Bahir Dar University
Bahir Dar University
Bahir Dar University
1. MOGES MUCHE.................0502023
2. KASEGN KESKIS................0501589
3. MOLLA MUCHIE.................0502043
FEB,2017
BAHIR DAR, ETHIOPIA
SUB.DATE 09/2/2017 GC
Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
DECLARATION
we, the undersigned , declare that this project is our won original work, has not been presented
for a degree in this or any other universities, and all sources of materials used for the project
have been fully acknowledged.
1. Moges Muche
This Project has been submitted for examination with my approval as a university advisor.
_____________________ ____________
Project Advisor Signature
_______________________
Chair Person Signature
_______________________
Project Advisor Signature
_______________________
Project Examiner 1 Signature
_______________________
Project Examiner 2 Signature
Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
ABSTRACT
Global energy consumption is dramatically increasing due to higher standard of living and the
increasing world population. The world has limited fossil and oil resources .As a
consequences, the need for renewable energy sources becomes more urgent. Therefore the
uses of alternative sources such as solar energy are becoming more wide spread. To make
solar energy more viable, the efficiency of solar array systems must maximized. Solar
modules are device that cleanly convert sunlight in to electricity and offer a practical solution
to the problem of power generation in remote area.
Automatic sun tracking system is a hybrid hardware/software prototype, which automatically
provides best alignment of solar panel with the sun, to get maximum output (electricity). The
use of a highly portable, efficient solar tracker can be very useful to applications of the
military, industrial, or residential variety. To produce an efficient solar generation system, a
scaled down dual-axis solar tracker was designed, built and tested. The effectiveness of a
solar tracker and PV technology in general, is directly correlated to the amount of sunlight
that it is being exposed to; its power output is dependent on the amount of light that reaches
the solar cell. PV technology is most efficient when it is greeted by a light source at a
perfectly perpendicular angle, i.e. forming a 90 degree angle. In order to accomplish this in a
real-world situation, the PV panel must move with the sun to maintain this perpendicular
angle. This project describes the design and simulation of a sun tracking solar power system.
The Simulation is realized on proteus.
To design a project that can detect and compare the intensity of light and able to move a servo
motor based on the intensity of light. The simulation consists of modules: solar tracking cells,
LCD, Resistors, Arduino, and servo motor.
The problem that we can see here is the solar panel that is use is only in one way
direction. Because of this problem, the power that can be generated is low. The second
problem is the price for the solar tracking system is very expensive for the user that use
more power than usual because they need to install more than one solar panel to produce
enough power.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First we express our heartiest thanks and gratefulness to almighty God for his divine blessing
makes us possible to complete this semester project successfully. Second we would like to thank
university of Bahir dar institute of technology school of electrical and computer engineering for
providing us with this opportunity that helps us to develop our knowledge and problem solving
skills.
We would also like to express our gratitude to our advisor Mr. Mezigebu G. for his consistent
help with supporting ideas and advises on this project. He is also assisting us in technical
knowledge and answering our unclear questions beside of our capacity continuously throughout
the project & giving us an advice.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
LIST OF ACRONYMS
PV Photo-Voltaic
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
DC Direct Current
AC Alternative Current
LDR Light Dependent Resistor
TACS Tracking and Control System
CDS Cadmium Sulfide
PWM Pulse Width Modulation
PW Peak Watt
HTSAT Horizontal Single Axis Tracker with Titled Modules
VSAT Vertical Single Axis Tracker
HSAT Horizontal Single Axis Tracker
PASAT Polar Aligned Single Axis Tracker
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii
LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................. iv
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 1
1 INTRODUCTON ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 LIGHT SENSOR................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 PHOTOVOLTAIC ................................................................................................................ 3
1.4 SOLAR CELL ....................................................................................................................... 4
1.5 TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS .............................................................................................. 5
1.5.1 MONO CRYSTALLINE ................................................................................................ 5
1.5.2 POLYCRYSTALLINE .................................................................................................. 5
1.5.2.1 CAST POLYSILICON ............................................................................................ 6
1.5.2.2 STRINGRIBBONSILICON .................................................................................... 6
1.5.3 AMORPHOUS SOLAR PANELS ................................................................................. 6
1.6 SOLAR TRACKERS ............................................................................................................ 6
1.6.1 SINGLE AXIS TRACKERS .......................................................................................... 7
1.6.1.1 HORIZONTAL AXIS ............................................................................................. 7
1.6.1.1 .1 HORIZENTAL SINGL AXIS TRACKER (HSAT) ........................................ 7
1.6.1.1.2 HORIZONTAL SINGLE AXIS TRACKER WITH TILTED MODULES
(HTSAT) .......................................................................................................................... 8
1.6.1.2 VERTICAL AXIS ................................................................................................... 8
1.6.1.2.1 VERTICAL SINGLE AXIS TRACKER (VSAT) ........................................... 9
1.6.1.2.2 POLAR ALIGNED SINGLE AXIS TRACKERS (PASAT) ........................... 9
1.7.1 DUAL-AXIS TRACKER ............................................................................................... 9
1.8 DRIVE TYPES ................................................................................................................... 10
1.8.1 ACTIVE TRACKER .................................................................................................... 10
1.8.2 PASSIVE TRACKER .................................................................................................. 10
1.9 TYEPS OF SOLAR COLLECTOR .................................................................................... 10
1.9.1NON- ON CONCENTRATING PHOTOVOLTAIC(PV) TRACKERS ...................... 10
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CHAPTER ONE
1 INTRODUCTON
The increasing demand for energy, the continuous reduction in existing sources of fossil
fuels and the growing concern regarding environment pollution, have pushed mankind to
explore new technologies for the production of electrical energy using clean, renewable
sources, such as solar energy, wind energy, etc. Among the non-conventional, renewable
energy sources, solar energy affords great potential for conversion into electric power,
able to ensure an important part of the electrical energy needs of the planet.
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. Solar
energy is free, practically inexhaustible, and involves no polluting residues or greenhouse
gases emissions. The conversion principle of solar light into electricity, called Photo-
Voltaic or PV conversion, is not very new, but the efficiency improvement of the PV
conversion equipment is still one of top priorities for many academic and/or industrial
research groups all over the world. Among the proposed solutions for improving the
efficiency of PV conversion, we can mention solar tracking the optimization of solar cell
configuration and geometry new materials and technologies etc.
The global market for PV conversion equipment has shown an exponential increase over
the last years, showing a good tendency for the years to come. Physically, PV panel
consists of a flat surface on which numerous p-n junctions are placed, connected together
through electrically conducting strips. The PV panel ensures the conversion of light
radiation into electricity and it is characterized by a strong dependence of the output
power on the incident light radiation. As technology has evolved, the conversion
efficiency of the PV panels has increased steadily, but still it does not exceed 13% for the
common ones. The PV panels exhibits a strongly non-linear I-V (current - voltage)
characteristic and a power output that is also non-linearly dependent on the surface
isolation. In the case of solar light conversion into electricity, due to the continuous
change in the relative positions of the sun and the earth, the incident radiation on a fixed
PV panel is continuously changing, reaching a maximum point when the direction of
Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
solar radiation is perpendicular to the panel surface. In this context, for maximal energy
efficiency of a PV panel, it is necessary to have it equipped with a solar tracking system.
The topic proposed in this paper refers to the design of a single axis solar tracker system
that automatically searches the optimum PV panel position with respect to the sun by
means of a servo motor controlled by an intelligent drive unit that receives input signals
from a light intensity sensor. Renewable energy solutions are becoming increasingly
popular. Photovoltaic (solar) systems are one example.
Maximizing power output from a solar system is desirable to increase efficiency. In
order to maximize power output from the solar panels, one needs to keep the panels
aligned with the sun. As such, a means of tracking the sun is required. This is a far more
cost effective solution than purchasing additional solar panels. It has been estimated that
the yield from solar panels can be increased by 30 to 60 percent by utilizing a tracking
system instead of a stationary array. This project develops an automatic tracking system
which will keep the solar panels aligned with the sun in order to maximize efficiency.
This paper begins with presenting background theory in light sensors and servo motor as
they applied to the project. The paper continues with specific design methodologies
pertaining to photocells, servo motors and drivers. Compared to a fixed panel, a mobile
PV panel driven by a solar tracker is kept under the best possible insulation for all
positions of the Sun, as the light falls close to the geometric normal incidence angle.
Automatic solar tracking systems (using light intensity sensing) may boost consistently
the conversion efficiency of a PV panel, thus in this way deriving more energy from the
sun.
Extracting usable electricity from the sun was made possible by the discovery of
the photoelectric mechanism and subsequent development of the solar cell a semi
conductive material that converts visible light into a direct current. By using solar
arrays a series of solar cells electrically connected, a DC voltage is generated which can
be physically used on a load. Solar arrays or panels are being used increasingly as
efficiencies reach higher levels, and are especially popular in remote areas where
placement of electricity lines is not economically viable. The process of sensing and
following the position of the sun is known as Solar Tracking. It was resolved that real-
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
time tracking would be necessary to follow the sun effectively, so that no external data
would be required in operation.
1.1 BACKGROUND
This section presents background information on the main subsystems of the project.
Specifically, this section discusses photocell and servo motor theory in order to provide a better
understanding as to how they relate to the solar tracker. Tracking the position of the sun in order
to expose a solar panel to maximum radiation at any given time is the main purpose of a solar
tracking PV system. For many years, several energy companies and research institutions have
been performing solar tracking for improving the efficiency of solar energy production. A variety
of techniques of solar energy production used have proven that up to 30% more solar energy can
be collected with a solar tracker than with a fixed PV system. The cost of such systems is
however still very prohibitive for the average or for a small-scale application. The current work
shows that a system can designed at a much lower cost particularly for academic Institutions.
Comparable consumer.
1.3 PHOTOVOLTAIC
Photovoltaic (PV) is a technology that converts light directly into electricity .Photo voltaic is also
the field of study relating to this technology and there are many research institutes devoted to
work on photovoltaic. Due to the growing need for solar energy, the manufacture of solar cells
and solar photovoltaic array has expanded dramatically since2002.making it the world’s fastest-
growing energy technology.
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The photovoltaic cell is the basic building block of a photovoltaic system. Individual cells can
vary in size from about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches across. However, one cell only produces 1or
2 watts, which isn't enough power for most applications. The performance of a photovoltaic
array is dependent upon the sunlight. Climatic conditions (e.g. clouds, fog) have a significant
effect on the amount of solar energy received by a photovoltaic array and, in turn, its
performance.
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1.5.2 POLYCRYSTALLINE
Polycrystalline solar panels are the most common type of solar panels on the market today. They
look like shattered glass.They are slightly less efficient than themonocrystallinesolar panels and l
ess expensive to produce.Instead of one large crystal, this type of solar panel consists of
multiple amounts of smaller silicon crystal.
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1.5.2.2 STRINGRIBBONSILICON
String ribbon uses a variation of the polycrystalline production process, using the same molten
silicon but slowly drawing a thin strip of crystalline silicon out of the molten form. These strips
of photovoltaic material are then assembled in a panel with the same metal conductor strips
attaching each strip to the electrical current.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
solar energy for the longest period of the day, and with the most accurate alignment as the Sun's
position shifts with the seasons. In addition, the greater the level of concentration employed, the
more important accurate tracking becomes, because the proportion of energy derived from direct
radiation is higher, and the region where that concentrated energy is focused becomes
smaller.All trackers with axes of rotation between horizontal and vertical are considered tilted
single axis trackers. Tracker tilt angles are often limited to reduce the wind profile and decrease
the elevated end height. With backtracking, they can be packed without shading perpendicular to
their axis of rotation at any density. However, the packing parallel to their axes of rotation is
limited by the tilt angle and the latitude. Tilted single axis trackers typically have the face of the
module oriented parallel to the axis of rotation. As a module tracks, it sweeps a cylinder that is
rotationally symmetric around the axis of rotation. Solar trackers may be active or passive and
may be single axis or dual axis. .
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
are very flexible. The simple geometry means that keeping all of the axes of rotation parallel to
one another is all that is required for appropriately positioning the trackers with respect to one
another. Appropriate spacing can maximize the ratio of energy production to cost, this being
dependent upon local terrain and shading conditions and the time-of-day value of the energy
produced. Backtracking is one means of computing the disposition of panels. Horizontal trackers
typically have the face of the module oriented parallel to the axis of rotation. As a module tracks,
it sweeps a cylinder that is rotationally symmetric around the axis of rotation. In single axis
horizontal trackers, a long horizontal tube is supported on bearings mounted upon pylons or
frames. The axis of the tube is on a north–south line. Panels are mounted upon the tube, and the
tube will rotate on its axis to track the apparent motion of the Sun through the day.The principal
advantage is the inherent robustness of the supporting structure and the simplicity of the
mechanism. Several manufacturers can deliver single axis horizontal trackers which may be
oriented by either passive or active mechanisms, depending upon manufacturer. In these, a long
horizontal tube is supported on bearings mounted upon pylons or frames. The axis of the tube is
on a North-South line. Panels are mounted upon the tube, and the tube will rotate on its axis to
track the apparent motion of the sun through the day. These devices are less effective at higher
latitudes. The principal advantage is the inherent robustness of the supporting structure and the
simplicity of the mechanism.
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standard photovoltaic trackers is used to minimize the angle of incidence between incoming light
and the photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy gathered from the direct
component of the incoming sunlight. This increases the amount of energy gathered from the
direct component of the incoming sunlight. The physics behind standard photovoltaic (PV)
trackers works with all standard photovoltaic module technologies. These include all types of
crystalline silicon panels (either mono-Si, or multi-Si) and all types of thin film panels
(amorphous silicon, CdTe, CIGS, microcrystalline).It classifieds as
fixed collector
moving collector.
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get maximum efficiency; the solar panels must remain in front of sun during the whole day. But
due to rotation of earth those panels can’t maintain their position always in front of sun. This
problem results in decrease of their efficiency. Thus to get a constant output, an automated system
is required which should be capable to constantly rotate the solar panel to receive maximum solar
energy. The Solar Radiation Tracking System is one of the proven methods to get around this
problem.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
CHAPTER TWO
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Solar tracking system project had been widely employed by the other giant company like BP
Solar, Yingli Green Energy, Kyocera, Q-Cells, Sanyo, Sharp Solar, Solar World, Sun Power, and
Sundeck. Now, many people use solar energy or photovoltaic energy as an alternative power
because it’s free and renewable. As we can see now, the payment charge for an electricity had
been risen rapidly because the increasing of gas price. Many researchers have tried to find the
alternative energy to replace the gas [3, 4]. One of the alternative energy that we can use is
photovoltaic energy. Photovoltaic energy is the most promising and popular form of solar
energy. In solar photovoltaics’’, sunlight is actually converted into electricity. This is very
different from a conventional understanding of solar power as only a way of heating water.
Photovoltaic, now the biggest usage of solar energy around the world, is briefly explained below:
Sunlight is made of photons, small particles of energy [1]. These photons are absorbed by and
pass through the material of a solar cell or solar photovoltaic panel. The photons 'agitate' the
electrons found in the material of the photovoltaic cell. As they begin to move (or are dislodged),
these are 'routed' into a current. This, technically, is electricity - the movement of electrons along
a path. Solar panels made of silicon to convert sunlight into electricity [2]. Solar photovoltaic are
used in a number of ways, primarily to power homes that are inter-tied or interconnected with the
grid. Wire conducts these electrons, either to batteries or to the regular electrical system of the
house, to be used by appliances and other household electrical items. In many solar energy
systems, the battery stores energy for later use. This is especially true when the sun is shining
strongly. It was capable of maintaining the peak power position of a photovoltaic (PV) array by
adjusting the load on the array for maximum efficiency and changed the position of the array
relative to the sun. At large PV array system installations, inverters were used to convert the dc
electrical output to ac for power grid compatibility. Adjustment of the inverter or load for
maximum array output was one function performed by the tracking and control system. Another
important function of the system was the tracking of the sun, often a necessity for concentrating
arrays. The TACS also minimized several other problems associated with conventional shadow-
band sun trackers such as their susceptibility to dust and dirt that might cause drift in solar
alignment. It also minimized effects of structural war page or sag to which large arrays might be
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
subjected during the day. Array positioning was controlled by Q single-board computer used
with a specially designed input output board. An orderly method of stepped movements and the
finding of new peak power points were implemented. This maximum power positioning concept
was tested using a small two-axis tracking concentrator array. A real-time profile of the TACS
activity was produced and the data analysis showed a deviation in maximum power of less than
1% during the day after accounting for other variations [3, 1]. Proposed a 150W solar tracking
system in 2003. In solar tracking system, they used DC motors, special motors like stepper
motors, servo motor sand real-time actuators, to operate moving parts. DC motors were normally
used to operate solar tracking system but it was highly expensive to maintain and repair. The
system was designed as the normal line of the solar cell .Always moved parallel to the ray of the
sun. Designed like this one could minimize the cosign loss of the system [5, 3, 1].
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CHAPTER THREE
3. GOALS OF THE PROJECT
We need a tracking system that would automatically keep the solar cell facing the sun throughout the
day.
3.1OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
3.2.1GENERAL OBJECTIVES
Below are the main objective of “design and simulate Solar Tracking System” projects.
To design a project that can detect and compare the intensity of light and able to move a servo
motor based on the intensity of light.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
CHAPTER FOUR
4. METHODOLOGY
A techniques used in the design and principle operation of a solar tracking system will
help us to demonstrate the general principle operation of solar tracking system. Firstly,
the two sensors detect the solar radiation; if one of the two sensor gets more amount of
radiation, the servo motor rotates the PV panel until the two sensors get equal amount of
radiation; then after the two sensors get the same amount of radiation, the servo motor
stays in its position until the two sensors get unbalanced radiation. As the sun continues
to move from east to west, simultaneously the servo motor starts to rotate the PV panel
anticlockwise direction to balance the amount of radiation falling on to the sensors.
The amount of radiation falling on to the sensor balancing process continues throughout
the day. The main impulsion is to design a high quality solar tracker. This paper is
divided into two parts; hardware and software. It consists of three main constituent which
are the inputs, controller and the output as shown in Fig B photo resistor or Light
dependent resistor (LDR) or photocell is a light-controlled variable resistor.
LDRs or Light Dependent Resistors are very useful especially in light/dark sensor
circuits. Normally the resistance of an LDR is very high, sometimes as high as 1000000
ohms, but when they are illuminated with light resistance drops dramatically. LDR’s have
low cost and simple structure. The Servo motor can turn either clockwise or
anticlockwise direction depending upon the sequence of the logic signals. The sequence
of the logic signals depends on the difference of light intensity of the LDR sensors. The
principle of the solar tracking system is done by Light Dependent Resistor (LDR).
Two LDR’s are connected to Arduino analog pin AO to A1 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 Servo motor will be the output. LDR1 and LDR2 are taken as pair .If
one of the LDR 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 Servo motor
will move the solar panel to the position of the high intensity LDR that was in the
programming.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
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CHAPTER FIVE
5 DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM
Procedure
I. Determining PV system components
• Loads
• Panel
• Battery
• Inverter
• Charge controller
• Control circuits like a Switch
Solar PV system includes different components that should be selected according to system type,
site location and applications. The major components for solar PV system are solar charge
controller, inverter, battery bank, auxiliary energy sources and loads (appliances).
• PV module – converts sunlight into DC electricity.
• Solar charge controller – regulates the voltage and current coming from the PV
panels going to battery and prevents battery overcharging and prolongs the battery
life.
• Inverter – converts DC output of PV panels in to a clean AC current for AC
appliances or fed back into grid line.
• Battery – stores energy for supplying to electrical appliances when there is a
demand.
• Load – is electrical appliances that connected to solar PV system such a slights,
radio, TV
I. Sizing calculation
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which is different in each site location. For Bahir Dar Ethiopia, the panel generation factor is
5.86. To determine the sizing of PV modules, calculate as follows:
2.1 Calculate the total Watt-peak rating needed for PV modules Divide the total Watt-hours per
day needed from the PV modules (from item 1.2) by 5.86 to get the total Watt-peak rating
needed for the PV panels needed to operate the appliances.
2.2 Calculate the number of PV panels for the system divide the answer obtained in item 2.1 by
the rated output Watt-peak of the PV modules available to you. Increase any fractional part of
result to the next highest full number and that will be the number of PV modules required. Result
of the calculation is the minimum number of PV panels. If more PV modules are installed, the
system will perform better and battery life will be improved. If fewer PV modules are used, the
system may not work at all during cloudy periods and battery life will be shortened.
2.1 Total WP of PV panel capacity needed= 123.5/ 5.86 = 21.075Wp
2.2 Numbers of PV panels Needed=1panel with 30W/12V
3. Inverter sizing
An inverter is used in the system where AC power output is needed. The input rating of the
inverter should never be lower than the total watt of appliances. The inverter must have the same
nominal voltage as your battery. For stand-alone systems; the inverter must be large enough to
handle the total amount of Watts you will be using at one time. The inverter size should be 25-
30% bigger than total Watts of appliances. In case of appliance type is motor or compressor then
inverter size should be minimum 3 times the capacity of those appliances and must be added to
the inverter capacity to handle surge current during starting. Total Watt of all appliances =10 +
7+5+3+ 15 = 40 W. For safety, the inverter should be considered 25-30% bigger size. The
inverter size should be about 40(1+0.3) W or greater. i.e. 52 W or greater, but in our project we
select 80W inverter size because of the limit of the market.
4. Battery sizing
The battery type recommended for using in solar PV system is deep cycle battery. Deep cycle
battery is specifically designed for to be discharged to low energy level and rapid recharged or
cycle charged and discharged day after day for years. The battery should be large enough to store
sufficient energy to operate the appliances at night and cloudy days. To find out the size of
battery, calculate as follows:
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
Solar charge controller rating = 1.85Ax 1.3 = 2.405A. So the solar charge controller can be rated
5A at 12 V or greater
Servomotor model
Two LDRs (light dependent
Liquid Crystal Display(LCD)
resistors)
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
The thin layer of the crystal lattice between these charges has been depleted of majority carriers, thus,
is known as the depletion region. It becomes nonconductive intrinsic semiconductor material. This
separation of charges at the p-n junction constitutes a potential barrier, which must be overcome by
an external voltage source to make the junction conduct. The electric field created by the space
charge region opposes the diffusion process for both electrons and holes. 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.
5.2.2 SERVO MOTOR
Servo motors have been around for a long time and are used in many applications. They are
small in size but pack a big punch and are very energy efficient. Because of these features, they
can be used to operate remote-controlled or radio-controlled toy cars, robots and airplanes. Servo
motors are also used in industrial applications, robotics, in-line manufacturing, pharmaceutics
and food services. Servos are controlled by sending an electrical pulse of variable width, or pulse
width modulation (PWM), through the control wire. There is a minimum pulse, a maximum
pulse and a repetition rate. A servo motor can usually only turn 90° in either direction for a total
of 180° movement. The motor's neutral position is defined as the position where the servo has
the same amount of potential rotation in the both the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
The PWM sent to the motor determines position of the shaft, and based on the duration of the
pulse sent via the control wire the rotor will turn to the desired position. The servo motor expects
to see a pulse every 20 milliseconds (MS) and the length of the pulse will determine how far the
motor turns. For example, a 1.5ms pulse will make the motor turn to the 90° position. Shorter
than 1.5ms moves it to 0° and any longer than 1.5ms will turn the servo to 180°. When these
servos are commanded to move, they will move to the position and hold that position. If an
external force pushes against the servo while the servo is holding a position, the servo will resist
from moving out of that position. The maximum amount of force the servo can exert is called the
torque rating of the servo. Servos will not hold their position forever though; the position pulse
must be repeated to instruct the servo to stay in position.
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CHAPTER SIX
6 SIMULATION OF THE SYSTEM
In this phase we are dealing with the simulation of the designed automatic solar tracking system
using the ARDUINO UNO R3 software. Simulating Arduino in Proteus Using Arduino Proteus
library has the following procedures. According Jaseemvp, Arduino is becoming popular day by
day among Electronics Engineers, Teachers and Students because of its simplicity. Unfortunately
there is no simulation tool available for Arduino developers. To test and verify the Arduino
codes we must have Arduino microcontroller board. The Arduino board is available at a
reasonable price; its cost isn’t much higher and is affordable for students and Arduino
developers. That may be the reason behind the unavailability of Arduino simulator. Anyway it
doesn’t matter because here is a way Arduino Proteus simulation. Well, we will have a look at
Arduino simulation by Proteus. Proteus is very popular circuit simulation software. Arduino
library has been developed for incorporating Arduino with Proteus. Let’s check how to simulate
Arduino with Proteus.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
4) The loaded file will create .hex file, copy this and locate in safe
5) Open the design in proteus and double click on the Arduino image then give the path file
created in the above step
6) The simulation is now ready to run
2. When morning arrives, the right LDR have more intensity of light than the left LDR, the
servo motor rotate clockwise 90degree in the east direction.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
.
Figure 6.3 when right LDR the more light intensity detect
3.While the left LDR have more light intensity than right LDR, the servo motor rotates anticlock
wise 90 degree in the west direction.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
Figure 6.4 when the left LDR is more light intensity detect.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
CHAPTER SEVEN
7.1 CONCULSION
Based on the obtained results we can conclude that the proposed solution for a Solar tracking
system offers several advantages concerning the movement Command of the PV panel:
A minimum of energy consumption, due to the fact that the panel movement is
carried out only in justified cases, eliminating unnecessary consumption of
energy, and due to the cutting of the power circuits supply between the movement
periods of the PV panel;
A maximization of output energy produced by the PV panel, through an optimal
positioning executed only for sufficient values of light signal Intensity.
A panel position starting from any initial position of the PV panel.
It has been shown that the sun tracking systems can collect more energy than
what a fixed panel system collects and thus high efficiency is achieved through
this tracker. Increase in efficiency is not the most significant figure; it can be
more prominent in concentrating type reflectors.
7.1 RECOMMENDATION
Fixed solar system has been various type of output energy produced by PV panel,
only certain optimal positioning executed only for sufficient values of light
signal. So, the elimination of system should be used solar tracking system.
Generally, we should be used solar tracking system for the maximization of
output energy produced by the PV panel, through an optimal positioning
executed only for sufficient values of light signal Intensity.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
REFERENCE
1. [Aliman and Daut, 2007] Omar Aliman, Ismail Daut, “Rotation-Elevation of Sun Tracking
Mode to Gain High Concentration Solar Energy”, IEEE Conference, 12-14April 2007,
Page(s):551 – 555
2. [Armstrong and Hurley, 2005] S. Armstrong and W.G Hurley “Investigating the Effectiveness
of Maximum Power Point Tracking for a Solar System”, IEEE Conference on Power Electronics,
2005 Page(s):204 – 209.
3. P. A. Basore, "Manufacturing a New Polycrystalline Silicon PV Technology", IEEE 4thWorld
Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, pp. 2089-2093, 2006.
4. P. Turmezei, "Chalcogenide Materials for Solar Energy Conversion", Acta Poly technical
Hungarica, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 13-16, 2004.
5. T. Tudorache, L. Kreindler, "Design of a Solar Tracker System for PV Power Plants",
ActaPolytechnica Hungarica, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 23-39, 2010.
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
APPENDEXI
#include <Servo.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,11,5,4,3,2);
Servo vertical;
int servov = 180;
int servovLimitHigh = 180;
int servovLimitLow = 0;
int ldrl = 0;
int ldrr = 1;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
lcd.begin(16,2);
lcd.clear();
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
vertical.attach(10);
vertical.write(0);
delay(50);
}
void loop()
{
int l = analogRead(ldrl);
int r = analogRead(ldrr);
int dtime = 50;
if (l > r)
{
servov = ++servov;
if (servov < servovLimitHigh)
{
servov = servovLimitHigh;
}
vertical.write(servov);
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("East");
}
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Design and simulation of automatic solar tracking system 2017GC EC
else if (l < r)
{
servov = --servov;
if (servov > servovLimitLow)
{
servov = servovLimitLow;
}
vertical.write(servov);
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("West");
}
else
{
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("nothing");
}
delay(50);
}
34