Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine January/February 2022 - 39

INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: ADVANCES IN SPRAY EQUIPMENT
Researchers Develop Snow-Resistant Coating
For Solar Panels
Snow-resistant solar panels have been developed by
researchers using a spray-on coating. The University
of Michigan has exhibited a transparent covering that
decreases the buildup of snow and ice on solar-panels. The
coating is mostly composed of PVC or PDMS plastic, as well
as silicon or vegetable-based oils. It can be applied with a
spray or a brush in cold weather, and the current version of
the product can prevent snow and ice from accumulating
for up to a year.
" Renewable energy is really taking off right now, but snow
is a huge problem in northern climates, " observed Anish
Tuteja, a professor of materials science and engineering
at the University of Michigan. " Solar panels might lose 80
or 90 percent of their generating capacity in the winter. So,
figuring out a way for them to continue generating energy
throughout the year was an exciting challenge. "
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and the
University of Alaska worked together to carry out the study.
" Ice is relatively dense and heavy, and our previous coatings
used its weight against it. But snow can be ten times less
dense than ice, so we weren't at all certain that the tricks
we use on ice would translate to snow. "
Both low interfacial toughness and low adhesion
strength, two critical features that have previously been
used to power ice-shedding coatings, were used by the
researchers in this study. When applied to small areas, low
surface adhesion is effective, but it takes more energy to
remove snow and ice from larger surfaces. Low interfacial
toughness allows for the formation of fissures between the
ice and the panel, which propagate with the ice regardless
of its size, resulting in the shattering of the ice and the
removal of snow. As a result, the team has concentrated on
balancing the two in order to offer snow and ice repellence
on both small and big surfaces with accuracy.
The material was tested on a solar field in Fairbanks,
Alaska, by scientists from the University of Michigan and
the University of Alaska, who applied the coatings to a
subset of panels that were watched by automated cameras
for around two weeks. It was discovered via testing that
coated panels had an average snow and ice covering of
approximately 28 percent over the course of a full winter
season, whereas uncoated panels only had an average snow
and ice coverage of approximately 59 percent. Although the
coating is still being modified, the team hopes to build a
covering that will last at least five years in the future.
It was created as part of a project led by Sandia National
Laboratories, a research and development centre for the
U.S. Department of Energy, with funding provided by the
Department's Solar Energy Technologies Office. The study
can be found in Advanced Materials Technologies.
January/February 2022
39
Other researchers involved in the project included
Abhishek Dhyani, a former University of Michigan
materials science and engineering graduate
researcher, Christopher Pike and Erin Whitney from the
Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University
of Alaska, and Jennifer Braid from the Photovoltaics
and Materials Technology Department of Sandia
National Laboratories, as well as Abhishek Dhyani, a
former University of Michigan materials science and
engineering graduate researcher.
Sprayworks Acquires Trail Sprayer
& Service
SprayWorks Equipment Group, a manufacturer of spray
foam and coatings equipment, recently announced
that it had finalized the acquisition of Trail Sprayer
& Service, LLC. Trail Sprayer & Service is a coating
equipment and repair firm that provides repairs and
distributes goods for Graco, Titan, TriTech, and MiTM.
SprayWorks Equipment will continue to serve
its clients from its recently constructed facility.
SprayWorks highlighted that the purchase came just
a few months after the company's relocation to a new
site and the completion of a fabrication expansion
that more than quadrupled the company's operating
workspace.
" Trail Sprayer is a great addition to a muchneeded
product line for our customers, " SprayWorks
Equipment Group partner Jim Davidson stated. " With
the addition of Trail Sprayer to our already expansive
products, we can now offer products and service for
coating pumps, spray guns, roofing equipment, hoses,
and more. "
SprayWorks will be relocating to a new, more
extensive facility in Kent, Ohio. SprayWorks
representatives say that the new facility, which officially
opens its doors on March 29, can better accommodate
the company's expanding demands.
Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine January/February 2022

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