Prayagraj,

24 Sept (HS): In a groundbreaking move, North Central Railway (NCR) in

continuation to its commitment towards Solar Mission which is a part of NET

ZERO mission of Indian Railways, successfully conducted a live demonstration of

drone-based solar panel cleaning technology on Wednesday. This pioneering

initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency,

maintenance & cost saving of solar energy systems installed all over North

Central Railway region.

The

demonstration for cleaning of Solar panels using drone technology was conducted

at Subedarganj Staion (SFG). This demo was organized by NCR HQ under the

guidance of Shri Yatendra Kumar, Principal Chief electrical Engineer/NCR &

Shri Pankaj Jaiswal, Chief Electrical Engineer/EEM and executed by their chief

technical assistant Shri Chandan Bhai Rawal, JE/Solar/NCR HQ. This

demonstration also witnessed the participation of senior railway officials of

Prayagraj division including Shri Akhilesh Kumar, Sr.DEE/G/PRYJ, Shri S.A.H.

Rizvi, Divisional Electrical Engineer/General & his field staff.

This particular drone which was used at

Subedarganj station had a tank of 10 litres of water storage. The drone

weighted approx. 19 kg without water. The drone uses 4 nozzles to throw water

at the target site. The drone is controlled through a satellite/GPS remote

controller/transmitter. This drone performs for 22 minutes after getting fully

charged. The demo was conducted at the Subedarganj railway station building and

shelter of platform No. 1 as visible in the images below.

This drone technology demo performed

satisfactory in relation to cleaning of solar panels. Although, some minor

changes in the design of drone is discussed and suggested with the Technical

team of the firm, so that the drones can become more user-friendly with respect

to Railway applications. The showcased drones are equipped with advanced

cleaning mechanisms that use minimal water and no chemicals, ensuring

eco-friendly maintenance of solar installations.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi