scholarly journals Accurate and Cost-Effective Micro Sun Sensor based on CMOS Black Sun Effect

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashid Saleem ◽  
Sukhan Lee

An accurate and cost-effective micro sun sensor based on the extraction of the sun vector using a phenomenon called the “black sun” is presented. Unlike conventional image-based sun sensors where there is difficulty in accurately detecting the sun center, the black sun effect allows the sun center to be accurately extracted even with the sun image appearing irregular and noisy due to glare. This allows the proposed micro sun sensor to achieve high accuracy even when a 1 mm × 1 mm CMOS image sensor with a resolution of 250 × 250 pixels is used. The proposed micro sun sensor is implemented in two application modes: (1) a stationary mode targeted at tracking the sun for heliostats or solar panels with a fixed pose of single image sensor of 1 mm × 1 mm × 1.74 mm in size and (2) a non-stationary mode targeted at determining the orientation of moving platforms with six sensors on the platform, which is configured in an icosahedron geometry of 23 mm × 23 mm × 12 mm in size. For the stationary mode, we obtained an accuracy of 0.013° by applying Kalman filter to the sun sensor measurement for a particular sensor orientation. For the non-stationary mode, we obtained an improved accuracy of 0.05° by fusing the measurements from three sun sensors available at any instant of time. Furthermore, experiments indicate that the black sun effect makes the precision of sun vector extraction independent of the sun location captured on the image plane.

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-42
Author(s):  
Yerkebulan Nurgizat

Nanosatellite (NS) began to perform complex missions that require high orientation. In this research, we developed a mathematical model of solar sensors to determine the orientation of a NS. Various moments of obtaining the angle of the sun's rays when they hit the solar sensors were presented. The test results of the solar sensors used to simulate various orbit scenarios are described in detail, and graphs of the solar sensor readings are plotted based on the results obtained. The article deals with modeling the motion of a NS in orbit. The NS is equipped with 6 solar panels. The VTS software was used to simulate the motion of the NS. Also, in the study of determining the orientation, two different problems were considered, that is, when the satellite is in the shadow part of the earth and when it is in the solar part of the earth. For these tasks, a mathematical model for determining the orientation was built. This method is very relevant for the study of small spacecraft.


2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Shafiqul Islam ◽  
Md. Rakibul Hasan ◽  
Fariba Mohammadi ◽  
Antara Majumdar ◽  
Ali Ahmad

In today’s world with the increasing population, the world's energy needs are growing steadily andthe crisis for power is also increasing. All the conventional sources of energy like gas, coal, oil etc are limited.In this situation, the need for establishing a renewable energy source as an alternative energy generation systemhas become very important for sustainable energy security of the country. Among various renewable energysources, solar energy comprises a large portion. The solar energy captivated by Earth’s atmosphere, oceansand land is about 385000 EJ[1]. But only less than 1% of useful energy comes from solar power [2]. Thisstatistics shows that, the sun shine produces 35000 times more power on earth than the daily power productionusing solar energy. Thus the earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in awhole year.[3] The conversion of sunlight into electricity using solar cells system (10-14%) is worthwhile way ofproducing this alternative energy. Bangladesh receives strong sunshine throughout the whole year (3.8-6.42Kw-hr/m2) and it has been found that the average sunshine hours are 6.69, 6.16 and 4.81in winter, summer andmonsoon, respectively.[4] Bangladesh is also adopting means to use solar energy day by day. Many privateCompanies in Bangladesh import solar panels from abroad and sell them into the country. The approximatecost for importing readymade panels varies from 90-98 BDT per Wp. There are some companies which importsolar cells from foreign countries and assemble them into panels. The average cost for importing cells isapproximately 41-57 BDT per Wp. The cost of assembled panels from imported cells is approximately 78-84BDT per Wp. From the analysis it is found that, the cost of a locally produced PV panel is 10 percent lower thanimported ones [5] because of 60% cost incurs for producing cells from raw materials. Although solar panels arebeing produced in Bangladesh, till now solar cells have not been fabricated yet. In Bangladesh for the first time‘Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC)’ is going to set up a laboratory to fabricate crystalline solarcells. It is anticipated that producing cells from raw materials locally and then assembling them into PV panelswill reduce the cost almost 30%. This paper explores how fabricating crystalline solar cells locally isanticipated to reduce cost of solar panels. If the cost effective technology could be made familiar in Bangladeshthen it would help in solving our power crisis in a great deal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jme.v42i1.15934


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4905
Author(s):  
Angel Porras-Hermoso ◽  
Daniel Alfonso-Corcuera ◽  
Javier Piqueras ◽  
Elena Roibás-Millán ◽  
Javier Cubas ◽  
...  

This paper presents the development of the UPMSat-2 sun sensor, from the design to on-orbit operation. It also includes the testing of the instrument, one of the most important tasks that needs to be performed to operate a sensor with precision. The UPMSat-2 solar sensor has been designed, tested, and manufactured at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) using 3D printing and COTS (photodiodes). The work described in this paper was carried out by students and teachers of the Master in Space Systems (Máster Universitario en Sistemas Espaciales—MUSE). The solar sensor is composed of six photodiodes that are divided into two sets; each set is held and oriented on the satellite by its corresponding support printed in Delrin. The paper describes the choice of components, the electrical diagram, and the manufacture of the supports. The methodology followed to obtain the response curve of each photodiode is simple and inexpensive, as it requires a limited number of instruments and tools. The selected irradiance source was a set of red LEDs and halogen instead of an AM0 spectrum irradiance simulator. Some early results from the UPMSat-2 mission have been analyzed in the present paper. Data from magnetometers and the attitude control system have been used to validate the data obtained from the sun sensor. The results indicate a good performance of the sensors during flight, in accordance with the data from the ground tests.


2013 ◽  
Vol 321-324 ◽  
pp. 1138-1144
Author(s):  
Chao Liu ◽  
Jing Hui

Based on analyzing the development and the performance feature of existing solar tracker, we propose a solar Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) strategy which combines photoelectric sensor and image processing. Firstly, photoelectric tracking mode positions the sun in the field of view of the image sensor. Then, the position of the sun image is captured by the image sensor. After that, we can find the coordinates of the sun spot in the field of view through image binarization processing. According to the number of steps of stepper motor rotation which is calculated by the deviation of coordinates, the controller drives the biaxial photosensitive (PV) array tracking device, making the sun spot always fall in the centre of the image. Tests show that the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the tracking range of the photovoltaic array are both 0~270°.The average tracking error of elevation angle is less than 0.7°, and the average tracking error of azimuth angle is less than 0.5°.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indra Riyanto

This paper will discuss about the design of a portable photo voltaic electric generator capable of tracking sunlight in all directions. Such power generator is designed for disaster affected area with power outage, such as during major floods like Jakarta in 2012, or strong earthquake such as Yogyakarta in 2006 and Japan in 2011 (Tohoku) and 2016 (Kumamoto). Such occurence usually results in disruptions of public service, especially power grids. The system consists of a 10 Wp PV solar panels capable in two axes movement, which is 120° horizontal and 360° azimuth movement with ATMega8535 micro controller as the main controller. Two-axis movement is based on two types of sensors, 360° directional movement is based on the HMC5883 compass sensor. This compass sensor panel also be configured to always directs towards the sun so that if the direction of the base plate was changed, it will automatically direct the panel to the direction of the sun. While 120° vertical movement based on three pieces of LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) as sun sensors. The purpose of this system is to maximize the amount of light received by the panel so the panel power output is also maximized so it can generate emergency electrical supply for lighting and other basic needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
M Barkah Salim ◽  
Nurlaila Rajabiah

The sun is a source of energy that cannot be used up. Therefore, the utilization of solar energy must be a priority. With the many types of solar panels that have been developed, researchers conducted an analysis of 150 watt monocrystalline solar panels. The purpose of this study is to know the amount of current and voltage produced by solar panels in some conditions of the sky, namely cloudy, bright cloudy, and bright. The research method used was the experiment. From the data that has been obtained, it can be found that the energy produced by solar panels during cloudy ranges from 0.6-0.8 amperes, when it is cloudy, 0.9-1.9 amperes, and when bright 2.0-3.2 amperes. The amount of electrical energy that can be produced is 8%. However, if the sunny state can produce twice that Suggestions for readers are if you want to take data to make sure the solar panels are completely exposed to the sun during data collection and in the open area. Much better if the angle is adjusted in the direction of sunlight.


Author(s):  
Michael H. Fox

Renewable energy from the sun—which includes solar, wind, and water energy— can meet all of our energy needs and will allow us to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity production. At least, that is the “Siren song” that seduces many people. Amory Lovins, the head of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has been one of the strongest proponents of getting all of our energy from renewable sources (what he calls “soft energy paths”) (1) and one of the most vociferous opponents of nuclear power. A recent article in Scientific American proposes that the entire world’s needs for power can be supplied by wind, solar, and water (2). Is this truly the nirvana of unlimited and pollution-free energy? Can we have our cake and eat it, too? Let’s take a critical look at the issues surrounding solar and wind power. Let me be clear that I am a proponent of solar energy. I built a mountain cabin a few years ago that is entirely off the grid. All of the electricity comes from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with battery storage. The 24 volt DC is converted to AC with an inverter and is fed into a conventional electrical panel. It provides enough energy to power the lights, run a 240 volt, three-quarter horsepower water pump 320 feet deep in the well, and electrical appliances such as a coffee pot, toaster, and vacuum cleaner. But I am not implying that all of my energy needs come from solar. The big energy hogs—kitchen range, hot water heater, and a stove in the bedroom—are all powered with propane. Solar is not adequate to power these appliances. In 2010 I also had a 2.5 kW solar PV system installed on my house that ties into the utility grid. When the sun is shining, I use the electricity from the solar panels, and if I use less than I generate, it goes out on the grid to other users. If it does not produce enough for my needs, then I buy electricity from the grid.


2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1002B5
Author(s):  
Masahiro Kobayashi ◽  
Masanobu Ohmura ◽  
Hidekazu Takahashi ◽  
Takahiro Shirai ◽  
Katsuhito Sakurai ◽  
...  

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cao ◽  
Esangbedo ◽  
Bai ◽  
Esangbedo

Selection of the most appropriate contractor for the installation of solar panels is essential to maximizing the benefit of this renewable, sustainable energy source. Solar energy is one of the 100% renewable energy sources, but implementation may not be very simple and cost-effective. A key phase in the implementation of renewable energy is the evaluation of contractors for the installation of solar panels, which is addressed as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. A new hybrid method is proposed that combines the stepwise weight analysis ratio assessment (SWARA) and full consistent method (FUCOM) weights that are represented as grey numbers used with traditional grey relational analysis (GRA) and evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) methods. The ranking of contractors by both methods is the same, which confirmed the results presented in this research. The use of the grey SWARA-FUCOM weighting method combined with the GRA and EDAS methods increased the decision-makers’ (DMs) confidence in awarding the installation of the solar panel energy system to the top-ranked contractor.


Robotica ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 909-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Gallardo-Alvarado ◽  
Horacio Orozco-Mendoza ◽  
José M. Rico-Martínez

SUMMARYIn this work a new nonoverconstrained redundant decoupled robot, free of compound joints, formed from three parallel manipulators, with two moving platforms and provided with six active limbs connected to the fixed platform, called LinceJJP, is presented. Interesting applications such as multi-axis machine tools with parallel kinematic architectures, solar panels, radar antennas, and telescopes are available for this novel spatial mechanism.


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