SAMM

Automatic cleaning system for variable-geometry central receiver plants

SAMM (Spanish acronym of AutomaticMobile System for Maintenance) is a new automatic cleaning system able to achieve a significant reduction in water and time consumption, will be installed. This system is based in the common “car wash tunnel” approach, on which the cleaning is performed using roller brushes and pressurized water. Basically, the system is an elevated platform through which a heliostat passes in stow position (zenith position). During this movement the reflective surface is cleaned using a set of smooth roller brushes and a net of water nozzles. The dirty water is collected through two tilted trays positioned under the heliostat structure allowing to recover most of the used water. Once the platform is situated, the operation of the cleaning system is automatic and can be controlled remotely.