Design and Implementation of a Microcontroller Based Dual Axis Solar Radiation Tracker

Okhaifoh, JE; Okene, DE

doi:10.4314/njt.v35i3.17

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…To utilize the photocell, it is placed in series with a resistor. A voltage divider is thus formed and the output at the junction is determined by the two resistances [7]. The value is then fed to the analogue input pin of the microcontroller.…”

Section: Light Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design and Implementation of a Dual Axis Solar Tracker Using Arduino Microcontroller

Udoakah

Chukwu

2018

Elektrika

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Energy is pivotal to the human and capital development of any nation; hence, the ever growing quest to discover reliable and sustainable energy sources. Researches on renewable energy sources ranging from wind, tidal, hydro power and solar energy is on-going; all geared towards providing better electrical energy source. Solar energy, however, holds a very promising future as far as sustainable energy solution is concerned. It is silent, green, with zero negative impact to the globe and no pollution. Unlike the conventional energy sources from fossil fuel, it reduces greatly the impact of global warming and remains endless. The developed solar tracker has two automatic tracking axis for both the zenith daily and the azimuth annually as well as displaying in real-time solar irradiation and tilt angles on the mounted LCD. The self-controlled tracking is achieved by using a MEGA2560 microcontroller board, programmed to read analog values from an array of LDRs, convert them to digital values, compare them and drive the stepper motors in the desired direction until equal light is sensed by alternate LDRs. At this point, the panel is aligned perpendicular to the sun rays to capture the maximum possible energy. A working prototype is successfully designed and constructed. The testing revealed very precise tracking made possible by using micro-stepping modes of the stepper motors. This also gave a very high tracking accuracy of about ±0.0560.

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Section: Light Sensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A paper published by [7] discussed A Microcontroller Based Solar Tracking System and its Implementation. The block diagram showed a microcontroller interfaced with a stepper motor using a voltage/current driver, three LDRs read analog values which were converted to digital by ADC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Implementation of a Dual Axis Solar Tracker Using Arduino Microcontroller

Udoakah

Chukwu

2018

Elektrika

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“…In their experiment, they achieved a significant degree of accuracy in positioning with better flexibility and convenience. A study by Oghogho, & Edeko, (2020) implemented a solar tracking system using a PIC 18F2550 microcontroller. Here, the positioning system used was similar to that of the dish antenna, hence demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intersection of domains: Designing a remote-controlled dish antenna

Oluwole,

Olaluyi,

Johnson

2024

dujopas

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The advent of technology has instigated rapid advances in the field of communications, a prime example being the remote-controlled dish antenna, which embodies a parabolic design intended to intercept and concentrate electromagnetic waves onto a common focal point. The modification towards remote control mandates a core understanding of diverse technological realms as it involves an amalgamation of com-ponents and knowledge. This discourse probes into the nuanced design and implementation of a remote-controlled dish antenna, conceived around the core touchstones of a microcontroller and an array of complementary components. The research work signifies a compounding of several technological do-mains, including microcontroller programming, power electronics, wireless communication, and motor control, necessitating extensive proficiency in these areas and consequently, offering an invaluable foundation to the broader control system applications. The overarching aim of this research is to enable users to effectively control a dish antenna's positioning remotely, leveraging a Bluetooth HC-05 module for optimal convenience and accessibility. This revolutionary project relies on a PIC18F2550 microcon-troller, a high-performance RISC CPU with integrated EEPROM and SRAM, which allows for flexible data storage and retrieval. Considering its compatibility with a variety of peripherals, the PIC18F2550 emerges as a logical choice, significantly enhancing the system's performance efficacy.

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“…The use of solar tracker has become widespread in the photovoltaic (PV) system, as it allows a significant increase in output power that contributes to the overall profitability of solar projects [1,2]. For fix positioned static solar systems, panels are installed in an optimum tilt angle facing a specific direction, so that it can get maximum direct solar radiation, incident perpendicularly on it throughout the year [3,4]. Direct solar radiation carries almost 90% of the total energy of the solar radiation [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication and Performance Analysis of a Higher Efficient Dual-Axis Automated Solar Tracker

Rahman

Hossain

Uddin

et al. 2019

IJEE

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In this work, a dual-axis automated solar tracker is developed by using two linear motors, four light dependent resistors (LDRs) and two mono crystalline solar panels. The LDRs are placed on the rotating frame where the solar panels are placed to detect the position of the sun and the controller circuit drives the motors to place the frame towards the sun. The controlling unit has been developed using PLC microcontroller. The motor driver circuit has been designed using a code to align the solar panels to a suitable position so that it is exposed to the maximum amount of solar irradiance. The driver circuit receives data from the LDRs and the microcontroller controls the motors to move the panel along its horizontal and vertical axis. To evaluate the performance of the solar tracker, output power of the solar tracker and an identical set of static solar panels set in an optimum fixed orientation are measured from the open-circuit voltage and the short circuit current for two consecutive days. The output power produced by the automatic solar tracker was consistently higher than that by the static solar panel. The energy gain due to using the automatic solar tracker is at highest in the morning and in the afternoon at almost 40%. The lowest value of energy gain is observed during noon at as low as 1%. The average increase in output throughout the day is 24.09%.

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Design and Implementation of a Microcontroller Based Dual Axis Solar Radiation Tracker

Cited by 5 publications

References 4 publications

Design and Implementation of a Dual Axis Solar Tracker Using Arduino Microcontroller

Design and Implementation of a Dual Axis Solar Tracker Using Arduino Microcontroller

Intersection of domains: Designing a remote-controlled dish antenna

Fabrication and Performance Analysis of a Higher Efficient Dual-Axis Automated Solar Tracker

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