An accurate and efficient solar tracking system using image processing and LDR sensor
The use of renewable energy resources is increasing for the purpose of producing electricity in modern world due to lack of non-renewable sources. As solar panels are becoming more popular day by day, it is a crying need to maximize the solar panel efficiency. The efficiency of solar panels can be increased to a great extent if the solar panels continuously rotate in the direction of sun. Microcontroller and an arrangement of LDR sensors can be used for the purpose of tracking the sun. But the system is less efficient because of the low sensitivity and disturbance of light dependent resistors. In this paper, a methodology of an automatic solar tracker is proposed by means of both sensors and image processing simultaneously. The mechanism of solar tracking was implemented by the use of an image processing software which combines the effect of sensors and processed image of sun and controls the solar panel accordingly. The methodology is a combination of hardware and software which can be used to control hundreds of solar panels in a solar power plant with more accuracy. It can be concluded that the proposed system is more accurate and efficient than the conventional solar tracking systems which can optimize the power requirement.
MICROCONTROLLER BASED SOLAR-TRACKING SYSTEM AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION
In this paper, a new micro-controller based solar-tracking system is proposed, implemented and tested. Thescheme presented here can be operated as independent of the geographical location of the site of setting up. Thesystem checks the position of the sun and controls the movement of a solar panel so that radiation of the suncomes normally to the surface of the solar panel. The developed-tracking system tracks the sun both in theazimuth as well as in the elevation plane. PC based system monitoring facility is also included in the design.
A MICROPROCESSOR BASED TWO AXIS TRACKING CONTROLLER
ABSTRACT An INTEL 8085 based two axis tracking controller is described. The controller has a microprocessor card containing an 8085 CPU, 8255 programmable peripheral interfaces and space for memories. The CPU senses the tracker status through port A of 8255 to which TTL signals are provided from a sensor card. The end positions of the tracker are sensed through port C. Depending on the motion required (Azimuth/Altitude reverse or forward), six PWM signals are generated on port B. These signals, through driver stages, run three phase 24V, 50 Hz ac synchronous motors used in the tracker. The PWM signals are applied either to Azimuth or Altitude motors by setting bit 6 or 7 of port B to 0 to control the gate signals of 74LS367 Tri-State buffers. The software also has subroutine to run the tracker under cloudy condition, high wind condition and to check if any motor is getting stuck. The entire software for tracker control and PWM generation is stored in 2716 EPROM in the card.