• Starts: 3:30 pm on Monday, August 27, 2018
Presenter: Cristian Morales Advisor: Malay Mazumder, ECE Committee: Mark Horenstein, ECE; Daniel Cole, ME Chair: TBD Abstract: The electrodynamic screen (EDS) is a technology being developed to clean dust off the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and concentrating solar power collectors using no water and a minimum of power. The EDS is a series of conductive electrodes embedded between two thin dielectric layers, where voltages applied across the electrodes create a patterned electric field which directs the motion of the charged dust particles off the EDS surface. In this thesis, a computer model of the EDS system is created using COMSOL Multiphysics to model the voltages applied across the electrodes and the resulting electric fields. The results of this electrostatics modeling work are then used by the model to simulate the trajectories of the charged dust particles as they move through the system. This particle tracing model is validated using experimental data from high-speed camera trials and performance data for different EDS designs. Finally, the ability to further develop this model for EDS design optimization is discussed.
Location:
PHO404