases the design freedom of the stage part's shape.

It is also preferable that the running body is provided with a battery for storing electricity to power the running body. This is because by electrifying the running body, noise reduction during use is improved. Also, by providing the battery lower on the running body, the center of gravity is lowered, and the balance of the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device is stabilized.

As described above, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the labor required to transport a line-type solar panel cleaning device from one row of solar panels to another, and also to provide a transport device for the solar panel cleaning device that can be made compact when not in use.

1 is a perspective view showing a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device with a stage portion spread out in the front-rear direction. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device with a stage portion folded in the front-rear direction. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device with a stage portion raised and tilted in the front-to-rear direction. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a transport device for a solar panel cleaning device with a stage portion spread out in the front-rear direction. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a row of solar panels is being cleaned using a line-type solar panel cleaning device. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the solar panel cleaning device has finished cleaning one row of solar panels and has not yet been transferred to a transport device for the solar panel cleaning device. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transport device for the solar panel cleaning device in FIG. 6 has been moved to transport the solar panel cleaning device to the side of another row of solar panels. FIG.

A preferred embodiment of the transport device for a solar panel cleaning device (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "transport device") of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The configuration described below is merely an example, and the technical scope of the transport device of the present invention is not limited to the configuration described below. The transport device described below can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

1. Configuration of the Transport Device for the Solar Panel Cleaning Apparatus Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a transport device 10 for explaining one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows the transport device 10 in a state in which it is capable of transporting a solar panel cleaning apparatus, and Figure 2 shows the transport device 10 when not in use.

The transport device 10 includes a running body 11 that can run on the ground, and further includes a stage unit 12 and a stage position adjustment mechanism (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as an "adjustment mechanism") 13 that are mounted on the running body 11. Each of the components will be specifically described below.

1-1. Running Body The running body 11 is equipped with a stage unit 12 and an adjustment mechanism 13, which will be described later, and is capable of running. Any running means may be used for the running body 11. For example, the running body 11 may be equipped with general tires and wheels as a running means. It may also be equipped with crawlers that can run well on uneven ground. Since solar panel rows are often installed on uneven ground such as mountain surfaces and sandy areas, in this embodiment, crawlers are used as the running means for the running body 11.

The running body 11 is electrically powered because it is quiet. Specifically, an electric motor is used to drive the running body 11. Note that an internal combustion engine using gasoline, diesel, or the like as fuel may also be used to drive the running body 11.

Since the running body 11 is electrically powered, the running body 11 is provided with a battery 11a (see FIG. 3) that serves as a driving source. The battery 11a is preferably installed lower on the running body 11. This is because, when the relatively heavy battery 11a is arranged below the running body 11, the center of gravity of the transport device 10 is lowered, improving the stability of the running. For example, the battery 11a is preferably provided at a height where its center of gravity fits within the running body 11. More specifically, it is desirable to provide the battery 11a at a position where its center of gravity is lower than 0.7 times the height of the running body 11.

1-2. Stage The stage 12 is the portion on which the solar panel cleaning device is placed. The stage 12 has an expandable/contractable mechanism, and can be enlarged (in an expanded state) when the solar panel cleaning device is placed on it, and can be reduced in size (in a stored state) at other times.

The mechanism for expanding and contracting the stage section 12 can be of various types, such as a sliding type or a folding type. The sliding type is a type in which the expansion and contraction of the stage section 12 is realized by translating the expansion section relative to the main section. The folding type is a type in which the expansion and contraction of the stage section 12 is realized by rotating the expansion section relative to the main section.

In this embodiment, a foldable expansion/contraction mechanism is used for the stage section 12. This is because, while it is preferable that the surface (mounting surface) on which the solar panel cleaning device is placed on the stage section 12 is a flat surface without any steps, the foldable stage section 12 makes it easier to align the mounting surface of the main section and the mounting surface of the extension section in the expanded state so that they are flush with each other.

Specifically, the stage section 12 comprises a plate-shaped main section 12a and a panel-shaped folding section (extension section) 12b provided at the front and rear of the main section 12a. The main section 12a and the folding section 12b are connected by a hinge 12c, and they form a foldable mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stage section 12 can be formed into a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction by unfolding the folding section 12b. The size of the stage section 12 in such an expanded state is a size suitable for placing a solar panel cleaning device on it. The length of the stage section 12 in the front-to-rear direction in the expanded state depends on the size of the solar panel cleaning device, but is, for example, 2 m or more.

When not in use, the stage section 12 can be made compact by folding the folding section 12b as shown in Fig. 2. The length of the stage section 12 in such a stored state is shorter than the length in the expanded state, for example, less than 2 m. For example, the length of the stage section 12 in the stored state is preferably 2/3 or less of the length in the expanded state. More specifically, it is preferably 1/2 or less of the length in the expanded state.

1-3. Stage position adjustment mechanism The adjustment mechanism 13 includes various lifting mechanisms and rotation mechanisms, and is capable of adjusting the position (height from the ground and inclination with respect to the ground) of the stage unit 12. A specific configuration will be described below with reference to FIG.

Figure 3 is a side view of the transport device 10 with the stage section elevated and tilted forward and backward. The stage section 12 is in an expanded state.

First, the mechanism (height adjustment mechanism) that adjusts the height of the stage section 12 within the adjustment mechanism 13 will be described. The height adjustment mechanism includes a support section 13a that supports the stage section 12, and a first arm 13b and a second arm 13c that connect the support section 13a to the running body 11.

The first arm 13b and the second arm 13c cross each other in a side view, and are rotatably connected to each other at their respective midpoints _P1 . The first arm 13b and the second arm 13c are provided on both the left and right sides of the transport device 10. This allows the support portion 13a and the stage portion 12 supported thereby to be stably supported.

A rear end (lower end) of the first arm 13b is pivotally supported at a point _P2 of the traveling body 11. In addition, a front end (upper end) of the first arm 13b is attached to a guide rail 13d provided on the support portion 13a in a state in which the arm can slide in the front-rear direction.

On the other hand, the rear end (upper end) of the second arm 13c is pivotally supported at point _P3 of the support portion 13a. Also, the front end (lower end) of the second arm 13c is attached to a guide rail 13e provided on the traveling body 11 in a state in which the second arm 13c can slide in the front-rear direction.

The first arm 13b can be rotated in the direction of the arrow _A1 around point _P2 by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor or a hydraulic cylinder. When the first arm 13b is rotated in the direction to rise, the front end (upper end) of the first arm 13b moves backward along the guide rail 13d. At the same time, the second arm 13c rotates in the direction to rise while its front end (lower end) moves backward along the guide rail 13e. This allows the support part 13a and the stage part 12 supported thereby to be raised.

Conversely, when the first arm 13b is rotated in a collapsing direction, the front end (upper end) of the first arm 13b moves forward along the guide rail 13d. At the same time, the second arm 13c rotates in a collapsing direction while its front end (lower end) moves forward along the guide rail 13e. This allows the support part 13a and the stage part 12 supported by it to be lowered.

The support section 13a is adapted to pivotally support the stage section 12 at point _P4 at its front end. The support section 13a is also adapted to rotate the stage section 12 in the direction of arrow _A2 about point _P4 by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor or a hydraulic cylinder. This stage rotation mechanism constitutes a mechanism (tilt adjustment mechanism) of the stage position adjustment mechanism 13 that adjusts the tilt angle of the stage section 12 in the front-to-rear direction. The tilt adjustment mechanism is adapted to operate independently of the height adjustment mechanism.

1-4. Positional Relationship Between Components Fig. 4 is a front view showing the transport device 10. In the expanded state, the stage unit 12 has a rectangular plate shape, and is provided so that its center line _L1 is located above the center line _L2 of the traveling body 11. This ensures stable weight balance in the left-right direction even when the solar panel cleaning device is loaded onto the stage unit 12 and travels.

In addition, the solar panel cleaning device is easier to handle when traveling with it loaded onto the stage section 12. This is because, whereas poor left-right weight balance would cause one of the traveling means (crawlers) arranged on either the left or right side to lift off the ground, making control difficult, good left-right weight balance allows for stable control.

In this embodiment, the control means for controlling the running body 11 is not provided in the main body of the running body 11. The control means is a remote controller that is connected to the running body 11 wirelessly or by wire and can control the running body 11 from a remote location.

The control means of the running body 11 is wirelessly connected to the running body 11 via an antenna. The control means includes levers, buttons, etc. for controlling the forward or backward movement or right or left turning of the running body 11. In addition, the control means may include switches, knobs, etc. for adjusting the position of the stage unit 12 (operating the adjustment mechanism 13).

2. Method of Using the Transport Device for Solar Panel Cleaning Apparatus The configuration of the transport device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above. Next, a method of using the transport device 10 will be described. First, the configuration of the line-type solar panel cleaning apparatus that is the object of transport by the transport device 10 will be described below. Next, a method of transferring the solar panel cleaning apparatus from the solar panel row to the transport device 10 and from the transport device 10 to the solar panel row will be described.

2-1. Configuration of the solar panel cleaning device Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the solar panel cleaning device 30 cleaning the light receiving surface of one solar panel row 40a. The solar panel cleaning device 30 is installed in a state where it reaches from the upper edge to the lower edge of the solar panel row 40a along the inclination direction _A3 of the solar panel row 40a. In addition, by moving the solar panel cleaning device 30 in the direction _A4 along the solar panel row 40a, it is possible to simultaneously clean multiple rows of solar panels 41 that make up the solar panel row 40a.

The solar panel cleaning device 30 includes a running wheel 31 and a brush 32. The solar panel cleaning device 30 is self-propelled, and can move (run) by driving the running wheel 31 to rotate using a drive device (motor, etc.) not shown.

The brush 32 is a cylindrical (more precisely, spiral) roll brush. The brush 32 is also rotated by a drive device (motor, etc.) not shown. In addition, cleaning water is supplied to the brush 32 through a hose not shown.

A pair of left and right guide bodies 33 are provided on the upper end side of the solar panel cleaning device 30. The guide bodies 33 slide over the upper end surface of the solar panel row 40a or the upper end surface of its stand, thereby guiding the solar panel cleaning device 30 in a direction _A4 along the solar panel row 40a. Here, the guide bodies 33 are rollers (guide rollers).

6 is a perspective view showing the state of the solar panel cleaning device 30 in one solar panel row 40a before being transferred onto the transport device 10. After finishing cleaning the first solar panel row 40a, the solar panel cleaning device 30 reaches, for example, the right edge of the first solar panel row 40a, as shown in FIG.

The transport device 10 is moved so that it is adjacent to the right side of this first solar panel row 40a, and the height and inclination of the stage portion 12 are adjusted to match the first solar panel row 40a by the adjustment mechanism 13. In other words, the height and inclination of the stage portion 12 are adjusted so that the top surface of the first solar panel row 40a and the top surface of the stage portion 12 form the same plane.

Next, the solar panel cleaning device 30 arranged on the right edge of the first solar panel row 40a is moved further to the right in the direction _A5 . In this way, the solar panel cleaning device 30 can be transferred from the top surface of the first solar panel row 40a to the top surface of the stage portion 12. The transport device 10 with the solar panel cleaning device 30 placed on the stage portion 12 moves from the first solar panel row 40a to the other solar panel row 40b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stage portion 12 in the expanded state is symmetrical, so that the solar panel cleaning device 30 can be transferred from either the left or right side. Therefore, the solar panel cleaning device 30 may be transferred to the stage portion 12 from the left side of one solar panel row 40a.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the solar panel cleaning device 30 placed on the stage portion 12 of the transport device 10 before being transferred to another solar panel row 40b. The solar panel cleaning device 30 is placed on the stage portion 12 of the transport device 10 and transported from one solar panel row 40a to the other solar panel row 40b.

The transport device 10 is moved to the side of the other solar panel row 40b, for example adjacent to the right side, and the adjustment mechanism 13 adjusts the height and inclination of the stage portion 12 to match those of the other solar panel row 40b. Then, the solar panel cleaning device 30 placed on the stage portion 12 is moved in the left direction _A6 . In this way, the solar panel cleaning device 30 can be transferred from the top surface of the stage portion 12 to the top surface of the other solar panel row 40b. The solar panel cleaning device 30 placed on the right edge of the other solar panel row 40b cleans the entire light receiving surface as it moves to the left edge of the solar panel row 40b.

As described above, the stage portion 12 in the expanded state has a bilaterally symmetrical shape, so that the solar panel cleaning device 30 can be moved from either the left or right side. Therefore, the solar panel cleaning device 30 may be moved from the stage portion 12 to the left edge of another solar panel row 40b.

As described above, the transport device 10 makes it possible to easily transport the line-type solar panel cleaning device 30 from one solar panel row 40a to another solar panel row 40b. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the transport device 10 can be made compact when not in use by folding the folding section 12b of the stage section 12. This makes it easy to secure a storage space for the transport device 10 and to transport the transport device 10 itself.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Transport device for solar panel cleaning device 11 Traveling body 11a Battery 12 Stage section 12a Main section 12b Folding section 12c Hinge 13 Stage position adjustment mechanism 13a Support section 13b First arm 13c Second arm 13d Guide rail 13e Guide rail 30 Line-type solar panel cleaning device 31 Traveling wheel 32 Brush 33 Roller 40 Solar panel row 40a First solar panel row 40b Another solar panel row 41 Solar panel

Claims (5)

A transport device for a solar panel cleaning device for transporting a line-type solar panel cleaning device that moves along a solar panel row configured by arranging a plurality of solar panels to clean a light receiving surface of the solar panel,
A stage portion for mounting the solar panel cleaning device;
an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height and inclination of the stage unit;
a running body that is equipped with a stage unit and an adjustment mechanism and can run on a ground surface;
The stage section is provided with an expandable/contractable mechanism, and can be switched between an expanded state in which the solar panel cleaning device can be placed and a stored state in which the size is smaller than the expanded state;
The stage section further includes a mechanism for folding in the front-rear direction, so that the length in the front-rear direction in the stored state can be made shorter than the length in the front-rear direction in the expanded state.
Solar panel cleaning equipment is a device that cleans solar panels.
The stage portion has a symmetrical shape in the expanded state.
2. The transport device for a solar panel cleaning device according to claim 1 .
The center line of the stage in the left-right direction is located above the center line of the traveling body in the left-right direction.
3. The transport device for a solar panel cleaning device according to claim 2 .
A control means for controlling the moving object is not provided in the moving object itself, but is provided in a remote controller connected to the moving object wirelessly or by wire.
The transport device for a solar panel cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The running body is electrically powered,
A battery for storing electricity to power the vehicle is provided on the vehicle.
The transport device for a solar panel cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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