scholarly journals Analysis and Design of IoT-Enabled, Low-Cost Distributed Angle Measurement System

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Rowida Meligy ◽  
Imanol Picallo ◽  
Hicham Klaina ◽  
Peio Lopez-Iturri ◽  
José Javier Astrain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Angle Measurement ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maximum Output ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Cloud Infrastructure ◽  
Analysis And Design

A Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR) is a recent technology with good potential in small-scale solar power applications. It is composed of many long rows of mirrors that focus the sunlight onto a fixed elevated tubular receiver. Mirror segments are aligned horizontally and track the sun such that the receiver does not need to be moved. The efficiency with which the LFR can convert solar to thermal energy depends on the accuracy of the sun tracking system. To maximize the degree of sunlight capture, precise solar tracking is needed so that incident solar rays can be adequately focused to the focal point given by the location of the tubular receiver. The tilt angles of each row are relevant for the tracking controller to achieve correct positioning. Encoders are generally employed in closed-loop tracking systems as feedback signals used to inform the controller with the actual position of collector mirrors. Recently, inclinometers have begun to replace encoders as the most viable and cost-effective sensor technology solution; they offer simpler and more precise feedback, as they measure the angle of tilt with respect to gravity and provide the ability to adjust the system to the optimal angle for maximum output. This paper presents the research results on the development of remote measurements for the precise control of an LFR tracking system, by using distributed angle measurements. The applied methodology enables precision measurement LFR inclination angles through the fusion of data from multiple accelerometers, supported by low-cost wireless transceivers in a wireless sensor network, capable of exchanging information in a cloud infrastructure.

Posture determination by using flex sensor and image analysis technique

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Beyaz
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Angle Measurement ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Image Analysis Technique ◽  
Angle Change ◽  
Voltage Output ◽  
Analysis Technique

In the sense of safety, searching solutions for the problems of farmers may face during their work in the field of agriculture is important. For this reason, in this research, developments in sensor technology and price declines are also considering, a safety tracking system with an audible warning support developed for any threshold value that selected during a posture angle measure of agricultural work. To achieve this goal the low cost, 11.25 cm long flex sensor is used with Arduino UNO R3 Development Board. In this way, human motion information for different purposes determined with flex sensors which placed on the various joints as a biometric application. Posture measurement also evaluated with image analysis technique. The system performance revealed the relationship between flex sensor and image analysis measurements, the regression coefficient between the angle change and the voltage output of the flex sensor found as 88.9 %, also it is seen that the regression relation between the angle change and the voltage output of the flex sensor fort he arm angle measurement is 80.7 % and the regression value for the leg angle measurement is 79.9 %.

scholarly journals A Low-Cost Closed-Loop Solar Tracking System Based on the Sun Position Algorithm

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury ◽  
Amith Khandakar ◽  
Belayat Hossain ◽  
Rayaan Abouhasera
Keyword(s):  
Closed Loop ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Solar Panel ◽  
Optical Tracking ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Position Measurement ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Solar Position

Sun position and the optimum inclination of a solar panel to the sun vary over time throughout the day. A simple but accurate solar position measurement system is essential for maximizing the output power from a solar panel in order to increase the panel efficiency while minimizing the system cost. Solar position can be measured either by a sensor (active/passive) or through the sun position monitoring algorithm. Sensor-based sun position measuring systems fail to measure the solar position in a cloudy or intermittent day, and they require precise installation and periodic calibrations. In contrast, the sun position algorithms use mathematical formula or astronomical data to obtain the station of the sun at a particular geographical location and time. A standalone low-cost but high-precision dual-axis closed-loop sun-tracking system using the sun position algorithm was implemented in an 8-bit microcontroller platform. The Astronomical Almanac’s (AA) algorithm was used for its simplicity, reliability, and fast computation capability of the solar position. Results revealed that incorporation of the sun position algorithm into a solar tracking system helps in outperforming the fixed system and optical tracking system by 13.9% and 2.1%, respectively. In summary, even for a small-scale solar tracking system, the algorithm-based closed-loop dual-axis tracking system can increase overall system efficiency.

scholarly journals A Low-Cost Motion Capture System for Small-Scale Wave Energy Device Tank Testing

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Paparella ◽  
Satja Sivcev ◽  
Daniel Toal ◽  
John V. Ringwood
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Motion Tracking ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Energy Device ◽  
Optical Motion ◽  
Optical Motion Tracking ◽  
Motion Tracking System

The measurement of the motion of a small-scale wave energy device during wave tank tests is important for the evaluation of its response to waves and the assessment of power production. Usually, the motion of a small-scale wave energy converter (WEC) is measured using an optical motion tracking system with high precision and sampling rate. However, the cost for an optical motion tracking system can be considerably high and, therefore, the overall cost for tank testing is increased. This paper proposes a low-cost capture system composed of an inertial measurement unit and ultrasound sensors. The measurements from the ultrasound sensors are combined optimally with the measurements from the inertial measurement unit through an extended Kalman filter (EKF) in order to obtain an accurate estimation of the motion of a WEC.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW-COST, HAND-HELD MULTI-SENSOR SYSTEM FOR THE MONITORING OF SMALL WATER BODIES

2021 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B1-2021 ◽  
pp. 93-96
Author(s):  
R. Blaskow ◽  
E. Schwalbe
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Sensor Platform ◽  
Measurement Principle ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Small Water Bodies

Abstract. For small-scale monitoring of small water bodies, conventional methods such as GNSS or total station measurements are used. The data acquisition is usually carried out in profile form supplemented with extra measurements of break edges, slope edges or bank courses. However, these methods can be used efficiently only on small sections and with low temporal resolution. At the same time, as the length of rivers or creeks to be monitored increases, the cost-effectiveness of the above methods decreases. Further limitations such as very small sections that are difficult to access and also sections that are sometimes heavily overgrown also prevent the use of large measuring platforms. By contrast, with use of a hand-held compact multi-sensor platform it is possible to survey several hundred kilometres of the smallest rivers and creeks. This publication demonstrates the use of such a platform to record micro-watersheds. For this purpose, the Creek4D project, the measurement principle and the sensor technology used are shown. In addition, first measurement data and the calibration strategy are shown.

Optical Analysis of a New Point Focus Fresnel Concentrator

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hany Al-Ansary ◽  
Shaker Alaqel ◽  
Eldwin Djajadiwinata ◽  
Abdullah Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Concentration Ratio ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Optical Performance ◽  
Optical Analysis ◽  
King Saud University ◽  
Stirling Engines ◽  
Current Design

This study describes preliminary optical analysis performed regarding a new collector called the Point Focus Fresnel Concentrator (PFFC). This collector combines the concepts of the linear Fresnel collector and central receiver systems to form a new concept of a focal point Fresnel concentrator with a dual-axis sun tracking system. It concentrates direct solar radiation using a number of flat mirrors positioned over a rotating frame. The frame tracks the sun in the azimuth direction, while each row of mirrors tracks the sun in the elevation direction, thereby allowing sunlight to be concentrated on the same point above the collector throughout the day. PFFC is considered suitable for a number of applications, such as power generation by concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) and Stirling engines, and process heat applications. In this study, the first attempt to characterize the optical performance of the collector is made. A prototype of the collector has already been built on the campus of King Saud University. It has a total footprint of 9 m2, and includes 900 mirrors, each of which is 7 cm × 7 cm. The receiver has a diameter of 10 cm. Optical performance is studied by ray tracing methods to obtain flux maps and intercept factors of the receiver. Results show that the average concentration ratio is in the order of 220 to 300 suns when mirrors with a 6-mrad optical error are used. For the same mirrors, the highest attainable average intercept factor (0.674) occurs in the winter due to the low particle loading in the atmosphere. When the optical error is reduced to 2 mrad, the average concentration ratio increases to 290 to 400 suns, and the average intercept factor increases to 0.892. In any case, if the current design of PFFC is to be used in conjunction with CPV, a secondary concentrator would be needed to achieve required concentration ratios in the order of 500 suns.

scholarly journals Optical Detection Methods for High-Throughput Fluorescent Droplet Microflow Cytometry

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
Kaiser Pärnamets ◽  
Tamas Pardy ◽  
Ants Koel ◽  
Toomas Rang ◽  
Ott Scheler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Fluorescent Microscopy ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Microscopy Techniques ◽  
Massive Parallelization

High-throughput microflow cytometry has become a focal point of research in recent years. In particular, droplet microflow cytometry (DMFC) enables the analysis of cells reacting to different stimuli in chemical isolation due to each droplet acting as an isolated microreactor. Furthermore, at high flow rates, the droplets allow massive parallelization, further increasing the throughput of droplets. However, this novel methodology poses unique challenges related to commonly used fluorometry and fluorescent microscopy techniques. We review the optical sensor technology and light sources applicable to DMFC, as well as analyze the challenges and advantages of each option, primarily focusing on electronics. An analysis of low-cost and/or sufficiently compact systems that can be incorporated into portable devices is also presented.

scholarly journals Design and Development of Low-Cost Solar Electricity Generation System with Heliostat to Ensure the Optimum Uses of Rated Capacity of Solar Cells

2020 ◽  
pp. 113-116
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Generation System ◽  
Solar Electricity

Almost all solar electricity generation systems are now operated with flat plate solar panels. These flat plate solar panels have a lot of expensive collector area although still deliver only low-grade temperature which is a boundless problem for assuring the optimum uses of the rated capacity of solar panels. Using heliostats can reduce this problem significantly. Heliostats consist of a single or a set of mirrors that track the sun’s position and reflect the sun rays into a central receiving point. With the movement of the sun, these mirrors are adjusted accordingly to track the sun to ensure the highest amount of sunlight reflected onto the same collection point. The system is cheaper than any other solar tracking system presently used in our country. This paper describes an improved design of a solar electricity generation system having a capacity of 1Wp with heliostats on an experimental basis. It will also demonstrate a comparison of a generation of a 1Wp solar system with and without heliostats. Successful outcomes of this experiment will lead us to implement the heliostats-based tracking system into the large-scale solar electricity generation systems.

scholarly journals Cyanobacteria net community production in the Baltic Sea as inferred from profiling <i>p</i>CO<sub>2</sub> measurements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Daniel Müller ◽  
Bernd Schneider ◽  
Ulf Gräwe ◽  
Peer Fietzek ◽  
Marcus Bo Wallin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Net Community Production ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Community Production

Abstract. Organic matter production by cyanobacteria blooms is a major environmental concern for the Baltic Sea as it promotes thespread of anoxic zones. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) measurements carried out on Ships of Opportunity (SOOP) since 2003 have proven to be a powerful tool to resolve the carbon dynamics of the blooms in space and time. However, SOOP measurements lack the possibility to directly constrain the depth–integrated net community production (NCP) due to their restriction to the sea surface. This study tackles the resulting knowledge gap through (1) providing a best–guess NCP estimatefor an individual cyanobacteria bloom based on repeated profiling measurements of pCO2 and (2) establishing an algorithm to accurately reconstruct depth–integrated NCP from surface pCO2 observations in combination with modelled temperature profiles. Goal (1) was achieved by deploying state–of–the–art sensor technology from a small–scale sailing vessel. The low–cost and flexible platform enabled observations covering an entire bloom event that occurred in July and August 2018 in the Eastern Gotland Sea. For the biogeochemical interpretation, recorded pCO2 profiles were converted to CT*, which is the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration normalised to alkalinity. We found that the investigated Nodularia–dominated bloom event had many biogeochemical characteristics in common with blooms in previous years. In particular, it lasted for about three weeks, caused a CT* drawdown of 80 μmol kg−1, and was accompanied by a sea surface temperature increase of 10 °C. The novel finding of this study is the vertical extension of the CT* drawdown up to 12 m water depth. Integration of the CT* drawdown across this depth and correction for vertical fluxes permit a best–guess NCP estimate of ~1.2 mol–C m−2. Addressing goal (2), we combined modelled hydrographical profiles with surface pCO2 observations recorded by SOOP Finnmaid within the study area. Introducing the temperature penetration depth (TPD) as a new parameter to integrate SOOP observations across depth, we achieve a reconstructed NCP estimate that agrees to the best–guess within 10 %. Applying the TPD approach to almost two decades of surface pCO2 observations available for the Baltic Sea bears the potential to provide new insights into the control and long–term trends of cyanobacteria NCP. This understanding is key for an effective design and monitoring of conservation measures aiming at a Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals PCM Heat Storage Charged with a Double-Reflector Solar System

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Amos Veremachi ◽  
Boaventura Chongo Cuamba ◽  
Azher Zia ◽  
Jorgen Lovseth ◽  
Ole Jorgen Nydal
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Latent Heat Storage ◽  
Solar Salt ◽  
Sunshine Hours ◽  
Direct Illumination ◽  
Change Material

A “Solar Salt” (NaNO3–KNO3 60 : 40 molar mixture) latent heat storage has been charged by direct solar illumination. Solar Salt as a Phase Change Material (PCM) can be an attractive small scale heat storage solution, as the melting temperature of about 220°C can be suitable for cooking purposes. The tests were made with a double-reflector setup. In this setup a secondary reflector positioned above the focal point of the primary reflector directs the rays onto a heat storage positioned below a hole in the primary reflector. The reflectors are tracking the sun, but the storage is stationary. The direct illumination of the absorber top plate during the tracking of the sun melted the salt in the storage through conducting fins. This is a system where portable heat batteries can be charged, during sunshine hours, and then provide heat for cooking during evening times.

scholarly journals Analysis and Design of a Photovoltaic Tracker System

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamen Milkov Yanev ◽  
Pran Mahindroo ◽  
Kelebaone Tsamaase
Keyword(s):  
Tracking System ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Robust Tracking Control ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Constant Change ◽  
Pv Modules ◽  
Irradiation Angle

The movement of the earth leads to constant change in the intensity and the angle of solar irradiation. As a consequence, the cells of photovoltaic (PV) modules are only able to convert a fraction of the light energy from the sun into electric energy. A tracking system constantly adapts the angle of PV modules to face the sun, so that the irradiation angle and the light intensity remain constant and a maximum of electrical energy can be generated. This not only helps to exploit every minute of sunshine but also to make the best use of diffuse light all year round. The aim of this research is to design a robust tracking control system that will point the PV modules to the brightest point in the sky. This objective is achieved by the design of a specialized robust controller and application of the D-partitioning analysis method.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document