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.
Automatic Sun Tracking System (ASTS)
In remote areas the sun is a cheap source of electricity because instead of hydraulic generators it uses solar cells to produce electricity. While the output of solar cells depends on the intensity of sunlight and the angle of incidence. It means to 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. The Automatic Sun Tracking System (ASTS) was made as a prototype to solve the problem, mentioned above. It is completely automatic and keeps the panel in front of sun until that is visible. The unique feature of this system is that instead of taking the earth as its reference, it takes the sun as a guiding source. Its active sensors constantly monitor the sunlight and rotate the panel towards the direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum. In case the sun gets invisible e.g. in cloudy weather, then without tracking the sun the ASTS keeps rotating the solar panel in opposite direction to the rotation of earth. But its speed of rotation is same as that of earth’s rotation. Due to this property when after some time e.g. half an hour when the sun again gets visible, the solar panel is exactly in front of sun. Moreover the system can manage the errors and also provides the error messages on the LCD display. In manual mode, through the software (GUI) at computer, the solar panel can be rotated at any desired angle. 2. STRUCTURE OF ASTS
Microprocessor based automatic Sun tracker
A microprocessor-based automatic position control scheme has been designed for controlling the azimuth angle of an optimally tilted photovoltaic flat type solar panel or a cylindrical parabolic reflector to get the illuminating surface appropriately positioned for the collection of maximum solar irradiance. The scheme presented results in considerable saving in power and is independent of the geographical location of the site of erection or temporal variations in environmental parameters.