TITLE:
Design of a Robotic System for Cleaning Solar Panels in Benin
AUTHORS:
Stanislas Arthur Oladele Sanya, Mickael Houngbedji, Max Fréjus Owolabi Sanya, Djidjoho Christian Akowanou
KEYWORDS:
Solar Photovoltaic, Cleaning Robots, Solar Modules, DC Motor, Water Pump
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.15 No.4,
April
14,
2025
ABSTRACT: To get the most out of your photovoltaic solar modules, it’s essential to clean them to enable them to capture sunlight and produce electricity efficiently. Several solar module cleaning solutions have been developed, but the most recent are solar panel cleaning robots. With this in mind, a robot has been designed, an estimated total cost of 300,000 CFA francs, to optimize the cleaning of photovoltaic solar modules in Benin. The robot is an automated guided vehicle fitted with a roller brush at the front, rotated by a small DC motor. The robot has four (04) wheels coupled to four (04) DC motors, and moves over the PV modules without any risk of damaging them, thanks to the rubber tracks mounted on the wheels to protect them. An infrared remote control activates and moves the robot, rotating the roller brush and sending water through a 12 V mini water pump just before the robot passes over, for optimum cleaning of the photovoltaic solar modules. The system is equipped with a 12 V battery that is progressively charged by a small solar panel attached to the robot, making it self-sufficient. What’s more, there’s no risk of damaging or scratching the photovoltaic panels during cleaning. What’s more, the robot is easily recyclable, offering greater protection for the environment.