scholarly journals Development and Implementation of a Low-cost Automatic Dual-axis Solar Tracker through Hardware/Software Embedded Program Control

2021 ◽  
pp. 169-176
Author(s):  
Louis Tersoo Abiem ◽  
Clement Olufemi Akoshile ◽  
Taiye Benjamin Ajibola
Keyword(s):  
Embedded System ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Solar Declination ◽  
C Programming ◽  
Solar Tracker ◽  
Linear Actuators

A solar tracker is a system that is used for the mechanical orientation of solar payloads (collectors and photovoltaic panels) towards the sun. A simple, low-cost, but effective open-loop dual axis solar tracking system was developed in this work. The tracker is an embedded system that consists of a microcontroller integrated with other components in an electronic circuit to coordinate the activities of the circuit in driving out and in the motor shafts of electrically powered linear actuators used to move the payload. The work is divided into two parts: hardware and software. The hardware part consists of two movable (tilting and axial moving) rectangular frames fixed together and used to hold the payload and two electrically powered linear actuators (jacks) used to move the rectangular frames in the tilting and axial directions. The software part was a code written in the C programming language following an algorithm developed from measured parameters of the jacks and the sun’s position and embedded into a microcontroller. The testing of the dual-axis solar tracker was done by measuring a parabolic trough collector’s position with respect to the sun hour angles and solar declination angles and comparing the values with the calculated angles for two days. The results obtained showed that the tracker followed the sun with deviation of ±2o (percentage errors that ranged between 0.01% and 3.26%).

scholarly journals A New Design Arduino-Based Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Hashim Naif
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Hardware Design ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Solar Panel ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
C Programming ◽  
Solar Tracker ◽  
Two Stages

Green and clean energy depends meanly on the Solar energy, especially at urban area. This paper presents the Arduino-based new design of dual-axis solar tracking system with high-efficiency using through the use of five-point sunlight sensors. The main objective of this research is to convert the maximum sunlight to electrical power by auto movement of the solar panel. This research is divided into two stages, first stage related to hardware design and the second related to software development. In hardware design, five light dependent resistors (LDR) have been used for tracking light direction source. Two linear actuators have been used to move the solar panel towards the maximum light intensity direction by using LDR sensors. Moreover, the software is constructed using C++ programming language and uploaded to the Arduino UNO platform. The efficiency of the designed tracking system has been examined and compared with fixed and single axis solar tracker and results shows that the new system has better efficiency than the fixed or single axis  system.

scholarly journals Design and implementation of an automatically aligned solar tracking system

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 2055
Author(s):  
Anees Abu Sneineh ◽  
Wael A. Salah
Keyword(s):  
Closed Loop ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Photo Sensor ◽  
Wide Availability ◽  
Solar Tracker

This paper presents the design and implementation of a closed-loop solar tracker system. The demand for clean energy sources has increased along with the rising demand for electrical energy and the increasing amount of environment pollution triggered by fuel consumption. Among these sources, solar energy is considered the most feasible given its wide availability and easy operation in different environments. The main purpose of this study is to maximize the generated photovoltaic power and reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by designing an efficient and low-cost solar tracking system. An aligned closed-loop solar tracker is designed and constructed to achieve the best accuracy. The proposed system shows more freedom in its movement to overcome the problems associated with the tilt of the frame-holder. A PIC microcontroller based on the Flowcode programming language is used, the position feedback is detected by using a photo-sensor, and the H-Bridge driver is used to control two DC motors. According to the experimental results, the proposed system shows significant improvements in efficiency compared with stationary solar tracking systems.

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

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

scholarly journals Design PV Tracking System According to Efficiency in Function of Orientation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Ruelas ◽  
Benjamin Pusch ◽  
Flavio Muños ◽  
Juan Delfin ◽  
Francisco Javier Ochoa Estrella
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Availability ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Solar Tracker ◽  
Available Technology ◽  
And Control

This article proposes a new photovoltaic (PV) solar tracker design based on the advantage that installation latitude offers according to efficiency in function of orientation (EFO) of PVs. First, is described a methodology to let incorporate a low-precision, low-cost and high-availability solar tracking mechanism and control system. The design methodology considers the installation location (latitude and azimuth) as a starting point for establishing an adequate angular range of EFO, simultaneity the aspects of available technology and the knowledge accords to developer. Finally, the design technique is experimentally validated by the implementation of a solar tracker at latitude of 28&deg; longitude of 109&deg; and evaluates the efficiency on a specific day. According to result the feasibility of this type of solar tracker for latitudes close to or greater than 30&deg; is highlighted, given that this tracking system costs 30% less than traditional commercial systems as slew drive with its incorporation of lower-resolution azimuth tracking mechanisms. It also increases collection efficiency by 26%, just as continuous or time-based dual-axis solar trackers do, without the more complex controls and mechanisms of these designs.

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 Design and Programming of a Micro-Controller-Based Solar Tracking System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Sarkawt Jaafar ◽  
Farhad Muhsin Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Tracking System ◽  
Solar Panel ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Servo Motor ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Photo Sensor ◽  
Output Efficiency ◽  
Solar Tracker ◽  
Photo Voltaic ◽  
Two Sides

This paper is regarding design and program an Micro-controller Arduino Uno board by using Arduino software to work as a photo-sensor(Active) single axial solar tracker system(SASTS). A solar panel, two photo-resistors (LDR) in two sides (north/south) of the photo-voltaic(PV) and a servo motor are connected to the Uno board, which is running a code that prepared by Arduino software IDE in advanced then it works as a tracking system. Here, the LDRs send the signal of presence or absence of the light to the board and based on that sent signal the Uno reflects a new signal to the servo motor to rotate and finds the light source. Lastly, the photo-sensor single axis tracker is made while Continuously, the system tries to face the panel to the sun and whilst changing the irradiance intensity it starts searching to find the angle of highest irradiance. Based on results that are extracted from the data, the tracker system significantly boosts the output efficiency of the solar panel. By using the Micro-controller Uno board, LDRs, servo motor and special designed mechanical base, the tracking system is constructed, based on acquired data the influence of the STS on the increasing the solar panel efficiency is more obvious. Significantly, the tracker system rises the efficiency of the PV .

scholarly journals Evaluation and Design of Power Controller of Two-Axis Solar Tracking by PID and FL for a Photovoltaic Module

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel J. Ontiveros ◽  
Carlos D. Ávalos ◽  
Faustino Loza ◽  
Néstor D. Galán ◽  
Guillermo J. Rubio
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Output Power ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Photovoltaic Module ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Photovoltaic Modules ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
Solar Tracker

Solar trackers represent an essential tool to increase the energy production of photovoltaic modules compared to fixed systems. Unlike previous technologies where the aim is to keep the solar rays perpendicular to the surface of the module and obtain a constant output power, this paper proposes the design and evaluation of two controllers for a two-axis solar tracker, which maintains the power that is produced by photovoltaic modules at their nominal value. To achieve this, mathematical models of the dynamics of the sun, the solar energy obtained on the Earth’s surface, the two-axis tracking system in its electrical and mechanical parts, and the solar cell are developed and simulated. Two controllers are designed to be evaluated in the solar tracking system, one Proportional-Integral-Derivative and the other by Fuzzy Logic. The evaluation of the simulations shows a better performance of the controller by Fuzzy Logic; this is because it presents a shorter stabilization time, a transient of smaller amplitude, and a lower percentage of error in steady-state. The principle of operation of the solar tracking system is to promote the orientation conditions of the photovoltaic module to generate the maximum available power until reaching the nominal one. This is possible because it has a gyroscope on the surface of the module that determines its position with respect to the hour angle and altitude of the sun; a data acquisition card is developed to implement voltage and current sensors, which measure the output power it produces from the photovoltaic module throughout the day and under any weather conditions. The results of the implementation demonstrate that a Fuzzy Logic control for a two-axis solar tracker maintains the output power of the photovoltaic module at its nominal parameters during peak sun hours.

scholarly journals Optimal design of the solar tracking system of parabolic trough concentrating collectors

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-619
Author(s):  
Li Kong ◽  
Yunpeng Zhang ◽  
Zhijian Lin ◽  
Zhongzhu Qiu ◽  
Chunying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
The North ◽  
Tracking Mode ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
East West

Abstract The present work aimed to select the optimum solar tracking mode for parabolic trough concentrating collectors using numerical simulation. The current work involved: (1) the calculation of daily solar radiation on the Earth’s surface, (2) the comparison of annual direct solar radiation received under different tracking modes and (3) the determination of optimum tilt angle for the north-south tilt tracking mode. It was found that the order of solar radiation received in Shanghai under the available tracking modes was: dual-axis tracking &gt; north-south Earth’s axis tracking &gt; north-south tilt tracking (β = 15°) &gt; north-south tilt tracking (β = 45) &gt; north-south horizontal tracking &gt; east-west horizontal tracking. Single-axis solar tracking modes feature simple structures and low cost. This study also found that the solar radiation received under the north-south tilt tracking mode was higher than that of the north-south Earth’s axis tracking mode in 7 out of 12 months. Therefore, the north-south tilt tracking mode was studied separately to determine the corresponding optimum tilt angles in Haikou, Lhasa, Shanghai, Beijing and Hohhot, respectively, which were shown as follows: 18.81°, 27.29°, 28.67°, 36.21° and 37.97°.

Microcontroller Based Single Axis Intelligent Control Sun Tracker for Parabolic Trough Collectors

2012 ◽  
Vol 562-564 ◽  
pp. 1772-1775
Author(s):  
Shakeel Akram ◽  
Farhan Hameed Malik ◽  
Rui Jin Liao ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
Tariq Nazir
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Embedded System ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Parabolic Trough

Due to the complex design and high costs of production, solar thermal systems have fallen behind in the world of alternative energy systems. Different mechanisms are applied to increase the efficiency of the solar collectors and to reduce the cost. Solar tracking system is the most appropriate technology to increase the efficiency of solar collectors as well as solar power plants by tracking the sun timely. In order to maximize the efficiency of collectors, one needs to keep the reflecting surface of parabolic trough collectors perpendicular to the sun rays. For this purpose microcontroller based real time sun tracker is designed which is controlled by an intelligent algorithm using shadow technique. The aim of the research project is to test the solar-to-thermal energy efficiency by tracking parabolic trough collector (PTC). The energy efficiency is determined by measuring the temperature rise of working fluid as it flows through the receiver of the collector when it is properly focused. The design tracker is also simulated to check its accuracy. The main purpose to design this embedded system is to increase the efficiency and reliability of solar plants by reducing size, complexity and cost of product.

Design, Development and Performance Test of Two-Axis Solar Tracker System

2014 ◽  
Vol 704 ◽  
pp. 350-354
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ikram Mohd Rashid ◽  
Nik Fadhil bin Nik Mohammed ◽  
Suliana binti Ab Ghani ◽  
Noor Asiah Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Solar Tracking

The energy extracted from photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal depends on solar insolation. For the extraction of maximum energy from the sun, the plane of the solar collector should always be normal to the incident radiation. Sun trackers move the solar collector to follow the sun trajectories and keep the orientation of the solar collector at an optimal tilt angle. Energy efficiency of solar PV or solar thermal can be substantially improved using solar tracking system. In this paper, an automatic solar tracking system has been designed and developed using DC motor on a mechanical structure with gear arrangement. The movements of two-axis solar trackers for the elevation and azimuth angles are programmed according to the mathematical calculation by using the Borland C++ Builder. Performance of the proposed system over the important parameter like solar radiation received on the collector, maximum hourly electrical power has been evaluated and compared with those for fixed tilt angle solar collector.

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