Vibroacoustic Cleaning of Photovoltaic Modules Using Structure-Borne Sound Exciters

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.