Panel Orientation Research Articles

Revolutionizing Energy Harvesting: Harnessing Ambient Solar Energy for Enhanced Electric Power Generation

The escalating demand for sustainable and renewable energy sources has propelled the exploration of ambient solar energy as a pivotal avenue for cleaner power generation. This review paper delves into the intricacies of solar energy harvesting technologies, providing a comprehensive analysis of principles, efficiency metrics, material advancements, and versatile applications. Focusing on the photovoltaic effect as the cornerstone of solar cells, the critical impact of semiconductor material selection and bandgap engineering on efficiency is thoroughly examined. Key performance measures such as fill factor, open-circuit voltage, and short-circuit current are emphasized for their pivotal role in evaluating system efficiency. The adaptability of solar energy solutions is exemplified through diverse applications, spanning from portable electronics to large-scale solar farms. Looking towards the future, this review envisions a promising trajectory for solar energy harvesting, driven by continual advancements in technology, material science, and efficiency measures. The insights gleaned from this comprehensive examination are poised to catalyze the development of more efficient and accessible solar energy harvesting technologies. This, in turn, promises to play a significant role in the global transition towards a greener and more sustainable energy landscape, contributing substantively to sustainability, climate mitigation, and an enhanced quality of life worldwide. Keywords: Solar energy harvesting, solar cells, material selection, panel orientation, storage techniques, system integration, case studies.

Modelling Canopy Temperature of Crops With Heterogeneous Canopies Grown Under Solar Panels

With global warming and the increase of heatwaves frequencies, it has become urgent to protect crops. Agrivoltaic systems tackle this issue by shading plants with photovoltaic panels to lower the temperature of canopies. However, a permanent shading would lead to an important loss of carbon for plants. For this reason, dynamic agrivoltaic systems (AVD) emerged with panels which could be steered in real time according to the needs of plants. Shading at the right time is not that easy with the risk to either miss a hot event and cause serious and irreversible injuries to the plants or shade too often, and impact carbon production. In this paper we present first an experiment with measurements of leaf temperature at different positions of grapevine canopy for two summer days in 2020 and 2021. Then, the energy balance sub-model part of a crop model that simulate plant growth for fruit trees and vines grown in heterogeneous AVD environments is presented. Finally, after having evaluated the coherence of the model with experimental results, the relevance of a mechanistic model to steer solar panels and protect plants from heat is illustrated through several examples. The heterogeneity of temperature within the canopy observed in the field experiments related with different variables such as air and ground temperature, leaf orientation and self-shading was correctly reproduced by the model. This work indicated that canopy temperature could be more integrative than a unique threshold of air temperature to take decisions on panel orientation to protect plants from heat stress.

Photovoltaic panels labViewTM controlled- a platform for educational purposes

This paper presents a platform for educational purposes, based on photovoltaic panels LabViewTM controlled. The objective of this work is to give a contribution to the sustainable development. For this, a batteries charging with PV panels study, in respect to several measurement and how this variables change according to Sun position and PV panels orientation, is presented. A database with these variables is created. Another particularity is the control of two electric motors in order to move the PV panels through the day to achieve the optimal set-up. Finally, a cost study of three possible configurations versus generated power, project conclusions, possible applications and future studies based on this work are presented.

Innovation Solution in Photovoltaic Sector

The modern world is moving towards a zero-emission economy; therefore, various actions are being taken to reduce the share of fossil fuels in energy production. The article examines the potential for the continued expansion of photovoltaic farms, with a special emphasis on farms utilising east–west panel orientation. The east–west orientation is an innovative solution with many advantages over the traditional north–south arrangement. The paper also makes a detailed assessment of the photovoltaic farm environment by applying two analyses based on the following factors: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (PEST) and Demographic, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, Informational, Social, and Technological (DEEPLIST) factors. This is followed by an insightful, comprehensive review of the most important factors that contribute to the efficiency of photovoltaic installations, namely site conditions, existing infrastructure, and ability to connect to the electricity grid. The paper also devotes space to an analysis of daily energy price changes that affect the economic efficiency of the installation and discusses the potential for energy storage in the context of photovoltaic farms. The development of photovoltaics also requires investing in energy storage. All discussed issues fall within the scope of photovoltaic farm development and optimal use of energy resources.

Optimization of Wind Farm Layout using Genetic Algorithms

In order to increase the economic feasibility, sustainability, and efficiency of energy production, this research proposes an improved optimization framework for hybrid wind-solar energy systems that use an augmented Genetic Algorithm (GA). Wind turbine size and photovoltaic (PV) panel orientation were optimized using historical data on wind and solar resources, system load profiles, and component specifications. There was an 18% increase in energy production, a 14% improvement in wind turbine efficiency, and a 16% increase in solar panel output because to the GA's outstanding performance. An 18% reduction in the payback time and a 12% reduction in the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) were achieved. Results from the evaluation of the project's social and environmental consequences showed that community acceptability increased by 9 percentage points and land-use efficiency by 12 percentage points. A sensitivity study verified that the system could withstand several economic and environmental scenarios. The results demonstrate the promise of GA-based optimization in improving the efficiency of renewable energy hybrid systems.

A New Method Using Pseudovelocity-Based Fatigue Analysis to Determine the Effectiveness of Acoustic Fields Used for Acoustic Testing

Abstract This paper summarizes results from the use of advanced adaptive multiple-input, multiple-output (i.e., MIMO) control for direct field acoustic testing to excite an aluminum-honeycombed 1.22 m × 2.44 m (4 ft × 8 ft) test panel with MSI-DFAT's near-diffuse acoustic field and four nondiffuse acoustic fields using three panel orientations, and two speaker configurations. The five fields have the same overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and 1/3-octave sound-pressure-level (SPL) spectrum. Test and analysis results demonstrate a dependence of the test panel's response characteristics to each acoustic-field excitation, showing that the near-diffuse field excites experimental-modal-analysis-identified test panel modes effectively, whereas nondiffuse fields excite these modes ineffectively. Differences are attributed to the relative diffuseness of fields. Partial fatigue damage values from 20 accelerometer locations are determined from pseudovelocity (PV) outputs from single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) models at each modal frequency excited by their response time histories, for each acoustic field, to quantify the relative ability of acoustic fields to detect workmanship flaws of typical test articles. Fatigue-damage values are obtained from PV response time histories of SDOF models at identified modal frequencies, which are rainflow-cycle counted with the partial-damage coefficients calculated using the Palmgren-Miner rule. A new form of vibro-acoustic gain based on PV power spectral densities (PSDs) is also introduced and correlated with these experimental results, since the PV response PSDs of a test article undergoing random vibration are proportional to modal stress at their frequencies. This paper shows that the modal stress caused by acoustic-field types is an important consideration for acoustic testing of satellites and other spacecraft, since using a nondiffuse field may result in an acoustic test that doesn't detect workmanship flaws in a test article, even though the acoustic environment is achieving the same specified OASPL and average acoustic 1/3-octave SPL spectrum.

A Review of the Sustainable Development of Solar Photovoltaic Tracking System Technology

In the face of the traditional fossil fuel energy crisis, solar energy stands out as a green, clean, and renewable energy source. Solar photovoltaic tracking technology is an effective solution to this problem. This article delves into the sustainable development of solar photovoltaic tracking technology, analyzing its current state, limiting factors, and future trends. The adjustment of solar panel orientation using solar tracking technology to maximize energy generation efficiency has been widely implemented in various fields, including solar power plants. Currently, limiting factors for this technology include energy generation efficiency, costs, and the complexity of various environmental conditions. In terms of sustainable development, this article emphasizes the importance of photovoltaic materials and manufacturing innovation, energy efficiency improvements, as well as the integration of smart and digital technologies. Future trends include higher precision, broader applications, and lower costs. Solar photovoltaic tracking technology will play a pivotal role in global energy production, fostering the realization of a clean and sustainable energy future.

Solar tracking system with fuzzy reasoning applied to crisp sets

In this paper, a low cost and an easy to implement solar tracker system is presented. The design of the system is based on the fuzzy reasoning applied to crisp sets. In this case, it can be easily implemented on general purpose microprocessor systems. Four light sensitive devices, such as LDR, photodiodes or phototransistors are mounted on the solar panel and placed in an enclosure. The four light detectors are screened from each other by opaque surfaces. Each pair of the light sensors is used to inform the controller on the orientation of the solar panel vertically and horizontally respectively.

Power generation enhancement analysis of a 400 kWp grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic power plant in a hilly terrain of India

Photovoltaic (PV) technology projects operate for 25–30 years under different climatic conditions. However, for consistent economic returns, the system performance has to be assessed regularly. As per international standards, indicators and tests are prescribed to ensure reliable PV plant performance. In this study, performance analysis of a 400 kWp grid-connected solar plant with 10 subsystems is carried out, in a western Himalayan location of India. The annual solar power generation is found to be 431,088.539 kWh which is significantly low due to non-optimized installation and other factors. The minimum and maximum performance ratio of PV subsystems, are found to be 37 % and 92 % respectively. The total performance ratio of the plant is found to be 68 % which is relatively low as compared to similar PV plants installed in India. The average maximum power generated by a subsystem installed at near optimum tilt angle is found to be 4kWh/day/kWp, signifying the relevance of optimized system installation. The results show that the optimized PV panel tilt and orientation correction will lead to enhance energy production by 7.22 % and all corrective measures to identified factors will enhance the solar power generation by 121,833 kWh/year and reduction of 113 tons CO2 emissions.

Optimal design of stand-alone photovoltaic system based on battery storage system: A case study of Borj Cedria in Tunisia

This work deals with the optimal design of a stand-alone photovoltaic system (SAPS) based on the battery storage system and assesses its technical performance by using PVsyst simulation. In fact, this study is carried out to determine the optimal orientation and tilt angle of a solar panel for collecting maximum solar radiation. Borj Cedria is taken as a case study site to perform the optimum tilt angle through PVsyst. PV-GIS is utilized to estimate global solar irradiance. The proposed system can produce 1314 kWh of energy for the load, which is considered technically suitable for this area thanks to a performance ratio of 58.3% and high specific efficiency generation, besides the solar fraction of about 92.5%. From an economic point of view, the SAPS can save more than 44,000 Dt per year by purchasing energy from the grid system, while considering the aspect of sustainability, 66.24 kg of CO2 annually can be avoided by utilizing the sun’s energy. Furthermore, efficient solar panel use requires its characteristics to be identified under various conditions. An original experimental setup is carried out in the LPV Lab to identify PV characteristics. Experimental and simulation results performed under PSIM software are in good agreement, which shows the experimental setup’s effectiveness.

Thermo-Mechanical Numerical Analysis of Stress and Damage Distribution within the Surrounding Rock of Underground Coal Gasification Panels

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a promising technology for extracting synthesis gas from coal seams through in situ gasification. This study aims to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior and integrity of the surrounding rock in the gasification vicinity to facilitate safe and efficient UCG operations. Rock property testing experiments are conducted under varying temperature conditions, revealing significant temperature dependencies for the thermal and mechanical parameters. A thermo-mechanical coupling model is developed to analyze the stress and damage distribution near the gasification chamber. The influence of the temperature dependency of stress states and failure risks during the gasification process is evaluated. In addition, the effects of panel orientation, chamber width, maintaining duration, operating temperature and operating pressure on the failure behavior of the gasification surrounding rocks are illustrated through parametric analysis. The findings have practical implications for the design and assessment of UCG processes, enhancing the safety and efficiency of coal gasification operations.

Modeling of cotton dust effects using indigenously designed experimental setup for solar powered textile industry in Pakistan

ABSTRACT The performance improvement of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is envisaged to be one of the prime concerns for today’s energy sector to ensure optimal power yield. This paper investigates the impact of cotton dust on the solar-powered PV plant in the textile industry. In the first stage, using HM3301, the hourly data of cotton dust (6759 µg/m3) has been collected from an installed 250 kW system of a textile industry located in the hot-humid area of Pakistan. In the second stage, to model the same collected data, an indigenous experimental chamber has been constructed. The chamber has been designed to facilitate the fixed and moveable PV module. In the former type, the panel orientation was fixed at 30°, while the later configuration incorporates the moveable module that rotates with respect to the sun rotation. The experiment has been conducted for 96 hours spread over 12 days for each configuration, which collects the hourly data of humidity, temperature, voltage, current, and dust through five different dedicated sensors. The observed results show that the power output from the fixed PV configuration is 5.32% lesser than the movable configuration. PV panel power output efficiency of fixed configuration decreases from 0.134% to 0.102%. Similarly, the power output efficiency of movable PV module decreases from 0.147% to 0.115%.This illustrates cotton dust reduces the power output greater in fixed configuration as compared to movable configuration. Furthermore, linear regression analysis has been used on acquired data of power output and cotton dust accumulation that shows both quantities are highly correlated up to 97.6% and 95.1%, respectively. Also, by using the regression equation maximum quantity of cotton dust has been computed, which shows 0.116 grams for fixed and 0.129 grams for moveable configuration that will minimize the power output of the PV module. Through this study, textile units can devise periodic cleaning and assessment patterns that will help to maintain the power output and increase the life of the PV power plant.

An experimental study on hybrid control of a solar tracking system to maximize energy harvesting in Jordan

Due to its capacity to maximize the power produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar tracking systems have grown in popularity. However, erratic weather conditions, like cloudy or overcast days, change the panel's preferred orientation. On sunny days, the panel is turned to face the sun's radiation; however, on cloudy or overcast days, diffused radiation alters the optimal position. This has increased the necessity for new search algorithms that control the orientation of the panel to generate the most power feasible regardless of the weather conditions. This study aims at developing a sun-tracking system that can adjust the solar panel's orientation to generate the maximum possible electrical output from solar energy in Jordan, regardless of the local climate. To achieve this; a hybrid controller has been created that combines an open-loop sun monitoring system with a dynamic feedback controller built on an active search algorithm. The suggested algorithm is built on the real-time measurement of the PV panels' waning solar irradiance by using small solar cell 0.6 W. The system switches to the recently proposed circular path finding method to locate the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) if the instantaneous irradiance level falls below a predetermined threshold (DNI irradiance). As a result of the testing phase, the generated power of a solar panel increased by about 35%, confirming the effectiveness of the newly proposed sun tracker hybrid control system. During experimental test, positive irradiance current noises are appeared, using average filter taking the mean of 100 values for one measurement.

Optimization of photovoltaic panel tilt angle for short periods of time or multiple reorientations

Photovoltaic installations typically use fixed-mount photovoltaics (PV) panels with a constant orientation throughout the year. However, this does not maximize the energy output since the irradiance received by the panels depends on the sun position and the weather. This paper presents a novel approach to maximize the energy produced by fixed-mount PV panels for short-term and for permanent PV installations. For permanent installations, we considered a multiple-tilt scenario where the panel orientation is modified throughout the year. We developed a bi-layer algorithm to optimize the angles and timing of adjustments. Our method has been implemented in an open-source software, allowing optimal orientations and dates to be calculated for any installation. The optimal dates and the optimal angles have been successfully calculated for PV panels located at Reykjavik (Iceland), Sherbrooke (Canada), Quito (Ecuador), and Brasília (Brazil). We found that two reorientations per year were the most suitable option for all locations, resulting in a 3 % to 4.8 % gain in annual energy production compared to no reorientation. For short-term installations, using optimal orientation can improve energy production, with for instance 13 % improvement for a monthly installation in Brasilia.

Arduino-based design and implementation of experimental rooms with a trombe wall for solar cells applications

The simplicity of design and construction following the researcher's or company's notion is the most typical description of solar panels. There will be a set of sensors in every design to derive information about the environment's shifting seasons and days. Two chambers of 1 m2 and 2 m in height were constructed for this study. A solar panel made from a unique exchangeable material has been installed instead of one of the walls, allowing a space between them for experimental reasons. Several temperature sensors were mounted inside and outside the chamber, as well as on the surface of the solar panel and within the air openings, in this work to record the temperature readings in various places. The used controller, an Arduino, is in charge of several operations, including controlling the solar panel's cooling device, reading and recording sensor data and storing it in RAM, controlling the orientation of the solar panel, controlling the vacuums, and regulating the on-off time of the motors. The findings show that by using sensor data, the system can keep the temperature constant when it is turned on. Additionally, the battery life will be preserved to the greatest extent feasible thanks to the well-balanced regulation of the loads.

Effect of Inductor for Designing an Inverter to Maximize Solar Panel Power Output

The current methods to maximize solar cell efficiency have proven too complex for low-power solar applications. In addition, traditional methods, such as changing the orientation of a solar panel, can be too difficult for large photovoltaic arrays. Therefore, in this work, various analyses will be done with the critical components of a solar PV circuit to estimate its maximum power point (MPP). The effect of inductance for designing a solar cell system for maximized power by controlling the DC/DC Boost controller.

An improved model for available solar energy on Mars: Optimizing solar panel orientation to assess potential spacecraft landing sites

Solar energy is an important source of power for Mars surface missions. We utilize the output of a 1D radiative transfer algorithm to investigate the optimal orientation of static, tilted solar panels across the planet and compare their available energy to that of sun-tracking panels. Tilted static solar panels can collect up to 8.5 times as much solar energy as horizontal static panels, dependent on surface location and time of year. Static panels at optimal elevation angles and azimuthal pointing for their location were found to receive at minimum 53% of the solar energy available to sun-tracking panels. The effects of angled and sun-tracking solar panels were found to be most beneficial in the polar regions. A system that could alter its orientation even just a few times a year would be able to take advantage of a significant increase in power, evening out the available energy per sol for equatorial landing sites and reducing the solar panel area needed for overwintering in mid-latitude and polar areas. The outputs produced by our model provide useful information on the available energy for a variety of possible solar panel orientations for use in cost-benefit analyses of sun-tracking panels as well as the estimation of available power for Mars surface missions during the mission planning stage.

Application of the wave and finite element method to predict the acoustic performance of double-leaf cross-laminated timber panels

This paper presents a wave and finite element method for predicting the sound transmission loss of double-leaf walls comprising panels of arbitrary complexity separated by a cavity which can contain air or an insulating material. The method is verified against analytical models and validated against a number of different experimental measurements. The method is then used to investigate the effect of various parameters on the sound transmission performance of a double-leaf cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall construction. Parameters investigated include the flow resistivity of the insulating layer separating the wall panels and the effect of panel thickness and orientation. The effect of a neoprene rubber layer in between the CLT panels is also investigated.

Single and double-layered kirigami corrugated sandwich panels against impact loads

The influences of geometric configurations on the impact resistance performances for single and double-layered kirigami corrugated (KC) sandwich panels are investigated in this study. By folding a portion of the cell wall of a conventional corrugated unit, a kirigami corrugate unit is formed with significantly improved resistance, which is then used to form single and double-layered sandwich panels. The numerical model is first constructed and validated against the pendulum impact test results of the KC panel. To evaluate the effect of the geometric configurations on their impact resistance performance, four factors are considered, including the number and location of the fold-ins of the single-layered KC panel, the stacking and layer orientation of the double-layered KC panels. In total, 38 configurations of the panels are numerically studied, and their impact performances including energy absorption, peak and residual back plate deflection, and impact force–displacement curves are evaluated and compared. Up to 84% reduction in the residual back plate deflection is observed for single-layered KC panel compared to the conventional corrugated panel. Superior impact resistance is demonstrated for single-layered KC panels with more fold-ins, especially near the impacting area. It is also found that the stacking configuration and layer orientation are not directly linked to the impact resistance performance of double-layered KC panels. However, enhanced impact resistance could be achieved by arranging the stacking and orientation of the two core layers to provide better supports to the top cores. This work provides general design guidelines for the proposed single and double-layered KC panels.

СИСТЕМА АВТОМАТИЧЕСКОГО СЛЕЖЕНИЯ ЗА СОЛНЦЕМ

The possibility of implementing software based on a mathematical model of the Earth's motion around the Sun for a solar panel drive control system is being considered in order to increase the efficiency of the solar battery and bring it closer to application in industrial conditions. The method of conducting an experiment on the influence of the angle of inclination of the solar panel on the output power is described, and a stepper motor control scheme for the orientation of the solar panel in space is developed.