Hochschule Mittweida
Abstract:
The soiling of photovoltaic modules by dust, sand, and other deposits can lead to severely reduced yield,
depending on the installation site. Especially in sandy regions like Spain or even in desert regions, the
constant cleaning of solar modules is therefore indispensable. Usually, manual cleaning is used, which
requires personnel, or cleaning robots, which must be installed and maintained. In addition, the regular
cleaning of the module surface with brushes can cause damage to the module surface. The cleaning of
photovoltaic modules with induced structure-borne sound circumvents these disadvantages. By attaching
one or more structure-borne sound exciters to a module, an autonomous cleaning system is created. The
targeted excitation of various resonances allows soiling to be removed from the photovoltaic module, thus
preserving its efficiency over time.
This paper describes the cleaning process in more detail and presents measurement results, considering
different module tilt angles and soiling types. It discusses how vibroacoustic measurements can be used to
identify suitable excitation points as well as excitation signals that guarantee successful cleaning. In addition,
possible application scenarios and risks of the proposed cleaning approach are considered.