SOLAR PV TRACKING AND AUTOMATED

WATER PUMPING SYSTEM

Project Report Submitted by

S SUSHRUTHI PAI YASHASWINI Y ACHARYA

(4NM15EE037) (4NM15EE054)

VIBHA K P
(4NM16EE414)

Under The Guidance Of

Mrs.K Latha Shenoy (Asst.Professor)

Mrs.Palimaru Aparna (Asst.Professor)
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of

Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics

from
Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi

(AICTE approved, ISO 9001:2015 Certified)

NITTE –574 110, Udupi District, KARNATAKA

APRIL 2019
 (AICTE approved, ISO 9001:2015 Certified)
NITTE –574 110, Udupi District, KARNATAKA

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work entitled , ” SOLAR PV TRACKING AND
AUTOMATED WATER PUMPING SYSTEM ” is a bonafide work carried out by
Ms.S SUSHRUTHI PAI(4NM15EE037), Ms.YASHASWINI Y ACHARYA
(4NM15EE054), Ms.VIBHA K P (4NM16EE414), in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electrical and Elec-
tronics prescribed by Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi during
the year 2018-19. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions indicated for Internal
Assessment have been incorporated in the report deposited in the department library.
The project report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in respect
of the project work prescribed for the Bachelor of Engineering Degree.

Signature of Guide Signature of HOD Signature of Principal

Semester End Viva Voce Examination

Name of the Examiners Signature with Date

1.

2.
 Acknowledgements

The successful completion of any project requires co-operation, teamwork and encour-
agement from various individuals. We take this opportunity to thank each and every
individual who has helped us in completion of the project.
We would like to thank our principal, Dr. Niranjan N. Chiplunkar for providing
us with all the facilities available in the college throughout the project working hours.
We are grateful to Dr. Nagesh Prabhu, Head of the Department, Electrical and
Electronics Engineering for the support and giving us the permission to work in different
labs and providing us with different technical facilities. We would also like to thank
our guide Mrs. K Latha Shenoy, Asst. Professor and co-guide Mrs. Palimaru
Aparna, Asst. Professor for all the guidance, encouragement and support received
during the course of this project work.
We convey our best regards and thanks to our project co-ordinators Mr. Raghaven-
dra Prabhu, Asst. Professor and Mr. K. Vasudeva Shettigar, Associate Pro-
fesor Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, for constantly monitoring
our development, performance and evaluation, precise deadlines.
We would also like to acknowledge with a deep sense of reverence to our parents
who have always been supporting us morally, as well as economically. We acknowledge
gratefully the support and encouragement of both teaching and non teaching staffs, lab
assistants in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
We thank all our friends who helped us directly or indirectly throughout the project.
Project Members:
1. S Sushruthi Pai
2. Yashaswini Y Acharya
3. Vibha K P

i
 Abstract

Solar energy is advancing as an important means of renewable energy resource. Solar

tracking enables more solar energy to be generated as the solar panel is able to maintain
a profile with the sun rays. The goal of the project is to increase the amount of usable
energy by utilizing a tracking system to capture maximum intensity of the solar rays.
This project deals with development of automated water pumping system using solar
tracking. The rapidly increasing demand for energy calls a need for substitute for fossil
fuels. Renewable energy source exhibits an outstanding figure for producing electricity
without any fuel consumption.
To have the maximum utilization of the amount of intensity captured we make use
of the tracking system to maintain accuracy and precession. The control circuit for
solar tracker is based on Arduino Nano. This is programmed to detect sunlight using
LDR and then actuate the DC motor to position the solar panel where it can receive
maximum sunlight. DC motor is controllable, energy efficient, steady and have high
tracking accuracy and suffers little environment affect. The undertaking is expected to
develop a programmed water system framework which controls the draw engine ON/OFF
on detecting water levels. Since the pump works on DC power supply, it is directly
attached to the battery. The water pumping system also consists of water level sensors
used to detect water levels for automatic turn on and off of the water pump. This helps
in the automation of water pumping systems in hospitals, factories, schools, public places
etc. thereby reducing manpower also maintaining the adequate usage of the resources.

ii
Contents

Acknowledgement i

Abstract ii

List of Figures iv

List of Tables ix

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Aim of the project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.5 Organization of this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Project Ideology 4
2.1 Functioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Description 6
3.1 Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 Charger circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3 LDR circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.4 Relay circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Hardware requirement 10
4.1 Solar panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.2 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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 4.3 Water pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.4 Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.5 DC motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.6 LM317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.7 LM7805 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.8 L298N Motor driver IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.9 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.10 Ultrasonic sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.11 LCD-Liquid Crystal Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.12 Arduino Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

5 Interfacing 20
5.1 LCD Interfacing with Arduino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.2 Motor Driver Interfacing with Arduino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3 LDR Interfacing with Arduino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6 Experimental set-up 23

7 Features 26

8 Merits/Demerits and Future scope 27

8.1 Merits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.2 Demerits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.3 Future scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

9 Result and Conclusions 29

A Appendix 30
A.1 LM317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
A.2 LM7805 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
A.3 L298N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

iv
List of Figures

3.1 Block diagram of Solar tracking and Water pumping system . . . . . . . 6

3.2 Solar charger circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3 LDR circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.4 Relay circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

4.1 Solar panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.2 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3 Water pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.4 Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.5 DC motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.6 LM317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.7 LM7805 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.8 L298N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.9 LDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.10 Ultrasonic sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.11 LCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.12 Pin-diagram of Arduino Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

5.1 Interfacing diagram of LCD with Arduino Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

5.2 Motor Driver interfacing with Arduino Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3 LDR interfacing with Arduino Nano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6.1 Solar Tracking Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

6.2 LCD showing water level indication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.3 LCD showing the water level when its low that is 20% . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.4 LCD indicating half full water tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

v
6.5 Final set up showing tracking unit and waterpumping unit . . . . . . . . 25

vi
List of Tables

4.1 Solar panel specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4.2 Arduino Nano specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

5.1 Arduino to LCD pin connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Aim of the project

The objective is to develop a system to control working of single axis solar tracker using
LDR and to control water level in the tank using water pumping system. Display unit is
installed which will show the different levels of water.

1.2 Review

Renewable energy is defined as the energy which is collected from resources which are
naturally restored over a period of time, such as sunlight, wind, tides, rain and geothermal
heat. Among renewable energy resources, solar energy is the most essential and prerequisite
resources of sustainable energy because of its ubiquity, abundance and sustainability
regardless of the intermittent of sunlight, solar energy is widely available and is free
of cost. Solar energy is directly converted into electrical energy by solar photovoltaic
modules, made up of many silicon cells connected in series to get a solar PV module, the
current rating of the modules increases when the area of the individual cell is increased.
Photovoltaic(PV) power is cost-competitive in comparison to traditional energy sources
for small-scale water pumping requirements. With the continuous increase in fossil fuel
cost and reduction in peak watt cost of solar cells due to mass production, the photovoltaic
power is to become further economical in future. PV powered water pumping systems
have become attractive for livestock and agriculture applications in remote locations

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 CHAPTER 1

with limited access to conventional electricity. A number of studies have been carried
out on performance evaluation, optimization, sizing techniques, efficiency improvement
and factors affecting system performance, economical and environmental aspects of PV
pumping systems.

1.3 Objective
• To develop single axis solar tracking system which captures maximum intensity
from the sun rays

• Efficiently stores the generated energy in the battery for the future application

• Develop automated water pumping system which helps to save water and minimize
man power

• Overall objective is to build a power conserving, resource conserving and minimal

usage of manpower for the sustainable development and to help the mankind save
time

1.4 Methodology
The development of the project involves the following:

• Deciding the specification according to the need of water tank, followed by rating of
pump, panel and battery

• Single axis tracking is done using LDR controlled by Arduino and the panel is
rotated accordingly which is driven by DC motor using the driver L298N

• Obtaining the Current vs Voltage and Power vs Voltage characteristics and other
parameters of solar panel

• Constant voltage which is obtained from the panel is made to store in the rechargeable
battery for future application.(i.e Pumping system)

• Developing automated water pumping system with relay protection

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 CHAPTER 1

1.5 Organization of this manual

Chapter I: Introduces the main purpose of the project. This chapter gives a brief
explanation of the aim of the project, review, objective, methodology, and outlines the
content of the upcoming chapters.
Chapter II: Deals with basic idea and task of the project.
Chapter III: Deals with the design and block diagram of the project.
Chapter IV: Deals with major components of the project.
Chapter V: Deals with the interfacing.
Chapter VI: Deals with experimental set-up.
Chapter VII: Deals with the features.
Chapter VIII: Results and Conclusion.
Chapter IX: Merits, Demerits and Future Scopes.

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Chapter 2

Project Ideology

The main objective is to develop a solar tracking in order to store maximum energy and
a system which will automatically pump water depending on the water level sensed by
water level sensors. The command is given to Arduino Nano which either switches on or
off the relay. There will be a LCD display unit which will be showing the status of the
water level based on ultrasonic sensor inputs.

2.1 Functioning
• It will track the single axis solar panel

• It stores the energy obtained during tracking

• It will either start or stop the motor

• It will display the water level through LCD

Main parts are:

• Power supply

• Sensing unit

• Control unit

• Display unit

Power supply consists of following modules:

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 CHAPTER 2

• Solar Panel

• Battery

• charge controller

Sensing unit consists of following parts:

• LDR sensor

• Ultrasonic sensor

Control unit consists of following parts:

Arduino Nano: This contains 14 digital pins, 8 Analog Pins, 2 Reset Pins and 6 Power
Pins. It requires 5V DC supply. It takes the signal from sensing unit and send command
signal to display unit.

Display unit consists of : LCD Display: LCD screen consists of two lines with 16
characters each. Each character consists of 5x7 matrix. Contrast on display depends on
the power supply voltage and whether messages are displayed in one or two lines.

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Chapter 3

Description

3.1 Block Diagram

Figure 3.1: Block diagram of Solar tracking and Water pumping system

When the solar panel is exposed to sunlight, the LDR sensors are activated through
arduino code and then the LDR senses the intensity of the sunlight and decide whether
the LDR1 or LDR2 is receiving maximum sunlight. Followed by the rotation of the solar

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 CHAPTER 3

panel by the DC motor which is driven by motor driver L298N, in the direction of the
maximum intensity.

Once the solar energy is obtained it is made to store in the lead acid battery for the
future scope and for the protection of the battery the power trapped by the panel is made
to pass through the solar charger circuit and then towards the battery.

Meanwhile the ultrasonic sensor which is situated on the water tank keeps sensing
the water levels and sends the message through LCD. Once the sensor detects that the
water level is low then the water pump is turned on with the relay protection circuit,
powered from the lead acid battery which was storing the solar energy. Once the water
level in the tank reaches its maximum point the sensor senses and then turns off the
pump automatically.

3.2 Charger circuit

This circuit is mainly used to maintain constant DC voltage obtaining from solar panel.
This provides protection from over charging and over discharging of the battery.

Figure 3.2: Solar charger circuit

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 CHAPTER 3

3.3 LDR circuit

The LDR is connected in series with the resistor which forms a voltage divider. In this
circuit the output voltage is across the LDR which is connected to the analog pin of
arduino. When the intensity is high then the LDR resistance decreases. so the voltage
across the LDR is less. If the intensity is low then the voltage across the LDR is high.
Such two LDR circuits are placed at the extreme ends of the solar panel . This variation
in the voltage of each LDR circuit is sensed by the ADCs. Accordingly the panel rotates
in the direction of the maximum intensity.

Figure 3.3: LDR circuit

3.4 Relay circuit

A typical relay switch circuit has the coil driven by a NPN transistor switch depending
on the input voltage level.When the base voltage of the transistor is zero(or negative),
the transistor is cut-off and acts as an open circuit. In this condition no collector current
flows and the relay coil is de-energised because being current devices, if no current flows
into the Base, then no current will flow through the relay coil.
If a large enough positive current is now driven into the Base to saturate the NPN
transistor, the current flowing from Base to Emitter(B to E) controls the larger relay coil

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 CHAPTER 3

current flowing through the transistor from the Collector to Emitter. Then position of
the contacts changes from Normally Closed (NC) to Normally Open(NO) which makes
battery connection with Water pump. Hence Water pump will turns on.

Figure 3.4: Relay circuit

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Chapter 4

Hardware requirement

4.1 Solar panel

A solar panel is a packaged interconnected assembly of solar cells, also known as pho-
tovoltaic cells. PV cells formed from a wafer of semi-conductor material and although
there are now several types in production using different materials, the most common
semi-conductor used is silicon. Expose the cell to light , and the energy from each photon
(light particle) hitting the silicon, will liberate an electron and a corresponding hole. If
this happens within range of the electric field’s influence, the electrons will be sent to
the N side and the holes to the P one, resulting in yet further disruption of electrical
neutrality. Apply an external pathway connecting both sides of the silicon wafer and
electrons will flow back to their original P side to unite with the holes sent there by
electric field. This flow of electrons is a current; the electrical field in the cell causes a
voltage and the product of these two is power.

Sl. No Parameter Value

1 Maximum Power 10W
2 Vmax 18V
3 Imax 0.56A
4 Voc 21.6V
5 Isc 0.64A
6 Rechargeable Battery 12V
7 Weight 1.5kg

Table 4.1: Solar panel specification

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 CHAPTER 4

Figure 4.1: Solar panel

4.2 Battery

An electrical battery is a combination of one or more electrochemical cells, used to convert

stored chemical energy into electrical energy. The battery has become a common power
source for many household and industrial applications. Batteries may be used once and
discarded. Here the battery is of 12V, 4.5Ah lead acid battery. The battery maintenance
is required for better performance. If the battery is overcharged, it might get heated up
and if the battery is over discharged, the life cycle of the battery eventually decreases.
To maintain the battery life and to have better performance, battery should never be
overcharged or over discharged.

Battery consist of 3 different parts anode,cathode and electrolyte. Here the electrolyte
containing anions and cations. The positive electrode get attracted towards cations
and negative electrode attracted towards the anions. Here the cations are reduced at
cathode during a charging condition and anions are oxidized at the anode during charging
conditions. The process must be reversed during a discharge condition. Both charging
and discharging condition, electrode do not touch each other but it will be connected to
the electrolyte.

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 CHAPTER 4

Figure 4.2: Battery

4.3 Water pump

Pump is device that moves water content by mechanical action. These are most commonly
used to lift the water from ground level.

Figure 4.3: Water pump

Specification:

• Rated voltage: 12V

• Current :0.6-1 A

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 CHAPTER 4

• Power :18W

• Flow :10L/minute

4.4 Relay
Relay are the switches which open/close the circuit automatically. It can control the
electrical circuit while opening and closing the contacts. It consist of two contacts one is
normally open condition in which the relay is not energized and other is normally closed
position, then relay is to be energized. The relays are used to protect the system for a
abnormal condition, over current and overloads.

Figure 4.4: Relay

4.5 DC motor
DC motor with gear box attached to the shaft of the motor which is mechanically
commutated electric motor powered from direct current (DC). 10RPM 12V DC geared
motors for robotics applications. It gives a massive torque of 40Kgcm. The motor comes
with metal gearbox and off-centred shaft. Shaft has a metal bushing for wear resistance.

• 10RPM 12V DC motors

• Motor Diameter:28.5 mm

• Length 63 mm without shaft

• Shaft length :15mm 200gm

• Weight Stall Torque:40kgcm

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 CHAPTER 4

• Torque No-load current:800 mA(Max)

• Stall current:upto 9.5 A(Max)

Figure 4.5: DC motor

4.6 LM317
The LM317 device is an adjustable three terminal positive-voltage regulator capable of
supplying more than 1.5A over an output voltage range of 1.25V to 37V. It requires only
two external resistors to set the output voltage. It includes current limiting, thermal
overload protection and safe operating area protection. Overload protection remains
functional even if the ADJUST terminal is disconnected.

Figure 4.6: LM317

4.7 LM7805
A LM7805 Voltage Regulator is a voltage regulator that outputs +5 volts. LM78XX
represents series of voltage regulators with last two digits of number as the output voltage.
The LM7805 is a three pin IC.

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 CHAPTER 4

Figure 4.7: LM7805

• Pin 1(Input pin): The Input pin is the the pin that accepts the incoming DC
voltage, which the voltage regulator will eventually regulate down to 5 volts

• Pin 2(Ground pin): Ground pin establishes the ground for the regulator

• Pin 3(Output pin): The output pin is the regulated 5 volts DC

4.8 L298N Motor driver IC

It is a high voltage, high current dual full-bridge driver designed to accept standard TTL
logic levels and drive inductive loads such as relays,solenoids, DC and stepper motors.
2 enable inputs are provided to enable or disable the device independently of the input
signals.

Figure 4.8: L298N

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 CHAPTER 4

4.9 LDR
A Light Dependent Resistor(LDR) is also called a photoresistor or a cadmium sul-
fide(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.

Figure 4.9: LDR

4.10 Ultrasonic sensor

Ultrasonic sensor is used to detect obstacles and for distance measurements. It works on
the principle similar to radar which evaluates the time interval interpreting the echoes
from the radio waves. It has a transmitter and receiver. Transmitter generates high
frequency sound waves and the distance is measured by interpreting time taken by the
receiver to receive the generated waves. The ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 has following pins

Figure 4.10: Ultrasonic sensor

• VCC-5V

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 CHAPTER 4

• GND-Ground pin

• echo

• trigger

Ultrasonic sensor module sends the sound waves in the water tank and detects reflection
of sound waves that is ECHO. At first, we need to trigger the ultrasonic sensor module to
transmit signal by using Arduino and then wait to receive ECHO. Arduino reads the time
between triggering and received ECHO. Then we have to calculate the distance between
sensor and water level by using suitable formula. After that we need to calculate water
level.

Distance = (time ∗ speed)/2

At first, we need to calculate the total length of water tank. As we know the length of
water tank then we can calculate the water level by subtracting the resulting distance
coming from ultrasonic, from the total length of tank. Then we will get water level
distance. Now we can convert this water level into percentage, and can display it on LCD.

4.11 LCD-Liquid Crystal Display

Figure 4.11: LCD

This is the example for the parallel port. They are very compact and light. They have
various advantages:

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 CHAPTER 4

• Low power consumption

• No geometric distortion

• Little or no flicker depending on back light technology

• Not affected by screen burn-in

• No high voltage or other hazards present during service

• No theoretical resolution limit

4.12 Arduino Nano

• Arduino Nano is a small, compatible, flexible and breadboard friendly Microcontroller
board

• It comes with exactly the same functionality as in Arduino UNO but quite in small
size

• It comes with an operating voltage of 5V, however, the input voltage can vary from
7 to 12V

• Arduino Nano Pinout contains 14 digital pins, 8 analog Pins, 2 Reset Pins and 6
Power Pins

• Each of these Digital and Analog Pins are assigned with multiple functions but
their main function is to be configured as input or output

• Functions like pinMode() and digitalWrite() are used to control the operations of
digital pins while analogRead() is used to control analog pins

• The analog pins come with a total resolution of 10bits which measure the value
from zero to 5V

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 CHAPTER 4

Figure 4.12: Pin-diagram of Arduino Nano

Sl. No Parameter Value

1 Microcontroller ATmega328
2 Operating Voltage 5V
3 Input Voltage(recommended) 7-12V
4 Digital I/O Pins 14(of which 6 provide PWM output)
5 Analog Input Pins 8
6 DC Current per I/O Pin 40mA
7 Flash Memory 32KB
8 SRAM 2KB
9 EEPROM 1KB
10 Cloch Speed 16MHz

Table 4.2: Arduino Nano specification

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Chapter 5

Interfacing

5.1 LCD Interfacing with Arduino

Figure 5.1: Interfacing diagram of LCD with Arduino Nano

Sl. No Arduino LCD

1 D2 D7
2 D3 D6
3 D4 D5
4 D5 D4
5 D6 EN
6 D7 RS

Table 5.1: Arduino to LCD pin connection

• The three control lines are referred to as EN, RS and RW. The EN line is called ”
Enable ”

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 CHAPTER 5

• This control line is used to tell the LCD that you are sending it data

• The RS line is the ” Register select ” line. When RS is low (0), the data is to be
treated as a command or special instruction (such as clear screen, position cursor
etc). When RS is high (1), the data being sent is text data it should be displayed
on the screen

• The RW line is the ” Read / Write ” control line. When RW is low(0), the
information on the data bus is being written to the LCD. When RW is high(1), the
program is effectively querying (or reading) the LCD

5.2 Motor Driver Interfacing with Arduino

Figure 5.2: Motor Driver interfacing with Arduino Nano

• Here the L298N motor driver is interfaced with Arduino Nano

• Two input pins are connected to the digital pins of arduino

The Arduino Nano operates on 5V, while the motors require higher voltages and current.
So, the micro-controllers cannot provide them such higher current. The motor rated
input voltage is 12V. In this case the panel rotation becomes difficult, due to the high
motor speed. In order to decrease the speed the motor input voltage is reduced to 5V. To
achieve this the driver circuit is used.
The DC motor gets driven by the motor driver module L298N. The L298N module
gets the pulse triggered from the Arduino.

Dept. Of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 21

 CHAPTER 5

5.3 LDR Interfacing with Arduino

Figure 5.3: LDR interfacing with Arduino Nano

There are two LDRs being used for the tracking which is fixed on the ends of the
solar panel. The LDR1 is connected to the analog pin A0 of Arduino Nano and LDR2
is connected to the analog pin A1. When the light falls on the LDRs, they sense the
light intensity and then through code the intensity obtaining from two LDRs are checked.
Arduino reads the analog signal obtaining from the two LDRs and then finds the difference
of the values obtained. Creating a variable ’diff1’ which stores the absolute value of the
difference obtaining from LDR1 and LDR2 [abs(LDR1 - LDR2)] and another variable
’diff2’ which stores the absolute value of the difference obtaining from LDR2 and LDR1
[abs(LDR2 - LDR1)]. Checks the condition whether value obtained in ’diff1’ is less than
50 or ’diff2’ is less than 50. If both the ’diff’ values obtained are less than 50 then the
panel does not rotate and remains in the same position considering it to be the position
obtaining maximum intensity of light.
Else checks the condition whether ’diff1’ value is greater than ’diff2’ and ’diff1’ found
greater than ’diff2’ then the panel deflects towards the LDR1 and if ’diff2’ value is found
greater than ’diff1’ value then the panel deflects towards LDR2.

22
Chapter 6

Experimental set-up

The tracking unit components are mounted on a wooden board for the easy rotation of
the panel. Then the DC motor is mounted at the end of the panel using the supports
provided by the wooden pillar. The set up constructed as shown in the figure 6.1 below.

Figure 6.1: Solar Tracking Unit

While the tracking is going on, simultaneously the ultrasonic sensors are also activated
and this senses the water level in the main water tank and shows the water level on the
LCD as shown below in figure 6.2. Here the LCD is indicating that the water level is 0%
and hence the pump is auto turned on.
Figure 6.3 shows the final set up of the solar tracking as well as automated water
pumping system. Once the set up is completed then the code is dumped onto the Arduino
nano for the functioning of the entire system. The tracker beings its function once the

23
 CHAPTER 6

power is given and the ultrasonic sensor senses the water level in the tank. If the water
level is 20% or less than that, then the pump turns on automatically and its indicated in
the figure 3. Once the tank is 80% full then the pump auto turns off.

Figure 6.2: LCD showing water level indication

Figure 6.3: LCD showing the water level when its low that is 20%

24
 CHAPTER 6

Figure 6.4: LCD indicating half full water tank

Figure 6.5: Final set up showing tracking unit and waterpumping unit

Dept. Of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 25

Chapter 7

Features

• Solar trackers generate more electricity than other ordinary ones due to an increased
direct exposure to sun rays.

• Photovoltaic(PV) power is cost-competitive in comparison to traditional energy

sources.

• Solar trackers generate more electricity in roughly the same amount of space needed
for fixed tilt systems making them ideal optimizing land usage.

• Automated water pumping system saves money by limiting water, electricity and
manpower.

• PV powered water pumping systems have become attractive for livestock and
agriculture applications in remote locations with limited access to conventional
electricity.

26
Chapter 8

Merits/Demerits and Future scope

8.1 Merits

• Solar trackers generate more electricity than their stationary counterparts due to
an increased direct exposure to sun rays.

• By using automated water pumping system electricity usage is limited.

• Automated water pumping system saves money by limiting water and electricity.

• Manual operation of the water pump is not required as they are automatic.

8.2 Demerits

• when compared to dual axis tracking, lower energy output during sunny condition.

• Lower lifespan and lower reliability.

• Unreliable performance in cloudy or overcast weather.

• Higher mechanical complexity, making it more likely for something to go wrong.

• The components used in the pumping system are sensitive and may damage easily.

27
 CHAPTER 8

8.3 Future scope

• Automatic Water level Controller can be used in Hotels, Factories, Home Apartments,
Commercial Complexes, Drainages etc.

• Can be further modified as liquid level indicator in the huge containers in the
companies.

• Fuel level indicator in vehicles.

• The pumping system model can be developed as a flood predict system near dams
and major reservoirs.

28
Chapter 9

Result and Conclusions

In this project we have successfully implemented the single axis solar tracking system.
Here we are obtaining constant DC voltage of 12V by making use of a solar charger circuit.
The energy obtained from the panel is stored into the rechargeable type of battery of
4.5Ah. The charge controller circuit prevents over charging and over discharging of the
battery. Later implemented, automation of water pumping system which senses the water
level in the tank and automatically turns on and off the pump, based on the water sensed
in the tank by ultrasonic sensor, which is programmed and controlled using Arduino
Nano.
The production of solar energy by tracking increases its efficiency there by making it
more useful. Solar energy is eco-friendly, widely available. The automated water pumping
system helps in saving of water and electricity. As the system is automatic manual
interaction is not required. The system designed is efficiently used to run the water pump
and can be installed at consumer site.

29
Appendix A

Appendix

A.1 LM317

A.2 LM7805

A.3 L298N

30
 CHAPTER A

LM317, NCV317

1.5 A Adjustable Output,

Positive Voltage Regulator
The LM317 is an adjustable 3−terminal positive voltage regulator
capable of supplying in excess of 1.5 A over an output voltage range of
1.2 V to 37 V. This voltage regulator is exceptionally easy to use and
requires only two external resistors to set the output voltage. Further, it www.onsemi.com
employs internal current limiting, thermal shutdown and safe area
compensation, making it essentially blow−out proof.
The LM317 serves a wide variety of applications including local, on
card regulation. This device can also be used to make a programmable
output regulator, or by connecting a fixed resistor between the D2PAK−3
adjustment and output, the LM317 can be used as a precision current D2T SUFFIX
regulator. 1 2 CASE 936
3
Features
Heatsink surface (shown as terminal 4 in
• Output Current in Excess of 1.5 A case outline drawing) is connected to Pin 2.
• Output Adjustable between 1.2 V and 37 V
• Internal Thermal Overload Protection
• Internal Short Circuit Current Limiting Constant with Temperature
• Output Transistor Safe−Area Compensation
• Floating Operation for High Voltage Applications TO−220
T SUFFIX
• Eliminates Stocking many Fixed Voltages CASE 221AB
• Available in Surface Mount D2PAK−3, and Standard 3−Lead
Transistor Package 1
2 Pin 1. Adjust
• NCV Prefix for Automotive and Other Applications Requiring 3 2. Vout
3. Vin
Unique Site and Control Change Requirements; AEC−Q100
Qualified and PPAP Capable Heatsink surface connected to Pin 2.
• These are Pb−Free Devices

Vin Vout
ORDERING INFORMATION
LM317
See detailed ordering and shipping information in the package
dimensions section on page 10 of this data sheet.
R1
240
IAdj Adjust
Cin* + C **
O
0.1 mF 1.0 mF DEVICE MARKING INFORMATION
See general marking information in the device marking
section on page 10 of this data sheet.
R2

**Cin is required if regulator is located an appreciable distance from power supply filter.
**CO is not needed for stability, however, it does improve transient response.

ǒR
Ǔ
V out + 1.25V 1 ) 2  ) I R 2
R1 Adj

Since IAdj is controlled to less than 100 mA, the error associated with this term is
negligible in most applications.

Figure 1. Standard Application

© Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, 2016 1 Publication Order Number:

May, 2018 − Rev. 15 LM317/D

Dept. Of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 31

 CHAPTER A

www.fairchildsemi.com

MC78XX/LM78XX/MC78XXA
3-Terminal 1A Positive Voltage Regulator

Features Description
• Output Current up to 1A The MC78XX/LM78XX/MC78XXA series of three
• Output Voltages of 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 24V terminal positive regulators are available in the
• Thermal Overload Protection TO-220/D-PAK package and with several fixed output
• Short Circuit Protection voltages, making them useful in a wide range of
• Output Transistor Safe Operating Area Protection applications. Each type employs internal current limiting,
thermal shut down and safe operating area protection,
making it essentially indestructible. If adequate heat sinking
is provided, they can deliver over 1A output current.
Although designed primarily as fixed voltage regulators,
these devices can be used with external components to
obtain adjustable voltages and currents.
TO-220

1
D-PAK

1
1. Input 2. GND 3. Output

Internal Block Digram

Rev. 1.0.1
©2001 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation

32
 CHAPTER A

® L298

DUAL FULL-BRIDGE DRIVER

.. OPERATING SUPPLY VOLTAGE UP TO 46 V

.. TOTAL DC CURRENT UP TO 4 A
LOW SATURATION VOLTAGE

. OVERTEMPERATURE PROTECTION
LOGICAL "0" INPUT VOLTAGE UP TO 1.5 V
(HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY)

DESCRIPTION PowerSO20
Multiwatt15
The L298 is an integrated monolithic circuit in a 15-
lead Multiwatt and PowerSO20 packages. It is a
high voltage, high current dual full-bridge driver de-
signed to accept standard TTL logic levels and drive ORDERING NUMBERS : L298N (Multiwatt Vert.)
L298HN (Multiwatt Horiz.)
inductive loads such as relays, solenoids, DC and L298P (PowerSO20)
stepping motors. Two enable inputs are provided to
enable or disable the device independently of the in-
put signals. The emitters of the lower transistors of nection of an external sensing resistor. An additional
each bridge are connected together and the corre- supply input is provided so that the logic works at a
sponding external terminal can be used for the con- lower voltage.

BLOCK DIAGRAM

Jenuary 2000 1/13

Dept. Of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 33

References

[1] J.Rizik and Y.Chaiko,”Solar tracking system : More efficient Use of solar panels”-2008

[2] M.Reyasudin basir khan,”Solar Tracking System Utilizing Pyranometer For optimal
Photovoltaic Module Positioning”- 2012

[3] Jeng -Nan Jung and R.Radharamanan,”Design of a solar tracking system for Renew-
able energy”-2014

[4] M. Ouada, M.S. Meridjet and N. Talbi,”Optimization Photovoltaic Pumping System

Based BLDC Using Fuzzy Logic MPPT Control”, International Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC), pp.27-31, 7-9 March 2013.

[5] Neha Yadav, Manju Gupta, K. Sudhakar. ”Energy assessment of floating photovoltaic
system”, International Conference on Electrical Power and Energy Systems (ICEPES)
2016, pp.264 – 269

[6] Yashar Ghiassi-Farrokhfal, Fiodar Kazhamiaka, Catherine Rosenberg, Srinivasan

Keshav. “Optimal Design of Solar PV Farms With Storage”, IEEE Transactions on
Sustainable Energy 2015, Vol. 6, Issue: 4, pp. 1586 – 1593.

[7] Jia Uddin, S.M. Tasslim Reza, Qader Newaz, Jamal Uddin , Touhidul Is-
lam and Jong-Myon Kim, “Automated Water Irrigation System Using Solar
Power,DOL”:10.1109/ICECE.20126471527, pages:228-231, 2012.

[8] Md.Samiul Alam , Md. Ashraful Hoque2, and Anik Chowdhury, “ Photovoltaic Water
Pumping System using Maximum Power Point Tracking”, 2017

[9] Bhim singh,Anjanee Kumar Mishra and Rajan Kumar, “Solar Powered Water Pump-
ing System Employing Switched Reluctance Motor Drive”. IEEE

34
 CHAPTER A

[10] www.atmel.com

[11] www.alldatasheets.com

[12] http://thegeekyway.com/arduino-uno-pin-functions/

Dept. Of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 35