Researchers at the university of the Netherlands institute of PSV eindhoven and has developed a kind of thin film material, the material, under direct sunlight can spontaneously for rules to vibrate. If on the solar panel plating a layer of the membrane material, it can shake off the attached on the front panel of dust and sand, so as to improve the efficiency of solar power.

Both photovoltaic and concentrated power, large-scale solar power projects are built in the desert and wilderness lit and sparsely populated areas. However, these places are always more sand, the wind sand, dust, will cover above the solar panels, reducing power generation efficiency, so the solar panel always need not manual clean-up on a regular basis. But, this kind of situation is likely to change!

Researchers at the university of the Netherlands institute of PSV eindhoven and has developed a kind of thin film material, the material, under direct sunlight can spontaneously for rules to vibrate. If on the solar panel plating a layer of the membrane material, it can shake off the attached on the front panel of dust and sand, so as to improve the efficiency of solar power.

The research background

In fact, under the sun light, the material can be spontaneous vibration response, the in the material world was not new. However, has been found that these materials, often in high intensity ultraviolet light is needed to vibrate.

Researchers first need to will the sun beam separation, and then keep ultraviolet (uv) to test. Under high intensity ultraviolet irradiation, while materials can also occur vibration response, but soon was damaged, so the previous these studies always can't out of the laboratory stage, let alone actual widespread promotion and popularization.

Thin film materials vibration principle

The film is composed of polymers, the researchers implanted in the film called azo dye (photosensitive azo dyes) molecules. Material is different, strange is that light-sensitive molecules need not be filtered ultraviolet ray, under normal solar light, vibration response can occur.

As to why there was shock response, because of the reason is complex, involving many aspects, the researchers also unable to provide detailed and specific reason, is only a preliminary think light-sensitive molecules in the sun's rays in blue light and green light under the irradiation of shock. It is well known that the sun's rays is made up of seven colors, blue and green are just two of the common color.

The application prospect of

Researchers at the university of institute of PSV MichaelDebije told reporters: "this is a new type of material. Light-sensitive molecules in the light under the influence of bending, stretching, can provide solar panels self-purification ability, since neither sand, dust, it is difficult to stay on the surface of the material that kept shaking."

In addition to the field of solar power, the researchers hope to rely on the special properties of the material, attract more researchers involved, to enlarge its application scope. To this end, researchers recorded the video on YouTube, for everybody to learn, reference and reference.