Researchers at Brigham Young University are developing extreme water-proofing that could help keep solar panels cleaner.
The researchers have been creating surfaces with a microscopic pattern of microscopic ridges or posts, combined with a water repellent coating. Some of the inspiration has been drawn from nature; such as the Lotus leaf that displays incredible water repelling attributes.
The technology could be used to create solar panels that don’t get dirty or can self-clean when water rolls off of them. While solar panels currently available have self cleaning properties, a super-hydrophobic surface could be particularly advantageous in installation scenarios where the panels are installed at a reduced angle or in environments where airborne pollutants are particularly prevalent.
Super-hydrophobic surfaces can even be applied to “dirty energy” applications. Power plant condensers fitted with super-hydrophobic surfaces would be more time and cost efficient the researchers say.
In domestic applications, these surfaces could be used in showers, bathtubs and toilets to prevent the forming of stains caused by hard water.
“Our research is geared toward helping to create the ideal super-hydrophobic surface,” says mechanical engineering professor Julie Crockett. “By characterizing the specific properties of these different surfaces, we can better pinpoint which types of surfaces are most advantageous for each application.”
“They can improve the ability to convert solar energy to electricity by always maintaining pristine glass surfaces that protect the photovoltaic cells,” says Dan Maynes, BYU Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
The researchers’ findings have been published in journal Physics of Fluids.
Other recent solar related research occurring at Brigham Young University Brigham includes the designing of a solar array for NASA that can be tightly compacted for launch and then unfurled for use once in space – “origami solar panels”
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