Abstract
This paper describes the design and implementation of a heliostat orientation control system based on a low-cost microcontroller. The proposed system uses a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) with the Center of Sums defuzzification method embedded on a dsPIC33EP256MU806 Digital Signal Processor (DSP), in order to modify the orientation of a heliostat by controlling the angular position of two DC motors connected to the axes of the heliostat. The FLC is compared to a traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller to evaluate the performance of the system. Both the FLC and PID controller were designed for the position control of the heliostat DC motors at no load, and then they were implemented in the orientation control of the heliostat using the same controller parameters. The experimental results show that the FLC has a better performance and flexibility than a traditional PID controller in the orientation control of a heliostat.
Highlights
The output power produced by a solar plant is proportional to the amount of solar energy absorbed by the system
The orientation control system was implemented in the heliostat shown in Figure 18, whereas
The advantage of the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is the fact that it is not necessary to know the mathematical model of the system, because it only uses the experience of an operator, which is easy to incorporate into the controller
Summary
The output power produced by a solar plant is proportional to the amount of solar energy absorbed by the system. A sun tracking system (STS) with a high degree of accuracy is necessary to avoid losses in the output power of solar plants. There are two types of active sun tracking systems based on their controlling methods [2]: sensor driver systems (SDSs) and microprocessor driver systems (MDSs). There are tracking errors when the sensors cannot produce an electrical signal due to low solar radiation levels produced by the presence of passing clouds or contamination in the air. MDSs use microprocessors and computer systems to execute mathematical equations based on solar position algorithms and the current date and time to determine the exact position of the sun. MDSs are cheaper than SDSs; there is no feedback to verify the position of the sun, and tracking errors may appear due to the precision of the solar position algorithm. Several algorithms with different levels of complexity and accuracy can be found in the literature [3], where the use of a more precise solar position algorithm increases both the accuracy and the computational effort of the system
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