Self-cleaning solar panels and concentrators with transparent electrodynamic screens

摘要

A transparent electrodynamic screen (EDS) enables automatic removal of dust to protect and enhance performance of solar collectors and similar components. A pattern of transparent conductive electrodes are deposited over a glass or polymer outer surface of a solar collector, and embedded under a thin, transparent dielectric fluoropolymer film or silicon dioxide coating. When energized by three-phase voltages at frequencies in the range 5 to 20 Hz, the electrodes produce an oscillating electric field and a traveling electrodynamic wave that charges the particles on the surface and exerts coulomb and dielectrophoretic forces to lift the dust from the surface and transport it to an edge of the collector, thereby clearing the screen. The EDS can be incorporated in the collector in an integrated way during manufacture or retrofitted to existing conventional collectors.

主权项

1. A film assembly usable to self-remove particles of material deposited thereon, comprising:
a film of transparent material; and a set of elongated conductive electrodes carried by the film, the electrodes being configured to be connected to a source of electrical power and to generate an electric field across a surface of the film in response thereto, the electric field being of sufficient strength to remove the particles from the surface of the film by electrodynamic action, the electrodes being separated from adjacent portions of the film by a coating of a dielectric material having substantially higher dielectric strength than a dielectric strength of the film to protect against dielectric breakdown during operation.