DUAL AXIS SOLAR TRACKER
ABSTRACT
A solar tracking system using Arduino is
designed and built. This system collects free energy from the sun and stores it
in the battery and then converts this energy to the respective alternating
current. Its makes the energy usable in normal homes as an independent power
source. This system is designed to react to its environment in the shortest
amount of time. Any errors at software and hardware will be controlled or
eliminated. Our system is tested for its real-time responsiveness, reliability,
stability and safety. Our system is designed to be resistant to weather,
temperature and some minor mechanical stresses.
As the
energy demand and the environmental problems increase, the natural energy
sources have become very important as an alternative to the conventional energy
sources. The renewable energy sector is fast gaining ground as a new growth
area for numerous countries with the vast potential it presents environmentally
and economically. Solar energy plays an important role as a primary source of
energy, especially for rural area. This project aims at the development of
process to track the sun and attain maximum efficiency using Arduino and LDR
Sensor for realtime monitoring. The project is divided into two stages, which
are hardware and software development. In hardware development, two light
dependent resistor (LDR) has been used for capturing maximum light source.
Servo motor has been used to move the solar panel at maximum light source
location sensing by LDR. The performance of the system has been tested and
compared with static solar panel. This project describes the design of a low
cost, solar tracking system. In this project a
dual axis solar tracking system has been developed by which more energy from
the sun can be harnessed. In this project, an , Aurdino , has been used as the
main controlling unit. To detect the position of the sun on the sky, two LDRs
have been used and to rotate the orientation of the Solar PV panel a servo
motor has been used. The sensors and servo motor have properly been interfaced
.
The servo motor has been
mechanically coupled with the PV panel. The whole system has been assembled
together and its performance has been tested. This tracker changes the
direction of the solar panel based on the direction of the sun facing to the
panel successfully. dual axis solar tracker tracks the sun on daily basis and
makes the solar panel more efficient.
Solar energy is
rapidly advancing as an important
means of renewable
energy resource. It is radiant
light and heat from the
Sun that is
harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating,
photovoltaic, solar thermal energy, solar architecture,
molten salt power
plants and artificial photosynthesis. Trackers direct
solar panels or modules toward the sun.
These devices change their orientation throughout the day to
follow the sun’s path to maximize
energy capture. The use of solar
trackers can increase electricity
production by around a third, and some claim by
as much as 40% in some regions,
compared with modules at a
fixed angle. In any solar
application, the conversion efficiency is improved when the modules are continually adjusted to the optimum
angle as the sun
traverses the sky. This paper
presents the designing of a solar tracking system which is
based on Arduino UNO and which provides
movement of solar
panel in the direction of maximum
sun light incident. As a result
of which we get more efficient system which is compact, low cost as well
as easy to use.
INTRODUCTION
In this
project a dual axis solar tracking system has been developed by which more
energy from the sun can be harnessed. In this project, an Arduino Uno, which is
an Atmel microcontroller-based board, has been used as the main controlling
unit. To detect the position of the sun on the sky, two LDRs have been used and
to rotate the orientation of the Solar PV panel a servo motor has been used.
The sensors and servo motor have properly been interfaced with the Arduino
board. The servo motor has been mechanically coupled with the PV panel. The
driving program has been written using the Arduino IDE. The whole system has
been assembled together and its performance has been tested. This tracker
changes the direction of the solar panel based on the direction of the sun
facing to the panel successfully. Single axis solar tracker tracks the sun on
daily basis and makes the solar panel more efficient.
Solar
energy is an unlimited source of energy which if harnessed properly will get
the mankind devoid of using the conventional sources of energy he has been long
using. This project has been designed keeping this in view to make the
harnessing of solar energy more efficient. The conversion of solar light into
electrical energy represents one of the most promising and challenging
energetic technologies, in continuous development, being clean, silent and
reliable, with very low maintenance costs and minimal ecological impact. A
photovoltaic panel is a device used to capture the suns radiation. These panels
consist of an array of solar cells. The solar cells are made up of silicon
(sand). They are then connected to complete a photovoltaic (solar) panel. When
the sun rays are incident on the solar cells, due to the photovoltaic effect,
light energy from the sun is used to convert it to electrical energy. We know
that most of the energy gets absorbed, when the
panels surface is perpendicular to the sun. Stationary mounted PV (photo
voltaic) panels are only perpendicular to sun once a day but the challenge for
is to get maximum energy from the source, so for it we use trackers on which
the whole system is mounted. In tracking system, solar panels move according to
the movement of sun throughout the day.
Tracker systems follow the sun throughout the
day to maximize energy output. The Solar Tracker is a proven single-axis
tracking technology that has been custom designed to integrate with solar
modules and reduce system costs. The Solar Tracker generates up to 25% more
energy than fixed mounting systems and provides a bankable energy production
profile preferred by utilities.
DUAL- AXIS TRACKING SYSTEM
To track the sun in two
directions that is elevation and azimuth, a dual-axis
tracking prototype is developed to capture the maximum sun rays
by tracking the movement of the sun in four different directions.
One axis is azimuth which allows the solar panel to move
left and right. Our tracker is a dual axis tracker, meaning it
tracks in both X and Y. To put it into even more simple terms, it goes left,
right, up, and down. This means once you have your tracker set up you will
never need to change or adjust anything, since anywhere the sun moves your
tracker will follow. This also impresses people at parties because you can have
it track a flashlight around. This method gives the best results for power
generation.
A Solar tracker is an automated solar panel which actually follows
the sun to get maximum power. The primary benefit of a tracking system is to
collect solar energy for the longest period of the day, and with the most
accurate alignment as the Sun’s position shifts with the seasons . Dual Axis Tracker have two different
degrees through which they use as axis of rotation. The dual axis are usually
at a normal of each rotate both east to west and north to south. Solar tracking
is the most appropriate technology to enhance the electricity production of a
PV system. To achieve a high degree of tracking accuracy, several approaches
have been widely investigated. Generally, they can be classified as either
open-loop tracking types based on solar movement mathematical models or
closed-loop tracking types using sensor-based feedback controllers . In the
open-loop tracking approach, a tracking formula or control algorithm is used. the azimuth and the elevation angles of the Sun
were determined by solar movement models or algorithms at the given date, time
and geographical information. The control algorithms were executed in a microprocessor
controller . In the closed-loop tracking approach, various active sensor
devices, such as charge couple devices (CCDs) or light dependent resistors
(LDRs) were utilized to sense the Sun’s
positio a feedback error signal has the generated to the control system to continuously
receive the maximum solar radiation on the PV panel. This paper proposes an
empirical research approach on this issue. Solar tracking approaches can be
implemented by using single-axis schemes , and dual-axis structures for higher
accuracy systems. In general, the single-axis tracker with one degree of
freedom follows the Sun follows the movement from the east to west during a day
while a dual-axis tracker also follows the elevation angle of the Sun. In
recent years, there has been a growing volume of research concerned with
dual-axis solar tracking systems. However, in the existing research, most of
them used two stepper motors or two DC
motors to perform dual-axis solar tracking. With two tracking motors designs,
two motors were mounted on perpendicular axes, and even aligned them in certain
directions. In some cases, both motors could not move at the same time .
Furthermore, such systems always involve complex tracking strategies using
microprocessor chips as a control platform. In this work, employing a dual-axis
with only single tracking motor, an attempt has been made to develop and
implement a simple and efficient control scheme.
The two axes of the Sun tracker were allowed to move
simultaneously within their respective ranges. Utilizing conventional
electronic circuits, no programming or computer interface was needed. Moreover,
the proposed system used a stand-alone PV inverter to drive motor and provide
power supply. The system was self-contained and autonomous. Experiment results
have demonstrated the feasibility of the tracking PV system and verified the
advantages of the proposed control implementation.
There are three methods of tracking:
1. Active
2. Passive
3. Chronological and Manual tracking systems.
1.Active
tracking system:- The position of the sun is determined by the sensors.
These sensors will trigger the motor to move the mounting system so that the
panels will always face the sun rays perpendicular to it throughout the day.
But in this system it is very difficult for sensors to determine the position
of sun in cloudy days. So it is not a very accurate.
2.Passive tracking systems:- The position of the sun by moving the panels
in response to an imbalance pressure between the two points at both ends of the
trackers. The imbalance pressure caused by solar heat creates a gas pressure on
a low boiling point compressed gas fluid that is driven to one side or the
other accordingly, which then moves the system. This method is also not
accurate as the shade /reflectors that are used to reflect early morning
sunlight to “wake up” the panel and tilt it towards the sun can take nearly an
hour to do so.
3.Chronological system:- A chronological tracker is a timer-based
tracking system whereby the structure is moved at a fixed rate throughout the
day. The theory behind this is that the sun moves across the sky at a fixed
rate. Thus the motor or actuator is programmed to continuously rotate at a
„slow average rate of one revolution per day (15 degrees per hour).
This method of sun-tracking is very accurate.
However, the continuous rotation of the motor or actuator means more power
consumption and tracking the sun. In manual tracking system, drives are
replaced by operators who adjust the trackers. This has the benefits of
robustness having staff available for
maintenance and creating employment for the population in the vicinity of the
site.
COMPONENTS OF SOLAR TRACKER
1.
10 rpm gear motor
2.
4 volt small solor plate
3.
L293D motor driver
4.
IR sensor according to video
5.
4 LDR sensor
6.
Arduino uno
7.
Wooden base
8.
2 battery cap
9.
9 volt battery
10 RPM GEAR MOTOR:- A gear
motor is a specific type of electrical motor that is designed to produce high
torque while maintaining a low horsepower, or low speed, motor output. Gear
motors can be found in many different applications, and are probably used in
many devices in your home.
Gear
motors are commonly used in devices such as can openers, garage
door openers,
washing machine time control knobs, and even electric alarm clocks. Common
commercial applications of a gear motor include hospital beds, commercial
jacks, and cranes. Regardless of what type of gear motor you’re dealing with,
they all work in the same manner. Gear motors
are commonly used in commercial applications where a piece of equipment needs
to be able to exert a high amount of force in order to move a very heavy
object.
A gear motor or stepping motor is a dc
brushless electric motor that divides a full rotation into a display device is
an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form.
When the input information is supplied has an electrical signal, the display is
called an electronic display number of equal step. The motor’s position can
then be commanded to move and hold at one of these steps without any position
sensor for feedback as long as the motor is carefully sized to the application
in respect to torque and speed.
Fig :Dc gear
motor Diagram
4 VOLT SMALL SOLOR PLATE:- A photovoltaic module is a packaged,
connect assembly of typically 6x10 photovoltaic solar cells. Photovoltaic
modules constitute the photovoltaic array of a photovoltaic system that
generates and supplies solar electricity in commercial and residential
applications. Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test
conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 365 Watts (W). The efficiency of a
module determines the area of a module given the same rated output – an 8%
efficient 230 W module will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 W
module. There are a few commercially available solar modules that exceed
efficiency of 22% and reportedly also exceeding 24%.
A single solar module can produce only a
limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules. A
photovoltaic system typically includes an array of photovoltaic modules, an
inverter, a battery pack for storage, interconnection wiring, and optionally a
solar tracking mechanism. The most common application of solar panels is solar
water heating systems.
Fig :
Solar panel Diagram
L293D MOTOR DRIVER:- :- L293D is a Motor driver IC used to control motors
with a microcontroller. This motor shield consists of three IC’s. We can
control 4 motors with the shield so there are two L293d Ic’s used. The motor
shield is used for (Arduino Uno) board. This shield can control servo’s, Dc
motors and stepper motors.
The two chips of L293D can control four motors with 0.6 A per bridge. The best thing about the shield is we don’t need to write the whole function for driving a motor there is a special library for this module. we just recall some commands to run the motor.
The two chips of L293D can control four motors with 0.6 A per bridge. The best thing about the shield is we don’t need to write the whole function for driving a motor there is a special library for this module. we just recall some commands to run the motor.
L293D is a typical Motor
driver or Motor Driver IC which allows DC motor to drive on either direction.
L293D is a 16-pin IC which can control a set of two DC motors simultaneously in
any direction. It means that you can control two DC motor with a single L293D
IC. Dual H-bridge Motor Driver integrated circuit (IC).
The l293d can drive small and quiet big motors as well, check the Voltage
Specification In a single L293D chip there are two h-Bridge circuit
inside the IC which can rotate two dc motor independently. Due its size it is
very much used in robotic application for controlling DC motors.
There are two Enable pins on l293d. Pin 1 and
pin 9, for being able to drive the motor, the pin 1 and 9 need to be high. For
driving the motor with left H-bridge you need to enable pin 1 to high. And for
right H-Bridge you need to make the pin 9 to high. If anyone of the either pin1
or pin9 goes low then the motor in the corresponding section will suspend
working. It’s like a switch.
TIP: you
can simply connect the pin16 VCC (5v) to pin 1 and pin 9 to make them high.
IR (INFRA RED) sensor :-
An infrared sensor is an electronic device, that emits in order to sense some aspects of
the surroundings. An IR sensor can measure the heat of an object as well as
detects the motion. These types of sensors measures only infrared radiation,
rather than emitting it that is called as a passive IR sensor. Usually in the infrared spectrum, all the
objects radiate some form of thermal radiations. These types of radiations
are invisible to our eyes, that can be detected by an infrared sensor.
The emitter is simply an IR LED (Light Emitting Diode) and the detector is simply an IR photodiode which is sensitive to IR
light of the same wavelength as that emitted by the IR LED. When IR light falls
on the photodiode, The resistances and these output voltages, change in
proportion to the magnitude of the IR light received.
Fig: IR Sensor
An infrared sensor circuit is
one of the basic and popular sensor module in an electronic device. This sensor is analogous to
human’s visionary senses.
IR SENSOR APPLICATIONS
IR sensors are used in various Sensor based projects and also in various electronic
devices.
Radiation
Thermometers
IR sensors are used in radiation thermometers to measure the
temperature depend upon the temperature and the material of the object and
these thermometers have some of the following features
·
Measurement without direct contact with the object
·
Faster response
·
Easy pattern measurements
Flame
Monitors
These types of devices are used for detecting the light emitted
from the flames and to monitor how the flames are burning. The Light emitted
from flames extend from UV to IR region types. PbS, PbSe, Two-color detector,
pyro electric detector are some of the commonly employed detector used in flame
monitors.
Moisture
Analyzers
Moisture analyzers use wavelengths which are absorbed by the
moisture in the IR region. Objects are irradiated with light having these
wavelengths(1.1 µm, 1.4 µm, 1.9 µm, and 2.7µm) and also with reference
wavelengths. The Lights reflected from the objects depend upon the moisture
content and is detected by analyzer to measure moisture (ratio of reflected
light at these wavelengths to the reflected light at reference wavelength). In
GaAs PIN photodiodes, Pbs photoconductive detectors are employed in moisture analyzer
circuits.
Gas
Analyzers
IR sensors are used in gas analyzers which use absorption
characteristics of gases in the IR region. Two types of methods are used to
measure the density of gas such as dispersive and non dispersive.
Dispersive: An Emitted light is
spectroscopically divided and their absorption characteristics are used to
analyze the gas ingredients and the sample quantity.
Non dispersive: It is most commonly used method
and it uses absorption characteristics without dividing the emitted light. Non
dispersive types use discrete optical band pass filters, similar to sunglasses
that are used for eye protection to filter out unwanted UV radiation.
This type of configuration is commonly referred to as non
dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology. This type of analyzer is used for
carbonated drinks, whereas non dispersive analyzer is used in most of the
commercial IR instruments, for an automobile exhaust gas fuel leakages.
IR
Imaging Devices
IR image device is one of the major applications of IR waves,
primarily by virtue of its property that is not visible. It is used for thermal
imagers, night vision devices, etc.
For examples Water, rocks, soil, vegetation, an atmosphere, and
human tissue all features emit IR radiation. The Thermal infrared detectors
measure these radiations in IR range and map the spatial temperature
distributions of the object/area on an image. Thermal imagers usually composed
of a Sb (indium antimonite), Gd Hg (mercury-doped germanium), Hg Cd Te
(mercury-cadmium-telluride) sensors.
An electronic detector is cooled to low temperatures using
liquid helium or liquid nitrogen’s. Then the Cooling the detectors
ensures that the radiant energy (photons) recorded by the detectors comes from
the terrain and not from the ambient temperature of objects within the scanner
itself an IR imaging electronic devices.
LDR
SENSOR:- - A Light
Dependent Resistor (LDR) is also called a photo resistor or a cadmium
sulfide (CdS) cell. It is also called a
photoconductor. It is basically a photocell that works on the principle of
photoconductivity. The passive component is basically a resistor whose
resistance value decreases when the intensity of light decreases. This
optoelectronic device is mostly used in light varying sensor circuit, and light
and dark activated switching circuits. Some of its applications include camera
light meters, street lights. On the top and bottom are metal films which are
connected to the terminal leads. It is designed in such a way as to provide
maximum possible contact area with the two metal
films.
The structure is housed in a clear plastic or resin case, to provide free
access to external light. As explained above, the main component for the construction
of LDR is cadmium sulphide (CdS), which is used as the photoconductor and
contains no or very few electrons when not illuminated. In the absence of light
it is designed to have a high resistance in the range of mega ohms. As soon as
light falls on the sensor, the electrons are liberated and the conductivity of
the material increases. When the light intensity exceeds a certain frequency,
the photons absorbed by the semiconductor give band electrons the energy
required to jump into the conduction band. This causes the free electrons or
holes to conduct electricity and thus dropping the resistance dramatically
(< 1 Kilo ohm).
A photo resistor (or light-dependent resistor, LDR, or photo-conductive cell) is a light-controlled variable resistor. The resistance of a photo resistor decreases with increasing incident
light intensity; in other words, it exhibits photoconductivity. A photo resistor can be
applied in light-sensitive detector circuits, and light-activated and
dark-activated switching circuits.
A photo resistor is made of a high resistance semiconductor. In the dark, a photo resistor can have a resistance as high as
several mega ohms (MΩ), while in the light, a photo resistor can have a
resistance as low as a few hundred ohms. If incident light on a photo resistor
exceeds a certain frequency, photons absorbed by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into the conduction
band. The resulting free electrons
(and their hole partners) conduct
electricity, thereby lowering resistance. The resistance range and sensitivity of a photo resistor can
substantially differ among dissimilar devices. Moreover, unique photo resistors
may react substantially differently to photons within certain wavelength bands.
The solar tracker system will obtain its data
from two CDS (Cadmium Sulfide) photocells, which are type of LDR. The material
used in CDS photocell is of high resistance semiconductor. Therefore, once
light falls on its surface, photons absorbed by the semiconductor will give
bound electrons enough energy to jump in to the conduction band. As the result
free electrons conduct electricity and thus lower the resistance. In case of
high intensity, photocell will produce lowest resistance, the opposite will
occur in case of complete darkness.
ARDUINO UNO:- The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board
based on the ATmega328.It has 14 digital
input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a
16 MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a
reset button. Arduino board designs use a variety of microprocessors and
controllers. The boards are equipped with sets of digital and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may be interfaced
to various expansion boards or breadboards (shields)
and other circuits.
The boards feature
serial communications interfaces, including Universal Serial Bus (USB) on some models, which are
also used for loading programs from personal computers. The microcontrollers
are typically programmed using a dialect of features from the programming languages C and C++. In addition to using traditional compiler toolchains the Arduino
project provides an integrated development
environment (IDE) based on
the Processing language project. Most Arduino boards consist of
an Atmel 8-bit AVR microcontroller (ATmega8, ATmega168, ATmega328, ATmega1280, ATmega2560) with
varying amounts of flash memory, pins, and features. The 32-bit Arduino Due, based on the Atmel SAM3X8E was introduced in 2012. The boards use single or double-row pins or female headers that facilitate
connections for programming and incorporation into other circuits. These may
connect with add-on modules termed shields. Multiple and possibly stacked
shields may be individually addressable via an I²C serial bus. Most boards include a 5V linear regulator and a 16 MHz crystal oscillator or ceramic resonator. Some designs, such as the LilyPad, run at
8 MHz and dispense with the onboard voltage regulator due to specific
form-factor restrictions.
Arduino microcontrollers are pre-programmed with a boot loader that simplifies uploading of programs to the on-chip flash memory. The default bootloader of the
Arduino UNO is the optiboot bootloader Boards are loaded with program
code via a serial connection to another computer. Some serial Arduino boards contain
a level shifter circuit to convert between RS-232 logic levels and transistor–transistor logic (TTL) level signals. Current Arduino boards are programmed via Universal Serial Bus (USB), implemented using USB-to-serial adapter chips such as the FTDI FT232. Some boards, such as later-model Uno boards, substitute
the FTDI chip with a separate AVR chip containing USB-to-serial firmware,
which is reprogrammable via its own ICSP header. Other variants, such as the Arduino Mini and the
unofficial arduino, use a detachable USB-to-serial adapter board or cable, Bluetooth or other methods. When used with traditional microcontroller
tools, instead of the Arduino IDE, standard AVR in-system programming (ISP) programming is used.
·
Fig :Arduino circuit Diagram
BATTERY CAP: A battery assembled cap,
a cylindrical battery with the cap and a method for making
the same. The vent cap is attached to the battery cover by
a hinge connection which allows for play between the vent cap and
the battery cover and which allows for rotation of the vent cap.
A battery holder is one or more
compartments or chambers for holding a battery.
For dry
cells, the holder must also make electrical contact with
the battery terminals. For wet cells, cables are often connected to
the battery terminals, as is found in automobiles or emergency
lighting equipment The purpose of the vent caps is to allow
for the escape of gases formed when the battery is charging. In
addition, the vent caps allow water and acid levels of
the battery to be checked during maintenance.
Lead-acid batteries can produce explosive mixtures of hydrogen and
oxygen gases when they are being charged.
Battery can play an important role
in achieving the target of universal access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity
services. Battery is an energy storage device consisting of two or
more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical
energy and used as a source of power
Fig:-
Basttery cap
VOLT BATTERY:- :-
A power supply is an electronic
device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load. The primary
function of a power supply is to convert one form of electrical energy to
another. As a result, power supplies are sometimes referred to as electric
power converters. A battery is an electrochemical device that
produces a voltage potential when placing metals of different affinities into
an acid solution (electrolyte). The open circuit voltage (OCV) that develops as
part of an electrochemical reaction varies with the metals and electrolyte used
A battery is a device consisting of one or more
electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices
such as flashlights, mobile phones, and electric cars.
When a
battery is supplying electric power, its positive terminal is the cathode and
its negative terminal is the anode. A battery is a device consisting
of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for
powering electrical devices such as flashlights, mobile phones, and electric cars. When a battery is
supplying electric power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative
terminal is the anode. The terminal marked
negative is the source of electrons that will flow through an external electric
circuit to the positive terminal. When a battery is connected to an external
electric load, a redox reaction converts
high-energy reactants to lower-energy products, and the free-energy difference is delivered
to the external circuit as electrical energy.
Fig :Battery
OPERATION
1. LDRs are used as the main light
sensors. Two servo motors are fixed to the structure that holds the solar
panel. The program for Arduino is uploaded to the microcontroller. The working
of the project is as follows.
2. LDRs sense the amount of sunlight falling
on them. Four LDRs are divided into top, bottom, left and right.
3. For east – west tracking, the
analog values from two top LDRs and two bottom LDRs are compared and if the top
set of LDRs receive more light, the vertical servo will move in that direction.
4. If the bottom LDRs receive more
light, the servo moves in that direction.
5. For angular deflection of the
solar panel, the analog values from two left LDRs and two right LDRs are
compared. If the left set of LDRs receive more light than the right set, the
horizontal servo will move in that direction.
6. If the right set of LDRs receive
more light, the servo moves in that direction.
WORKING:
The principle of the solar tracking system is
done by Light Dependant Resistor (LDR). Four LDR’s are connected to Arduino
analog pin AO to A4 that acts as the input for the system. The built-in
Analog-to-Digital Converter will convert the analog value of LDR and convert it
into digital. The inputs are from analog value of LDR, Arduino as the
controller and the DC motor will be the output. LDR1 and LDR2, LDR3 and LDR4
are taken as pair .If one of the LDR in a pair gets more light intensity than
the other, a difference will occur on node voltages sent to the respective
Arduino channel to take necessary action. The DC motor will move the solar
panel to the position of the high intensity LDR that was in the programming.
PROGRAMMING OF AURDUINO DUAL- AXIS TRACKING SYSTEM:-
void setup() {
// initialize
digital pin 13 as an output.
pinMode(2, INPUT);
pinMode(3, INPUT);
pinMode(4, INPUT);
pinMode(5, INPUT);
pinMode(6,OUTPUT );
pinMode(7,OUTPUT );
pinMode(8,OUTPUT );
pinMode(9,OUTPUT );
}
// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop()
{
if(
digitalRead(2)&&digitalRead(3)&&digitalRead(4)&&digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if( digitalRead(2)&&digitalRead(4)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,HIGH);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if( digitalRead(3)&&digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,HIGH);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,HIGH);
}
else if( digitalRead(2)&&digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,HIGH);
}
else if( digitalRead(3)&&digitalRead(4)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,HIGH);
digitalWrite(8,HIGH);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if(
digitalRead(2)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,HIGH);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if( digitalRead(3)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,HIGH);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if( digitalRead(4)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,HIGH);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
else if( digitalRead(5)==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,HIGH);
}
else
{
digitalWrite(6,LOW);
digitalWrite(7,LOW);
digitalWrite(8,LOW);
digitalWrite(9,LOW);
}
}
ADVANTAGE:-
·
Trackers
generate more electricity than their stationary counterparts due to increased
direct exposure to solar rays.
·
Solar
trackers generate more electricity in roughly the same amount of space needed
for fixed-tilt systems, making them ideal for optimizing land usage.
·
Advancement
in technology and reliability in electronics and mechanics have drastically
reduced long term maintenance concerns for tracking systems
- Trackers
generate more electricity than their stationary counterparts due to
increased direct exposure to solar rays. This increase can be as much as
10 to 25% depending on the geographic location of the tracking
system.
- There
are many different kinds of solar trackers, such
as single-axis and dual axis trackers, all of which can
be the perfect fit for a unique jobsite. Installation size, local weather,
degree of latitude and electrical requirements are all important
considerations that can influence the type of solar tracker best suited
for a specific solar installation.
- Solar
trackers generate more electricity in roughly the same amount of space
needed for fixed-tilt systems, making them ideal for optimizing land
usage.
- In
certain states, some utilities offer Time of Use (TOU) rate plans for
solar power, which means the utility will purchase the power generated
during the peak time of the day at a higher rate. In this case, it is
beneficial to generate a greater amount of electricity during these peak times
of the day. Using a tracking system helps maximize the energy gains
during these peak time periods.
- Advancements
in technology and reliability in electronics and mechanics have
drastically reduced long-term maintenance concerns for tracking systems.
APPLICATION
Solar Photovoltaic
plants require continuous orientation towards sun for consistent efficiency
output. This product will prove a great boon for them.
Solar water heating
applications can also implement the same technique to heat water throughout the
day.
Concentrated applications like concentrated photovoltaic
panels require a high degree of accuracy to ensure the sunlight is directed
precisely at the focal point of the reflector or lens.
Non concentrating applications do not require tracking but
using a tracker can improve the total power produced by the system. Photovoltaic systems using high efficiency
panels with trackers can be very effective
CONCLUSION:
The proposed dual axis solar tracker
automatically tracks position of sun and maximize the solar power with help of
arduino. As compared to single axis, dual-axis system provide high abundant
electrical energy output when compared to the fixed mount system. The Dual axis
tracker is having more efficiency. The main aim of this work is to develop two
axis solar tracker system that uses four sensors(ldr s) to predict the sun
position. Secondly, program is dumped on
to Arduino (ATmega 328 p) so that rotation of servo motor can be controlled by
employing the microcontroller. The programming part consists of 5 cases which
has been stated and analyzed. Thirdly, to investigate the voltage differences
from the sensor (light depending resistor LDR) based on intensity of light
received by the sensor. The output has plotted into a graph and compared with
static system. And proposed system is eco friendly, and widely used.
As dual-axis tracking generates 40%
more power from each panel, you can achieve the same power output with fewer
panels, frames and so on, which reduces a project's upfront costs and offsets
to a great extent the additional cost for tracking hardware. On the other hand,
you can use the same number of panels as originally planned and generate 40%
more power and higher revenues. This reduces the project's payback time and
also increases the overall return on investment (ROI), depending on the
financial specifics of the project.
Solar radiation Tracker has played a vital
role in increasing the efficiency of solar panels in recent years, thus proving
to be a better technological achievement. The vital importance of a dual axis
solar tracker lies in its better efficiency and sustainability to give a better
output compared to a fived solar panel or a single axis solar tracker. The
tracking system is designed such that it can trap the solar energy in all
possible directions. Generally, in a single axis tracker that moves only along
a single axis it is not possible to track the maximum solar energy. In case of
dual axis trackers, if the solar rays are perpendicular to panel throughout the
year. Hence, maximum possible energy is trapped throughout the day as well as
throughout the year. Thus, the output increases indicating that the efficiency
more than a fixed solar panel (about 30 -40% more) or a single axis solar
tracker (about 6-7% more).
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