An active self-cleaning surface system for photovoltaic modules using anisotropic ratchet conveyors and mechanical vibration.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this work is to develop an active self-cleaning system that removes contaminants from a solar module surface by means of an automatic, water-saving, and labor-free process. The output efficiency of a solar module can be degraded over time by dust accumulation on top of the cover glass, which is often referred to as "soiling". This paper focuses on creating an active self-cleaning surface system using a combination of microsized features and mechanical vibration. The features, which are termed anisotropic ratchet conveyors (ARCs), consist of hydrophilic curved rungs on a hydrophobic background. Two different ARC systems have been designed and fabricated with self-assembled monolayer (SAM) silane and fluoropolymer thin film (Cytop). Fabrication processes were established to fa

SUBMITTER: Sun D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8433153 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature