Abstract
This article presents the development of an image-based sun position sensor and the algorithm for how to aim at the Sun precisely by using image processing. Four-quadrant light sensors and bar-shadow photo sensors were used to detect the Sun's position in the past years. Nevertheless, neither of them can maintain high accuracy under low irradiation conditions. Using the image-based Sun position sensor with image processing can address this drawback. To verify the performance of the Sun-tracking system including an image-based Sun position sensor and a tracking controller with embedded image processing algorithm, we established a Sun image tracking platform and did the performance testing in the laboratory; the results show that the proposed Sun tracking system had the capability to overcome the problem of unstable tracking in cloudy weather and achieve a tracking accuracy of 0.04°.
Highlights
Solar power is in demand and its use has been growing fast in the recent decades because of climate changing issues and the depletion of fossil fuels
In order to test performance of the image-based Sun position sensor and tracking algorithm we established in the laboratory a Sun image tracking platform, shown in Figure 9, which comprises a
A scheme and development of a Sun tracking system are introduced in this paper
Summary
Solar power is in demand and its use has been growing fast in the recent decades because of climate changing issues and the depletion of fossil fuels. Of 5–12 €cts/kWh in sunbelt countries by 2020 [1] It would likely be more competitive than traditional sources, such as gas or oil fuelled peak power plants. High accuracy dual axis solar trackers, tracking the Sun’s motion across the sky, are used in high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) systems because HCPV systems can only accept direct solar light and the acceptance angle deviation from the Sun is very low for a HCPV module. A dual axis solar tracker can provide up to 50% power more in theory [3], depending on weather and latitude, but a tracking error of a few degrees is just enough for a PV system. Available online: http://www.atmsite.org/contrib/Fejes/Analysis/0SL0analysis.html (accessed on 18 April 2013). Available online: http://www.photozone.de/mtf/ (accessed on 18 April 2013).
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