US 12,438,499 B1
Photovoltaic array cleaning system
Abdullah Saeed Almarfoie, Dhahran (SA); Abdullah Thagib Alshalan, Dhahran (SA); Fahad Abdulaziz Alsulaiman, Dhahran (SA); and Amir Al-Ahmed, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/246,611.
Application 19/246,611 is a continuation of application No. 18/622,623, filed on Mar. 29, 2024, granted, now 12,355,397.
Claims priority of application No. 1020241377 (SA), filed on Mar. 15, 2024.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02S 40/10 (2014.01); B08B 6/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02S 40/10 (2014.12) [B08B 6/00 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photovoltaic array cleaning system, comprising:
a photovoltaic array mounted on a top surface of a base, wherein the photovoltaic array comprises a plurality of photovoltaic segments arranged in parallel;
a rotor arranged along a central axis of a bottom surface of the base such that the rotor is aligned with a central axis of each photovoltaic segment of the plurality of photovoltaic segments;
wherein the rotor is configured to turn the base between a first position and a second position, wherein in the second position, a front surface of the photovoltaic array is at an angle of at least 105 degrees from the first position;
a motor configured to drive the rotor;
a support structure comprising a set of supporting legs, wherein the base is mounted on the support structure;
a cleaning unit configured to remove particles from the front surface of the photovoltaic array, wherein the cleaning unit comprises:
an upper track, a lower track, and a cleaning device,
wherein the upper track is parallel to a top edge of the photovoltaic array, the lower track is parallel to a bottom edge of the photovoltaic array, and both the upper track and the lower track are coplanar with the photovoltaic array;
wherein the cleaning device has a top end and a bottom end, the top end connected to the upper track and the bottom end connected to the lower track;
wherein the cleaning device is encased in a half cylindrical box with an opening configured to expose the cleaning device;
wherein in the first position of the photovoltaic array, the cleaning device is positioned in at least one of a first edge and a second edge of the photovoltaic array;
wherein the cleaning device is
a compressed air spray device configured to blow particles on the front surface of the photovoltaic array, wherein the compressed air spray device comprises a plurality of nozzles spaced to distribute compressed air across the breadth of the front surface of the photovoltaic array and the upper and lower tracks;
wherein the cleaning unit is further configured to function when the photovoltaic array is in the second position; and
wherein the photovoltaic array is configured to supply power to the vacuum device and the compressed air spray device.