US 12,269,071 B2
Systems and methods for self-cleaning solar panels using an electrodynamic shield
Alexander Orlov, Smithtown, NY (US); Shrish Patel, Maharashtra (IN); and James F. Smith, Lake Wylie, SC (US)
Assigned to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, Albany, NY (US)
Appl. No. 16/646,193
Filed by The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, Albany, NY (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 11, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/050321
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 11, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/051438, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/557,070, filed on Sep. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0276621 A1, Sep. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. B08B 6/00 (2006.01); B08B 17/06 (2006.01); B60S 1/02 (2006.01); B60S 1/56 (2006.01); B60S 1/62 (2006.01); H01L 31/048 (2014.01); H02S 40/10 (2014.01)
CPC B08B 6/00 (2013.01) [B08B 17/06 (2013.01); B60S 1/02 (2013.01); B60S 1/56 (2013.01); B60S 1/62 (2013.01); H01L 31/0488 (2013.01); H02S 40/10 (2014.12)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for self-cleaning a surface of an object, comprising:
an electrodynamic shield mounted to the surface of the object, the electrodynamic shield including one or more sets of electrodes atop a substrate, the at least one or more sets of electrodes covered in a protective film, and a coating applied to a top surface of the protective film; and
a pulse signal generator having a microcontroller controlling the one or more sets of electrodes, wherein the pulse signal generator generates a pulse signal that causes the one or more sets of electrodes to generate an electric field, wherein the pulse signal comprises a plurality of different pulse signals having phase differences between consecutive signals, wherein the electric field causes a particle atop the coating to experience an electrostatic force and be repelled away from the coating, wherein the pulse generator is configured to dynamically adjust at least one of an amplitude or a frequency of the pulse signal determined by at least one of a size of the particle, a chemical composition of the particle, or a surface charge density of the particle,
wherein the pulse signal generator is configured to generate a first vector force component directed along an X axis and a second vector force component directed along a Y axis, the first and second vector force components operating in conjunction with a gravitational force acting on the particle move the particle along a trajectory and off the electrodynamic shield, and
wherein each electrode of the one or more sets of electrodes is controlled by a respective pair of power switching transistors connected in parallel with the electrode, a first transistor of the pair of transistors connected to a positive voltage output of a power supply and switching a positive voltage to the electrode and a second transistor of the pair of transistors connected to a negative voltage output of the power supply and switching a negative voltage to the electrode, the pair of power switching transistors being controlled by the pulse signal generator.