Actuator Response Model of 3DOF Solar Tracking Based on Tetrahedron Sensor

Abstract

One of the problems of not optimal output power from a solar panel is not being perpendicular to the incidence angle. The shift in the light source's position causes the light's incidence angle to be not perpendicular to the solar panel. Therefore, a solar panel requires a solar tracking system equipped with actuators or gearboxes to maintain the tilt of the solar panel perpendicular to the incidence angle of the light. Actuators play an essential role in moving the solar panels following the displacement of the light source. This paper presents a servo actuator response model used in 3 Degree of Freedom (3DOF) solar tracking. In the 3DOF solar tracking, we use three servo motors as actuators, which are kinematically connected with three parallel arms to align the panel with the light source. Besides that, a light source position tracking sensor is also used, namely a tetrahedron sensor. The method used in the experiment is to direct the incidence angle of the light in 6 states on a tetrahedron sensor to see the actuator's response in tracking changes in the incidence angle of the light. From the test results, the actuator can respond to changes in the direction of the incidence angle of the light with the average absolute deviation level (MAD) of light on the sensor <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\leq 1$</tex> Lux.