Solar Tracker

This paper presents the design and practical implementation of a simple active dual- axis solar tracker (DAST) to track the sun’s movement by using fewer components and low- cost as well. A dual- axis mechanism is developed in order to tilt the PV panel by two servo motors facing the highest intensity of sunlight captured by LDR sensors, which are placed in the four corners of PV panel. The DAST prototype was constructed practically and tested using a real- time virtual instrument based on Excel to determine its efficiency. Moreover, a comparison based on experimental results between the energy produced by the proposed smart DAST and a fixed panel shows that the smart DAST produces 36.26% more energy compared to the fixed panel. The proposed active DAST can be easily implemented without possessing deep knowledge about solar tracking technologies and electronic engineering.

A sustainable powered standalone automatic
Solar Tracking System is designed and successfully simulated to provide the best alignment of solar panel with position of the sun automatically, to extract an increased efficiency by 40 percent. A very low cost (approx. 5 USD), high precision Solar Tacking Sensor has been designed to rotate the solar panel coupled to the stepper motor rotates 25.70 degree at single step and to tracks the whole 180-degree trace in 8 (eight) steps per day with greater accuracy. Microcontroller (ATmega16) is used as main control unit where its ADC ports are used to interface the Sensor unit and ULN2000A motor driver is used to interface the stepper motor to rotate the solar panel at maximum solar energy angle. The results found from the simulation and analysis shows that, the system required 12.04 mA and 37.163 mA current, and 144.48 mW and 445.956 mW power, during standby and panel rotating mode respectively. The maximum current drawn by the Solar Tracking Sensor is less than 0.5 mA. ‘Proteus ISIS 7.7 professional’ is used for design and simulation, and ‘Code Vision AVR v2.5’ is used to write the program code and burning into the ATmega16 for simulation and analysis.

Photovoltaic (PV) is one of the most important sources of renewable energy in the world. Its current efficiency could be increased up to 60% by using dual axes solar tracker, which maximise PV exposure to sun. The most important component in dual axes solar tracker is sensing location of the sun. Four light dependent resistors (LDR) are used as the sensors, connected to potentiometers to increase their accuracy. Arduino UNO is used as the controller to control two stepper motors. Two experiments have been carried out, where the tolerance of the LDR has been found to be 0.05V and the calibration of the four LDRs to have the error of 0.03V. Both experiments proved the capability of LDR for dual axes solar tracker and potentiometer to increase their accuracy.

Photovoltaic system utilizes the naturally
available solar energy without creating any negative effect on
the environment. Solar energy is relatively available in different
regions of the world and this makes it a very vital source of
renewable energy. The exposure of the earth’s surface to the sun
rays varies with the earth’s revolution and rotation and to get
maximum energy from the sun, the incident solar beam must
always be at 90o to the solar cells at all times. To achieve this, a
solar tracker is required which senses the direction of the solar
rays and adjusts the position of the solar panel accordingly. This
paper is based on the design and implementation of an effective
and low cost sensor-enabled solar tracking device which uses
photo-sensors to detect sunlight and the measured intensity is
read as input by a microcontroller which commands an actuator
to change the position of the solar panel for maximum energy
reception. The test results after design implementation shows an
improved solar energy capture-efficiency as compared with that
of a fixed solar panel and this was achieved at a low cost.

Automated irrigation system focuses on optimizing the usage of water in agricultural land. In this project, we aim at establishing a very fast communication link with the farmer. This makes it easy for the farmers to monitor the soil and the crop conditions from very far locations. Because of its low cost, the system has the potential to be useful in water limited geographically isolated area. This system implement the automated irrigation and it sends the sensed value of soil temperature, moisture and humidity level to the concerned person through wifi. Wifi module can work across a range of around 150m & hence can provide remote controlling for large distances. The soil temperature, moisture and humidity values will be monitored continuously. Along with the help of a Real Time Clock module all the data is saved in order to track any sudden changes. In case of any energy theft taking place in the area, a specified person will be notified by beeping of a buzzer .The energy will be produced autonomously with the help of a solar panel & solar charger using Solar Tracker consisting of Light dependant resistor diodes to track maximum intensity of photons for the solar tracker. The project is scalable as long as they work on the same server. The project will be successful in increasing the competence of various farming activities. In order to increase the ease of working in the field for the farmer an automated irrigation system is build using wifi module to control the centrifugal pumps forcing the water to the fields by using an android application.

Free to download eBook on Practical Solar Tracking Design, following the sun solar tracking system, sun tracking system, sun tracker system, solar tracker system, sun positioning system, and sun path tracking with follow the sun position calculation (azimuth, elevation, zenith), sun trajectory, sun following system, sunrise tracking, sunset tracking, sunlight-phases, dawn, dusk, moon-phase, twilight, moonrise, moonset calculator. Solar Tracking is a key Technology to unlock the full potential of RE in RES.
In harnessing power from the sun through a solar tracker or solar tracking system and following the sun, renewable energy system developers require automatic solar tracking software and solar position algorithms. As a result of the apparent motion of the sun, a sun path on-axis sun tracking system such as the altitude-azimuth dual axis or multi-axis solar tracker systems use a sun tracking algorithm or ray tracing sensors or software to ensure the sun's passage through the sky is traced with high precision in automated solar tracker applications, right through summer solstice, solar equinox and winter solstice using sun positional astronomy.

In general, this book may benefit solar research, sun surveying, sun position applet, solar energy harvesting, solar energy tracker and sun tracking solar panel applications in countries such as Africa, Mediterranean, Italy, Spain, Greece, USA, Mexico, South America, Brazilia, Argentina, Chili, India, Malaysia, Middle East, UAE, Russia, Japan and China. This book on practical automatic Solar-Tracking Sun-Tracking is in .PDF format and can easily be converted to the solar tracking system sun tracking system .EPUB .MOBI .AZW .ePub .FB2 .LIT .LRF .MOBI .PDB .PDF .TCR formats for smartphones and Kindle by using the ebook.online-convert.com facility.

From sun tracing software perspective, the sonnet Tracing The Sun has a literal meaning. Within the context of sun track and trace, this book explains that the sun's daily path across the sky is directed by relatively simple principles, and if grasped/understood, then it is relatively easy to trace the sun with sun following software. Sun Surveyor and Sun Position computer software for tracing the sun are available as open source code, sources that is listed in this book. This book also describes the use of satellite tracking software and mechanisms in solar tracking applications using Sun Microsystems and other processor architecture.
Using solar equations in an electronic circuit for solar tracking is quite simple, even if you are a novice, but mathematical solar equations are over complicated by academic experts and professors in text-books, journal articles and internet websites. In terms of solar hobbies, scholars, students and Hobbyist's looking at solar tracking electronics or PC programs for solar tracking are usually overcome by the sheer volume of scientific material and internet resources, which leaves many developers in frustration when search for simple experimental solar tracking source-code for their on-axis sun-tracking systems. This booklet will simplify the search for the mystical sun tracking formulas for your sun tracker innovation and help you develop your own autonomous solar tracking controller.

By directing the solar collector directly into the sun, a solar harvesting means or device can harness sunlight or thermal heat. This is achieved with the help of sun angle formulas, solar angle formulas or solar tracking procedures for the calculation of sun's position in the sky. Automatic sun tracking system software includes algorithms for solar altitude azimuth angle calculations required in following the sun across the sky. In using the longitude, latitude GPS coordinates of the solar tracker location, these sun tracking software tools supports precision solar tracking by determining the solar altitude-azimuth coordinates for the sun trajectory in altitude-azimuth tracking at the tracker location, using certain sun angle formulas in sun vector calculations. Instead of follow the sun software, a sun tracking sensor such as a sun sensor or camera with vision based sun following image processing software can also be used to determine the position of the sun optically. Such optical feedback devices are commonly used in solar panel tracking systems and dish tracking systems.

Dynamic sun tracing is also used in solar surveying and sun surveying systems that build solar radiance, irradiance and DNI models for GIS (geographical information system) and database systems. In such solar resource modelling systems, a pyranometer or solarimeter is used in addition to measure direct and indirect, scattered, dispersed, reflective radiation for a particular geographical location. Sunlight analysis is important in flash photography where photographic lighting are important for photographers. GIS systems are used by architects who add sun shadow applets to study architectural shading or sun shadow analysis, solar flux calculations, optical modelling or to perform weather modelling. Such systems often employ a computer operated telescope type mechanism with ray tracing program software as a solar navigator or sun tracer that determines the solar position and intensity.

Many open-source sun following and tracking algorithms and source-code for solar tracking programs and modules are freely available to download on the internet today. The purpose of this booklet is to assist developers to track and trace suitable source-code and solar tracking algorithms for their application, whether a hobbyist, scientist, technician or engineer. The solar library used by solar position calculators, solar simulation software and solar contour calculators include machine program code for the solar hardware controller which are software programmed into Micro-controllers, Programmable Logic Controllers PLC, programmable gate arrays, Arduino processor or PIC processor. PC based solar tracking is also high in demand using C++, Visual Basic VB, as well as Windows and Mac based software for sun path tables on Matlab, Excel. Some books and internet webpages use other terms, such as: sun angle calculator, sun position calculator or solar angle calculator. As said, such software code calculate the solar azimuth angle, solar altitude angle, solar elevation angle or the solar Zenith angle (Zenith solar angle is simply referenced from vertical plane, the mirror of the elevation angle measured from the horizontal or ground plane level). Similar software code is also used in solar calculator apps or the solar power calculator apps for IOS and Android smartphone devices. Most of these smartphone solar mobile apps show the sun path and sun-angles for any location and date over a 24 hour period. Some smartphones include augmented reality features in which you can physically see and look at the solar path through your cell phone camera or mobile phone camera at your phone's specific GPS location.

Software algorithms predicting position of the sun in the sky are commonly available as Java applets, C++ code, Basic, GBasic and QBasic code, Matlab and Simulink procedures, TRNSYS simulations, Scada system apps, Labview module, mobile and iphone apps, tablet apps, and so forth. At the same time, PLC software code for a range of sun tracking automation technology (mechatronic, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic drives and motors) can follow the profile of sun in sky for Siemens, HP, Panasonic, ABB, Allan Bradley, OMRON, SEW, Festo, Beckhoff, Rockwell, Schneider, Yokonawa, or Muthibishi platforms. Sun path projection software are also available for a range of processors, including Siemens S7-1200 or Siemens Logo, OMRON PLC, Ercam PLC, AC500plc ABB, National Instruments, PIC processor, Arduino, and so forth. Analogue or digital interfacing ports on these processors allow for tracking orientation angle feedback through one or a combination of angle sensor or angle encoder, shaft encoder, precision encoder, optical encoder, magnetic encoder, direction encoder, rotational encoder, tilt sensor, inclination sensor, or pitch sensor. Note that the tracker's elevation or zenith axis angle may measured with an altitude angle, declination angle, inclination angle, pitch angle, or vertical angle, zenith axis. Similarly the tracker's azimuth axis angle be measured with a azimuth angle sensor, horizontal angle, roll angle sensor.

Many solar tracker applications cover a wide spectrum of solar energy and concentrated solar devices, including solar power generation, solar desalination, solar water purification, solar steam generation, solar electricity generation, solar industrial process heat, solar thermal heat storage, solar food dryers, hydrogen production from methane or producing hydrogen and oxygen from water (HHO). Many patented or non-patented solar apparatus include tracking in solar apparatus for solar electric generator, solar desalinator, solar steam engine, solar ice maker, solar water purifier, solar cooling, solar refrigeration, USB solar charger, solar phone charging, portable solar charging tracker, solar cooking or solar dying means. Your project may be the next breakthrough or patent, but your invention is held back by frustration in search for the sun tracker you require for your solar powered appliance, solar generator, solar tracker robot, solar freezer, solar cooker, solar drier, solar freezer, or solar dryer project. Whether your solar electronic circuit diagram include a simplified solar controller design in a solar electricity project, solar power kit, solar hobby kit, solar steam generator, solar hot water system, solar ice maker, solar desalinator, hobbyist solar panels, hobby robot, or if you are developing professional or hobby electronics for a solar utility or micro scale solar powerplant for your own solar farm or solar farming, this publication may help accelerate the development of your solar tracking innovation.