Design and construction of sun tracking systems for solar parabolic concentrator displacement

Skouri, Safa; Ali, Abdessalem Ben Haj; Bouadila, Salwa; Salah, M. Ben; Nasrallah, Sassi Ben

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2016.03.006

Cited by 68 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…• an optimal configuration of the tracking axes [24,25], • an optimal configuration of the control systems [26], • the optimization of the moving fixtures [27]. The amount of electric energy produced by PV systems depends primarily on the solar radiation, the temperature, the technology, the current natural factors, the composition of the particular module and the combined effects of the installation and the efficiency rates.…”

Section: Energy Production and Accuracy Features Of Dual Tracking Pv mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes of Photovoltaic Performance as a Function of Positioning Relative to the Focus Points of a Concentrator PV Module: Case Study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article examines the positioning features of polycrystalline, monocrystalline, and amorphous silicon modules relative to the focus points of concentrator photovoltaic modules under real meteorological conditions using a dual tracking system. The performance of the photovoltaic modules mounted on a dual-axis tracking system was regarded as a function of module orientation where the modules were moved step by step up to a point where their inclination differed by 30° compared to the ideal focus point position of the reference concentrator photovoltaic module. The inclination difference relative to the ideal focus point position was determined by the perfect perpendicularity to the rays of the sun. Technology-specific results show the accuracy of a sun tracking photovoltaic system that is required to keep the loss in power yield below a defined level. The loss in power yield, determined as a function of the measurement results, also showed that the performance insensitivity thresholds of the monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon modules depended on the direction of the alignment changes. The performance deviations showed clear azimuth dependence. Changing the tilt of the modules towards north and south showed little changes in results, but inclination changes towards northwest, southwest, southeast, and northeast produced results diverging more markedly from each other. These results may make the planning of solar tracking sensor investments easier and help with the estimate calculations of the total investment and operational costs and their return concerning monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon photovoltaic systems. The results also provide guidance for the tracking error values of the solar tracking sensor.

show abstract

Section: Energy Production and Accuracy Features Of Dual Tracking Pv mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes of Photovoltaic Performance as a Function of Positioning Relative to the Focus Points of a Concentrator PV Module: Case Study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The one‐axis three‐position solar tracking system for parabolic dish collector system was developed using light‐dependent sensors and programmable interface controller and DC geared motor . The comparative study of three sun tracking systems (developed at the Centre of Energy, Tunisia) with a commercial tracker was carried out, and it was found that one of the three pilot sun tracking systems produced less than 0.2° tracking error . An open‐looped altitude‐azimuth tracking system was studied for the Fresnel lens module to concentrate sunlight on a Stirling engine's heating head, and it was observed that the temperature of the heating head reaches around 900°C under cloudless environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14 The comparative study of three sun tracking systems (developed at the Centre of Energy, Tunisia) with a commercial tracker was carried out, and it was found that one of the three pilot sun tracking systems produced less than 0.2°tracking error. 15 An openlooped altitude-azimuth tracking system was studied for the Fresnel lens module to concentrate sunlight on a Stirling engine's heating head, 16 and it was observed that the temperature of the heating head reaches around 900°C under cloudless environment. It was suggested that the mechanism of heating the Stirling engine head can be applied to solar-thermal applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental analysis of a two-axis tracking system for solar parabolic dish collector

Natarajan¹,

Thampi²,

Shaw³

et al. 2018

Int J Energy Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a two‐axis tracking system for solar parabolic dish concentrator and experimentally evaluated the performance of the tracking system. In this proposed design, the sensor design uses the illumination produced by the convex lens on the apex of a pyramid to align the dish in‐line with the sun. The change in incident angle of the solar rays on the lens surface shifts the area of illumination from the apex of the pyramid towards its faces. Photodiodes placed on the faces of the pyramid are used as the sensitive elements to detect the movement of the sun. The sensor output is fed to a microcontroller‐based system to drive the stepper motor on the basis of the programmed algorithm such that it receives normal incidence of sunlight on the sensor. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, a conventional available 1‐W photovoltaic (PV) panel is placed at the focal point to measure the short circuit current and open circuit voltage. With respect to the conventional solar PV panel, it is observed that the positioning accuracy of the proposed tracking system enhances the short circuit current of 0.11 A by 86%. Thus, the proposed tracking system can be used in a stand‐alone parabolic dish with concentrating PV module as the focal point for further studies.

show abstract

“…Presently, the following four methods are used to concentrate the solar thermal power such as linear Fresnel system, solar dish system, parabolic trough system, solar tower systems. The performance of the solar dish concentration is strongly depending on the design, sizing the aperture and diameter of the receiver, diameter of the dish, azimuth and elevation angle [1][2]. In order to track the sun a photosensitive sensor and coordinate calculation algorithm is used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real Time Clock based Energy Efficient Automatic Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

Kumar.N¹,

Subramaniam²

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper describes the design, implementation and performance of a real time clock (RTC) based dual axis solar tracking system and asymmetric solar dish concentrator. Numerous algorithm and functional program methodologies are implemented in order to optimizing the energy efficiency of the RTC based simple electromechanical dual axis solar energy tracking system. In this presented work, a RTC (Real Time Clock) based dual axis solar tracking system and solar dish concentrator is designed, implemented and tested based on current time and photodiode sensor based daily tracking method. In daily morning, the photo diode sensor in solar tracking system is used to align the solar concentrator for the initial position. The developed solar tracking system can follow the sun at various days, months and seasons. So, the solar tracking system needs a RTC (Real Time Clock) in order to leading the solar tracking system in finding sun's position for the daily, monthly and seasonal movement. So, the combination of both RTC and sensor based tracking system gives the designed solar tracking system as an efficient one. Time based algorithm is successfully performed to various months in order to track the sun. An entire asymmetric solar dish concentrator is covered by 1 x 1 inch glass mirrors. The solar dish concentrator has reached maximum solar concentration with the help of this continuous RTC tracking method. The experiment was conducted in the month of March, April and May 2017. The maximum temperature of 415 o C was recorded at the time of experiment. It is found that thermal power gain of RTC based dual axis solar tracking system is 75% compared to the fixed solar concentrator system. of the photosensitive sensor [3]. Six photo-transistor feedbacks are used to control an automated solar concentrator system. It is two axis tracking system both elevation and azimuth angle controlled by six photo transistor sensors covered with lens [4]. PLC based open loop two axis tracking system is used for solar dish concentrator (SDP) [5]. The efficiency of the manual tracking will be less than the automatic solar tracking system. The efficiency will be increased when the solar irradiation is perpendicular to the receiver. It is done by the automatic tracking system [6][7]. The path of the sun was found with the help of analog and digital techniques along with phototransistors [8]. The PLC based software programming method of two axes solar tracking is used to increase the energy of 41.34% than the fixed system [9]. Portable Dish Concentrator with solar tracking system was increased efficiency to 30% [10]. Spherical solar cooker with automatic PLC and frequency control tracking system produced temperature to 93oC [11]. MPPT algorithm in solar tracking system has produced in 12 to 30% percentage of energy than the fixed system [12]. The combination of electronics and mechanical solar tracking system is used for aligning the solar concentrators. The maximum energy can be yield from this electro-mechanical system [13][14]. FPGA (Field progra...

show abstract

Design and construction of sun tracking systems for solar parabolic concentrator displacement

Cited by 68 publications

References 38 publications

Changes of Photovoltaic Performance as a Function of Positioning Relative to the Focus Points of a Concentrator PV Module: Case Study

Changes of Photovoltaic Performance as a Function of Positioning Relative to the Focus Points of a Concentrator PV Module: Case Study

Experimental analysis of a two-axis tracking system for solar parabolic dish collector

Real Time Clock based Energy Efficient Automatic Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About