Spray-on steady-state study of multi-rotor cleaning unmanned aerial vehicle in operation of photovoltaic power station

Abstract

By 2024, the photovoltaic industry will have solidified its position as a strategic emerging industry in China. Photovoltaic power stations are deploying solar photovoltaic panels extensively, necessitating the utmost maintenance of their cleanliness and the implementation of dust removal measures in these areas. This is crucial in minimizing the loss of light energy conversion, thus enhancing the overall efficiency of the solar energy system. Through the experimental methods of dynamic and static spraying cleaning, as well as numerical simulations based on the internal and external flow fields of spraying, the impacts of the dynamic and static behaviors, flight height, mission speed, and spraying flow rate of the multi-rotor cleaning drone on cleaning effectiveness are studied. The results indicate that the jet model of the external flow field of the drone has an incoming flow velocity of 4 m/s and a spraying flow rate of 1.7 L/min. The spraying model with a maximum pressure of 82.717 Pa in the internal flow field demonstrates stable fluid behavior and achieves a good level of spraying stability. The validation of dynamic and static spraying experiments confirmed that the optimal recommended height for accurate spraying and cleaning using the drone system is 3.0 m. The dynamic tests demonstrated that the lower height of 3.0 m also provides the most suitable spraying path, reaching 2.2 m at a speed of 0.5 m/s.Operation behaviour was assessed under three different situations ，an area of approximately 2095.2 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the Gobi Desert, 375 m2 of photovoltaic panels modules on the water surface and 875 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the multifunctional plant.Compare the spray cleaning of above areas with other forms of cleaning, this technique looks very competitive, such as manual operations.