Experimental study demonstrates high dust removal efficiency on solar panels using negative polarity saw-tooth electrodes, suggesting an effective waterless cleaning method.
Dust accumulation on photovoltaic panels significantly reduces energy output, especially in arid environments where traditional cleaning methods pose challenges such as water scarcity, abrasion risk, and labor demands. This study investigates the use of corona-induced ionic wind as a non-contact, waterless cleaning technique by analyzing the effects of electrode geometry and voltage polarity on discharge characteristics and airflow performance. Three electrode configurations—needle, blade, and saw-tooth—were experimentally evaluated under both positive and negative DC polarities. Key parameters such as corona current, ionic wind velocity, and cleaning efficiency were measured as functions of inter-electrode spacing, applied voltage, actuator speed, and panel inclination. Optimal cleaning was achieved at moderate panel inclinations (∼2°), voltages above 30 kV, and actuator speed of max 2 cm/s. Results reveal that the saw-tooth electrode under negative polarity produces the highest corona current and wind velocity, yielding superior cleaning performance with up to 97% dust removal efficiency.
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Benabboun et al. (2026) studied this question.
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