Self-powered directional dust removal via wind-driven phase-controlled TENG for solar panel maintenance

Efficient solar energy production is significantly hindered by dust accumulation, which severely reduces the performance of solar panels. To overcome this issue, we developed a phase-controlled, wind-driven 3-phase rotational triboelectric nanogenerator (RTENG) integrated with an electrodynamic screen (EDS) for self-powered, unidirectional dust removal. The RTENG generates high-voltage alternating current (AC) without the need for external power sources and uses a precisely phase-controlled 3-phase electrode configuration to produce a traveling electric field that drives dust particles in a single direction. This configuration enhances dust removal efficiency, particularly at low panel inclination angles. The phase-controlled 3-phase RTENG-EDS system achieved dust removal efficiencies of up to 83.48 % based on weight and 62.38 % based on surface coverage, outperforming conventional 1-phase systems by factors of 1.6 and 1.13, respectively. Furthermore, the system maintained high performance across various wind speeds and panel inclination angles. These results underscore the effectiveness of phase-controlled 3-phase RTENG technology in advancing self-powered solar panel cleaning systems and enhancing the overall efficiency of solar energy harvesting.