Design Proposal
Introduction
The Vibration Solar Panel Cleaner is a project with the purpose of being able to autonomously remove dust from solar panels. The focus of the project is its use on Mars where solar energy is an integral part of being able to colonize Mars but can easily be rendered useless due to blocking of the solar Panel. This project will need to be able to effectively and efficiently remove dust from the solar panel, attach to an already existing solar panel, and not take a lot of energy. The Vibration Solar Panel Cleaner is a project that would fall under Mechanical Engineering.
Objectives
The main object was to create something that would be attached to a solar panel and when powered be able to clean off simulated martian dust. There were multiple ideas for the cleaning mechanism. The first Idea was to use wind to blow the dust off then a brush and wiper was added to it then it was just the brush which eventually got scrapped due to the mechanism being too complex. That was the same problem with the other idea of having an electrode pass over the dust that would invoke a static charge that would repel the dust off the panel. The final Idea is to stick a motor on the back of the solar panel and vibrate the dust off. A restraint to this idea may be the environment that the project will be tested in. It will be hard to simulate martian conditions. So the main objectives will be a way to make something that can vrate dust off the solar panel and make a simulated martian environment.
Design Strategy
The design strategy to this will mostly be trials followed by fine tuning to increasingly improve on the same mechanism. The mechanism itself will be a motor that will be turned into something that will vibrate the solar panel. So an optimal position and place for the motor will need to be found.
Plan of Action
The first step will be to figure out a way to modify a motor to make it so it can vibrate a solar panel. The next step is to determine the best placement for the motor for the most efficient dust removal. The next step will be to find a way to get air conditions similar to Mars air conditions. The next step would be to find a mars like dust. The following step will be to figure out a consistent way to spread the dust along the dust panel for testing. Next, the motor will need a relay for when to turn on, when the energy being brought in by the panel is reduced drastically. The final step is to see if there is any room for improvement for the project and if so go back and test better solutions.
Testing Procedures
Testing the cleaner will require the right conditions and creating the imitation dust. With the purchase of talcum powder or baby powder the dust can be simulated.The motors sensor will turn on, and the motor will vibrate the dust off. By writing down and recording the times and amount of dust that comes off, a plan and system can be put into place. Considering how long the motor takes to remove the dust and how fast the motor has to go, the dust will be consistently removed.
Tolerance Analysis
The small motor, relay system and solar panel are the systems. To verify the results, testing will need to be done with the gathered evidence, to form a final time for cleaning of the panel. Once a consensus has been reached, the motor will be ready to go.
Cost Analysis
The motor was free, the panel was free, and the polyurethane was free. All together the cost would have been upwards of $250. The mod with the relay is a couple of bucks and the 3d printed items if needed, will be a couple bucks. In total our project costs around $250. The salary would be $50 an hour, which gives a total of $10,000 earned. (Assumed)
Schedule
August 24th - September 12th - Brainstorming
September 13th - September 21st Understanding the Criteria
September 22nd - October 6th Design Proposal
October 7th - November 1st Construction
November 3rd - November 26th
Bibliography:
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Gohd, C. (2018, October 3). Martian soil. Astronomy.com. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://astronomy.com/news/2018/10/learn-to-farm-on-mars-with-this-fake-martian-soil
David L. Chandler | MIT News Office. (n.d.). How to clean solar panels without water. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://news.mit.edu/2022/solar-panels-dust-magnets-0311
NASA. (n.d.). NASA GISS: Mars24 sunclock - technical notes on mars solar time. NASA. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/mars24/help/notes.html
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Space.com. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.space.com/16895-what-is-mars-made-of.html#:~:text=Dusty%20crust,%2C%20potassium%2C%20chloride%20and%20magnesium.