An Improved Electrostatic Cleaning System for Dust Removal from Photovoltaic Panels

Abstract

A cleaning device has been improved to clean solar panels using the concept of ionic wind to effectively remove accumulated sand dust. The actuator comprises two parallel electrodes (wire and plate) fixed in a rectangular plastic frame. The cleaning mechanism operates by applying a high DC voltage to a wire electrode, while the plate electrode is grounded. In operation, the cleaning device is guided by a vehicle that traverses the entire surface of the solar panel and cleans the plate of sand dust by generating an ionic wind through an opening located at the base of the actuator. Tests have demonstrated the remarkable efficiency of this cleaning system with the "wire-plate" configuration proposed here, achieving a dust removal rate of almost 100% with a wind velocity of around 2.5 m/s, while consuming a minimum of energy. This improved solution could significantly increase the performance and efficiency of solar installations, particularly in regions characterized by high levels of dust and sand, such as desert environments.