Dual-axis Tracking Research Articles

Realization of a Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

The effective use of renewable energy sources is very important today. Energy resources are limited and it is necessary to make maximum use of renewable energy. In this study, a dual-axis solar tracking system was implemented in the photovoltaic system in order to obtain the maximum possible energy from solar energy. In the solar tracking system, chestnut material is used as the vertical holder in the mechanical arrangement, and iron is used as the solar panel holder. By using a total of 4 LDRs at 4 corners of the solar panel, Arduino-based solar tracking on vertical and horizontal axis was carried out. The solar panel power used in the system is 45W, a geared DC motor on the horizontal axis and a linear DC motor on the vertical axis. As a result of the implemented application, a system that performs sensitive sun tracking has been realized and higher efficiency has been obtained compared to a static PV system.

Kinematic Performance and Static Analysis of a Two-Degree-of-Freedom 3-RPS/US Parallel Manipulator With Two Passive Limbs

Abstract In this paper, a new 3-RPS (the limb consisting of one revolute, one prismatic, and one spherical joint)/US (universal joint and spherical joint) parallel mechanism with two degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) is obtained by adding a US passive limb into the 3-RPS parallel mechanism with the aim of obtaining a high load-bearing capacity. The moving platform possesses two rotational motions, analyzed by the Grassmann line geometry and screw theory. Then, the kinematic performance of the mechanism is analyzed, including inverse kinematics, overall Jacobian matrix, workspace, and singularity. On this basis, the mapping between the driving force and the load on the moving platform is deduced and verified by simulation. Next, the static of the proposed parallel mechanism is compared with that of the 3-RPS mechanism. The results show that the load-bearing capacity of the mechanism is improved by introducing the US passive limb. Finally, a case study verifies the potential application of the mechanism as a dual-axis tracking photovoltaic bracket.

Experimental Investigation and Comparison of the Net Energy Yield Using Control-Based Solar Tracking Systems

As the world trend is going towards renewable energy, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy shines the most due to the low generation cost especially by using the latest PV cell technologies and materials, although the conventional silicon cell has an efficiency in the range of 15-16%. A PV tracking system (PVTS) could be a considerable method to increase electrical PV efficiency. In this study, the performance enhancement of the daily output power and energy has been experimentally investigated using single- and dual-axis tracking mechanisms for flat-plate conventional PV panels under the insolation conditions of the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia (SA). In the current study, the active PVTS has been designed and implemented with PID controllers and controlled in real-time with an embedded system. The fixed-tilt (FTPV), single-axis solar tracking system (SAST), and dual-axis solar tracking system (DAST) were tested simultaneously under clear-sky conditions. The PV electrical energy balance has revealed that the energy consumed by the electrical controllers of the SAST and DAST is 3.4% and 3.9%, respectively. In addition, the energy losses due to the actuators of the SAST and DAST are 7.8% and 13.0%, respectively, where they contributed mainly to the energy losses. However, the PV energy production by the DAST was high enough to compensate for the higher actuating mechanism losing rate compared to the SAST and performed incremental net energy output of around 8.64%. On other hand, the DAST and SAST were more efficient than the FTPV recording higher net energy increase by 28.98% and 18.73%, respectively.

An Implementation of an optimized dual-axis solar tracking algorithm for concentrating solar power plants deployment

A recent assessment of a pilot concentrating solar power plant in Ghana noticed the failure of the tracking system to accurately align the multifaceted heliostats toward the sun and focus the sunbeams onto the target. A further review of solar tracking systems revealed the limitation of concentrated solar power tracking systems to simultaneously improve accuracy and reduce operational cost. In this paper, a computer vision-based solar tracking system, comprising a vision controller, webcam, light sensor, Arduino microcontroller, two stepper motors, a stick, and a transparent plate, is proposed and implemented. The light sensor indicates the presence or absence of sunlight, the webcam captures the image of the stick's shadow on the plate and the vision controller reads this data from the webcam and processes it to extract the solar angles. The angles are sent to the microcontroller which uses them to orient the heliostat appropriately through the stepper motors. The proposed system is location independent and can be installed in each heliostat or a group of heliostats. the preliminary tests show it tracks the sun accurately and exhibits minimal operation cost.

NOVEL DESIGN OF SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM

Solar energy has a big potential as one of the renewable energy resources in the world. However, the conventional fixed photovoltaic (PV) system provides less efficient and less innovative system. This type of system faces problems of dust, heat, wind, difficult installation and also very less efficient in terms of electric power. To overcome these problems there should be a system which solves these problems automatically. In this research paper, a Novel Design of Solar Panel System is proposed which will solve these problems by self- cleaning, natural cooling, wind protection, solar tracking, easy installation. In these proposed methodology, self- cleaning features, natural cooling elevated design, wind protection system and dual-axis solar tracking system will be added to increase its overall efficiency by 40%. The proposed work is validated with the help of experimental prototype. Keywords - Solar energy, photovoltaic, solar tracking.

Cleaner air would enhance India’s annual solar energy production by 6–28 TWh

India has set a target of 100 GW solar installation capacity by the year 2022. However, the loss of solar energy due to environmental factors like air pollution is not properly considered in renewable energy resource assessments. Here we show that India lost 29% of its utilizable global horizontal irradiance potential due to air pollution between 2001 and 2018. The average loss in output incurred by solar power systems with horizontal, fixed-tilt, single-axis, and dual-axis trackers due to air pollution is estimated to be 12%, 26%, 33%, and 41%, respectively, equivalent to a loss of 245–835 million USD annually. The successful implementation of the National Clean Air Program and the complete mitigation of household emissions through the supply of cleaner fuel for domestic use and rural electrification would allow India to generate a surplus of 6–16 TWh of electricity per year from the existing installed solar power capacity in 2018. This translates to an economic benefit of 325–845 million USD annually, which is equivalent to the implementation costs of these social programs. Mitigating air pollution would therefore accelerate India’s progress towards achieving its solar energy target at a lesser installation capacity, avoiding additional expenditure for the expansion of the solar energy infrastructure.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL AND CONTROL ALGORITHM FOR A SOLAR TRACKER

In this article, a prototype model of a solar tracker and an algorithm for its control based on the "Arduino Uno" platform are being developed. The purpose of this article is to study the subject area, create an autonomous solar tracker model and conduct a study on the production of solar panels. The introduction of a solar tracker is an affordable way to improve the efficiency of solar panels. The solar tracker can already be applied to an operating solar power plant, with a slight redesign of the structure on which solar panels are installed. The solar tracker increases electricity production to a greater extent in the morning and evening, the tracker directs the panels to the maximum flow of sunlight, making production uniform throughout the day. The article shows the results of the experiment and provides a comparative analysis of the production of solar panels. The design of the layout of the solar tracker was developed and the graphs of the dependence of the power of the solar panel on time were drawn up, the calculations of the power of the solar panel and were carried out. A solar tracker control system based on Arduino Uno has been developed. The yield of solar panels with a dual axis and single axis solar tracker is 59.4% and 43% compared to a solar panel installed at 45°.

Development and Accuracy Assessment of a High-Precision Dual-Axis Pre-Commercial Solar Tracker for Concentrating Photovoltaic Modules

In recent decades, advances in the development of solar tracking systems (STSs) have led to concentrating solar technologies to increase their energy conversion efficiency. These systems, however, still have areas of opportunity or improving their performance and reducing their manufacturing costs. This paper presents the design, construction and evaluation of a high-precision dual-axis solar tracking system with a technology readiness level of 7–8. The system is controlled by a low-cost Arduino board in a closed-loop control using a micro-electromechanical solar sensor. Real-time tracking experiments were performed under a clear sky as well as during partly and mostly cloudy days. Solar tracking accuracy was evaluated in an operational environment using test procedures adapted from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62817 standard. The total mean instantaneous solar tracking error on a clear day measured with a calibrated digital solar sensor was 0.37° and 0.52° with a developed pinhole projection system. Similarly, the total mean reported solar tracking accuracy achieved was 0.390° on a sunny day and 0.536° on a partially cloudy day. An annual power generation analysis considering a conventional photovoltaic (PV) panel system and a typical concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module as payloads was also presented. Simulations showed an increase in the generation of up to 37.5% for a flat panel with dual-axis tracking versus a fixed panel. In the case of the CPV system, first, a ray tracing study was implemented to determine the misalignment coefficient, then the annual power generation was estimated. The developed STS allowed the CPV modules to reach at least 90% of their nominal energy conversion efficiency.

New approach towards mitigating photovoltaic panels soiling by dew flowing.

Soiling has a crucial importance regarding its impact mainly for countries that have high soiling levels, dust storms, water scarcity and a great solar energy potential as the case of Morocco. Soiling mitigation is therefore mostly required during spring, due to higher pollen concentration, and summer, due to the lack of heavy precipitation. In this work, systematic measurements of soiling ratio were made in Rabat, city of north-western Morocco, during almost 1year. Soiling has been evaluated considering the effect of dual-axis tracking that was compared to photovoltaic (PV) on fixed structure. A soiling rate of about 0.22%/day has been found for static PV while only 0.1% was found for PV on tracker. An additional approach of cleaning has been proposed in this paper which aims to use dew water. Using glass samples that were exposed to real environmental conditions, similar to the exposure conditions of PV panels, the soiling ratio was determined. At sunrise time, the subsequent change of the glass sample, from the horizontal position at night into the position of 30° tilt angle during the day, is performed to promote dew flow by the force of gravity acting on the droplets of dew. It has been found that relying only on the change of tilt angle, the average soiling losses were only 3.8% compared with 11.8% for fixed PV. This approach can reduce soiling similarly to solar trackers.

Modeling, Implementing, and Evaluating of an Advanced Dual Axis Heliostat Drive System

Abstract Heliostat tracking is a critical component of the solar field of concentrating solar power tower (SPT) systems and can be the source of significant losses in power and profit when it lacks the necessary accuracy. This paper presents an advanced heliostat drive system for the SPT generation plant. An integrated model for the heliostat drive system based on dual axes tracking is proposed using an inexpensive angle sensor. The mathematical model of the integrated drive system is developed, including the solar, tower, and heliostat models. The matlab simulation model for the proposed integrated drive system is developed and evaluated. An experimental prototype for a dual-axis heliostat is built using Class-E direct current choppers and an inexpensive Gyro angle sensor. The prototype is tested and considered in the Dhahran region in Saudi Arabia under different operating conditions. A comparative study between simulation and experimental results is conducted to assess the efficacy and accuracy of the proposed controller drive system and validate the developed integrated model. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed dual-axis trackers to follow the sunbeams throughout the year.

Smart optimization of PV panel output using Fuzzy Logic Controller based solar tracker

Currently, more people choose renewable energy over conventional energy, such as solar energy, which is the most eligible renewable energy in Palembang and South Sumatra due to its strategic location in the equator. However, solar energy cultivation is experiencing various obstacles resulting in not producing maximum output, which is indicated by low output efficiency. Solar tracker or solar tracking system is one of the best methods to ensure the maximum sunlight received by the PV panels. This paper shows the effectiveness of a solar tracking system controlled by FLC compared to a fixed system. The data is taken for 15 days during the weather changing in Indonesia, from the rainy season to the dry season. The maximum power generated by dual-axis solar tracking and fixed solar panels is 96.4768 W and 63,5106 W, whereas the power generated by dual-axis solar tracking is 32.9662 W higher than fixed solar panels. The highest efficiency obtained by dual-axis solar tracking is 25%, while fixed solar panels are 16%. The application of dual-axis solar tracking can optimize and increase the efficiency of solar panels because the panels are always perpendicular to the position of the highest irradiance. Data results show that FLC-based solar effectively improves power output and efficiency compared to a fixed solar panel.

Performance Comparison between Fixed and Dual-Axis Sun-Tracking Photovoltaic Panels with an IoT Monitoring System in the Coastal Region of Ecuador

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems are one of the most widely deployed renewable technologies in the world. The efficiency of solar panels has been studied during the last few decades, and, to date, it has not been possible to displace the production of energy using crystalline silicon wafer-based technology whose efficiency has reached values around 26.1%. Moreover, using solar tracking PV systems has become a feasible alternative to increase the electric output of PV silicon technologies instead of using the conventional fixed PV installation on a flat or sloping surface. The following study has compared fixed and dual-axis sun-tracking PV panels in order to quantify the enhancement associated with the amount of energy harvested when using dual-axis tracking PV systems in the city of Manta, located in a coastal region of Ecuador. In order to carry out this study, an IoT monitoring system based on Raspberry Pi3 and Arduino platforms was used. Measurements of solar radiation (W/m2), light intensity (Lux), temperature (°C), short-circuit current (A), and open-circuit voltage (V) were taken every minute for both systems. The results prove that the dual-axis tracking PV system produces, on average, 19.62% more energy than the static PV system. These results present an 8.62% energy increase with respect to a previous study carried out in an equatorial region with similar characteristics to those of the city of Manta, where a one-axis tracking PV system was used.

Prioritization of solar electricity and hydrogen co-production stations considering PV losses and different types of solar trackers: A TOPSIS approach

Renewable hydrogen production plays a key role in transitioning to a hydrogen economy. For this, developing countries are encouraged to keep up with industrialized nations. As such, this study seeks to evaluate the potential of all capital cities of Iran in terms of solar-based hydrogen production and prioritize the nominated alternatives. This step is highly valued because finding the most suitable place for this purpose can lead to substantial outcomes and consequently avoid failure. Therefore, here a 20-kW solar power plant is simulated by PVsyst 6.7 software and meteorological data of 31 capital cities is extracted using Meteonorm 7.1 software. Considering all losses associated with solar power plants, electricity and hydrogen generation are studied under the scenarios of using fixed optimal angle for solar cells, seasonally adjustable slope, single axis tacker and dual-axis tracker. Analyzing the impact of each technology on hydrogen production, MCDM approaches are applied to rank the stations considering 13 conflicting criteria. The numerical results demonstrate the minimum and maximum of hydrogen production for annual optimal angle scenario are related to Sari and Zahedan respectively with amounts of 457.4 kg/year and 671.5 kg/year. Also, under the optimal seasonal slope scenario hydrogen production efficiency increases by up to 3.8%. This figure for two other cases of single-axis tracker and dual-axis tracker is expected to be 30.6%, and 34.3%, respectively. Using the TOPSIS method, Yasuj is selected as the most suitable city for the purpose of this study. This recommendation is supported by the results of ranking analysis using WS, MAPPACC, and ELECTRE III methods.

Developing Smart Self Orienting Solar Tracker for Mobile PV Power Generation Systems

Photovoltaic (PV) devices are one of the most renewable energy sources in demand globally. To harvest the maximum possible energy output from PV panels, it is necessary to orient them in a position where the sunray can fall on them perpendicularly. In this paper, an autonomous dual-axis smart solar tracking system is designed and implemented for positioning PV panels in a way that would make them generate the highest achievable energy output automatically anywhere in the world. The designed tracking system is built based on a mathematical model which is integrated with a microcontroller (μC), a Global Positioning System (GPS), a digital compass, and a gyro orientation sensor. The designed system provides a smart solution to accurately track the sun at a minimum power budget to increase the overall efficiency of PV panels. The suggested model is implemented and tested using 50 W PV panels, and it is empirically tested in the Middle East region of Baghdad, IRAQ. For further evaluation, it is also tested using simulated tracking data collected from three different regions Berlin, Singapore, and Sydney. This was done by selecting a city above the Tropic of Cancer, a city below the Tropic of Capricorn, and a city within the tropical region near the Equator. The obtained results confirmed that the developed system can track the sun in any region around the world, optimizing power consumption by operating the tracker within specific intervals that enables mustering maximum possible power of PV panels while ensuring minimum power consumption by the tracking system. The developed tracking system expended a mere 0.62% to 0.68% of the energy gain made.

POTENTIAL STUDY OF PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER STATIONS TO MEET ENERGY NEEDS OF FUEL CELL UNITS IN BARU PANDANSIMO BARU BEACH OF BANTUL, YOGYAKARTA

Energy needs are increasing rapidly along with population growth, increasing population activity, and massive development in technology. However, a current energy source is mainly from fossil energy. This condition is inversely proportional to fossil energy stock, decreasing year by year as a natural condition of non-renewable energy. On the other hand, fossil energy damages the environment by its pollution, such as deforestation and air and atmospheric pollution in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, the world needs another source of energy that could replace fossil energy as a source and is also environmentally friendly. New and renewable energy could be the solution.Indonesia has plenty amount of new and renewable energy potential. However, renewable energy is weather-dependent, thus requiring storage technology to store the energy. The current common storage technology is battery technology. This technology has some weaknesses: limited capacity, high cost, less flexibility, expensive, and short lifetime. Another storage technology with high flexibility, easy transport, high amount capacity, long lifetime, and wide usage is needed. Hydrogen storage appears to meet all these requirements.This study aimed to calculate the optimum potential of photovoltaic power stations at Baru Pandansimo Beach of Bantul, Yogyakarta, as an energy source to produce hydrogen as a storage energy system. The simulations are done using HOMER software were carried out in three photovoltaic power station scenarios: fixed-tilt, single-axis tracker, and dual-axis tracker, and showed that the fixed-tilt photovoltaic power station scenario is the most optimal design and architecture. With total capacity reaching 7.8 MWp potential to be built at Baru Pandansimo, it could generate 11,657,704 KWh/year electrical energy with an NPC value of USD 8.29 M, and a COE of 0.0420 USD/KWh. This electrical energy could produce 213,288.06 kilograms of H2 at a 2.3 USD/kg production cost.

An experimental study of the concentrator photovoltaic/thermoelectric generator performance using different passive cooling methods

Conducting an outdoor experimental investigation of a hybrid concentrator photovoltaics (CPV)/thermoelectric generators (TEG) system's performance is of great importance. It provides a reliable performance characteristic, as it is carried out under real solar spectral and atmospheric conditions. In the current work, a multi-junction solar cell subjected to a solar concentration ratio of 50 suns using different passive cooling methods has been investigated. To perform outdoor experiments, the solar cell integrated with a heat sink (HS) and a dual-axis elliptic solar tracker is used with a Fresnel lens-based concentrator. Several configurations are experimentally investigated including CPV-HS combined with a finned HS, TEG-HS, CPV-TEG-HS, and CPV-TEG-micro-channel heat pipe (MCHP)-HS. Results show a significant enhancement in the CPV-TEG-MCHP-HS power compared to alternate systems. At direct normal irradiance of 990 W/m2, the output power is about 1.14 Watt. However, the output power for CPV-HS, and CPV-TEG is about 1.1 W, and 1.05 W, respectively. The CPV cell and TEG areas were 1 cm2 and 16 cm2, respectively. In addition, the electrical efficiency of CPV system and CPV-TEG hybrid system is 26%, and 22.84%, respectively. However, the electrical efficiency of hybrid CPV/MCHP/TEG is 28.45%.

Design and implementation of IoT-based dual-axis solar PV tracking system

Wydawnictwo SIGMA-NOT wydaje czasopisma fachowe informujące swoich czytelników o najnowszych osiągnięciach naukowych i nowoczesnych rozwiązaniach technicznych w Polsce i na świecie, popularyzuje problemy techniczne oraz poszerza wiedzę i kulturę techniczną.

Dual axis solar tracking system for a parabolic dish CPU water heater

The solar parabolic dish water heater is highly efficient but has limited hours of work only when sunlight is perpendicular to its surface. Therefore, this work aims to continue the work of the solar parabolic dish in the daytime using a dual tracking system, depending on the geographic location of the system (longitude and latitude angles) and using the C # programming language. To verify the effect of the dual-axis solar tracking system, the current study considered two types of solar parabolic dishes, the first was fixed, and the second was a rotating dish (by the dual tracking system). It was observed that the water temperature at the outlet of the tracking type solar water heater is 22% higher than that for the fixed dish type; this means that the proposed system has improved the temperature of water in the heat exchanger. Therefore, the highest water temperature value of about 51.4ffiC was at the outlet of the heat exchanger for the tracking type at 1:00 pm, while the temperature recorded for the fixed type was about 46.1ffiC. The highest energy gained from the solar heating system was at 1:00 pm for both types, which was about 76.9 W from the tracking type and 54.7 W from the fixed type. It was also observed that in the fixed dish type, most energy losses occurred during the daytime, while for the tracer of the dish type, useful energy was gained during most of the sunny working hours depending on the solar radiation intensity.

Sistem Monitoring Penentuan Pergerakan Posisi Panel Surya Terintegrasi Internet Of Things

Due to the increasing demand for energy, alternative energy is needed. One of them is energy that comes from the sun. To utilize solar energy, solar panels are needed which are used to collect solar energy which will be converted into electrical energy. The problem is to optimize the work of the solar panel, a design for determining the position of the solar panel must be made so that it is always focused on the direction of the arrival of the sun. Design of solar panel position monitoring system based on the Internet of Things has a purpose as a monitoring system in optimizing the light reception received by solar panels in real time. The method used is the dual axis tracking method, which is a method that can make flexible solar panel movements follow the direction of the maximum sunlight intensity. The parameters monitored from this research are the value of analog voltage from the four LDR light sensors, two angles of dual axis movement and description of the the solar panel position. From the tests that have been carried out, the system can work well as solar panel movement position monitoring system based on the Internet of Things.

On improving the efficiency of hybrid solar lighting and thermal system using dual-axis solar tracking system

A hybrid solar lighting/ thermal system utilized a parabolic solar dish as a solar collector illustrated in this paper. A two-axis tracking system was developed and employed to improve the energy output of a concentrating solar system (CSP) that produces hot water and light. During the daytime, sunlight is transmitted by fiber optics to an indoor photovoltaic PV device to generate electricity, or it can be used directly as daylighting. The heat generated is used to heat water. The findings show that the proposed system is a low-cost, high-performance approach for solar energy use in building energy efficiency, and readily available tracking components and tools. The experimental work shows that the maximum efficiency of the hybrid solar lighting/ thermal system controlled with a dual-axis solar tracking system was 32.2%.