[SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM FOR MAXIMUM POWER GENERATION ] 2017

Solar Tracking System for Maximum Power

Generation

A Project Report
Submitted by
1. Milliyon Yohannes RDEG/124/05
2. Hailay Kahsay RDEG/196/05
ADVISOR: ATO. WONDWOSSEN DESTA

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of

Bachelor of Technology in Electronics Engineering

(Instrumentation Engineering)

At

DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

BISHOFTU
June, 2017

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This is to certify that the thesis project entitled “Solar Tracking System for Maximum Power
Generation” is the work carried out by MILLIYON YOHANNES AND HAILAY KAHSAY
student of B.Tech, Defence University College of Engineering, Bishoftu, during the year 2017.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of
Instrumentation Engineering and that the project has not formed the basis for the award
previously of any degree, associate ship, fellowship or any other similar rule.

Department Head Project Advisor

Capt. Girma Adam Ato. Wondwossen Desta
Signature: Signature:

Examiners Signature
1.
2.
3.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
At first we greatly praise to almighty God for successful completion of our undergraduate
project. We would like to thank Minstry of National Defense (MoND) for establishing a
wonderful college which made us achieve our dream of learning. Next, we would like to thank
our department head Capt.Girma Adam, who coordinates our department through achieving our
college’s vision. In addition we would like to appreciate the advices and the support we received
from our honorable Advisor AtoWondwossen Desta and Capt. Dessie Fentaw, we are deeply
thankful for their dedication and commitment in realizing our project finalization. We are also
grateful for all members of Electronics Engineering department staff members who taught and
helped us reach our final target. Finally, we would like to thank our family for their support in
helping us to learn and live in order to fulfill our dreams.

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ABSTRACT
Solar energy is rapidly gaining notoriety as an important means of expanding renewable energy
resources. As such, it is vital that those in engineering fields understand the technologies
associated with this area. Our project will include the design and simulation of a arduino-based
solar panel tracking system. Solar tracking allows more energy to be produced because the solar
array is able to remain aligned to the sun. This system builds upon topics learned in this course.
A working system will ultimately be demonstrated to validate the design. Problems and possible
improvements will also be presented.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE ............................................................................................................................... i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. ii

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………...iv

LIST OF FIGURE......................................................................................................................... vii

LIST OF TABLE ........................................................................................................................ viii

ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. ix

CHAPTER ONE ..............................................................................................................................1

1.1Background information of the project .......................................................................................1

1.2 General Objective ......................................................................................................................1

1.3 Specific Objectives ....................................................................................................................1

1.4 Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………………1
1.5 literature review ........................................................................................................................2

1.6 Statement of the problem ………………………………………………………………………………3

1.7 Significance of the project .........................................................................................................3

1.8 Scope and limitation of the study……………………………………………………………………….4

1.8.1scope of the study ……………………………………………………………………………...4
1.8.1Limitation of the study ………………………………………………………………………...4
1 9 Outline/Project Organization ....................................................................................................4

CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................................5

2. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION ...................................................................5

2.1Hard ware description ................................................................................................................5

2.1.1Solar tracker main board ...............................................................................................5

2.1.2 Over view on electronic component…………………………………………………………..5

2.1.3 Servo motor....................................................................................................................6

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2.1.4 Sensor……………………………………………………………………………………………6
2.1.5 Interface………………………………………………………………………………………....8
2.1.6 Arduino UNO Micro controller…………………………………………………………………8
2.1.7 LCD …………………………………………………………………………………………….9
2.2 Software part…………………………………………………………………………………… ……….13
2.2.1 Ardiuno IDE ………………………………………………………………………………….13
2.2.2 Protuse …………………………………………………………………………………..........13
CHAPTER THREE…………………………………………………………………………………………14
3. SOLAR TRACKER………………………………………………………………………………………14
3.1 Need for solar tracker ……………………………………………………………………………….......14
3.2 Active tracking system...............................................................................................................15

3.2.1 Single axis tracking system..........................................................................................15

3.2.2 Dual axis tracking system. ...........................................................................................16

3.4 Working of photovoltaic …………………………………………………………………….16

CHAPTER FOUR..........................................................................................................................18

4. DESIGN OF SOLAR TRACKER .............................................................................................18

4.1 System design ........................................................................................................................18

4.2 Algorithm ...............................................................................................................................19

4.3 Flow chart ..............................................................................................................................20

4.4 Virtual prototype of the system................................................................................................21

4.5 Solar tracker simulation ..........................................................................................................22

4.6 Simulation result ...................................................................................................................23

4.6.1 Servo motor 1(East-West motion) ............................................................................23

4.6.2 Servo motor 2(North-South motion) .........................................................................25

CHAPTER FIVE ...........................................................................................................................27

5. Conclusion and future work .....................................................................................................27

5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................27

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5.2 Future work .................................................................................................................27

Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................29

Appendix........................................................................................................................................30

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure1.1Block diagram of Solar tracking system using LDR, OPAmp and a
microcontroller…………………………………………………………………………………...2
Figure1. 2 Block Diagram of Microcontroller and Associated Circuitry………………………..3

Figure 2.1 servo motor……………………………………………………………………………6

Figure 2.2 light dependent resistor...................................................................................................7

Figure 2.3light dependent resistor circuit diagram ..........................................................................7

Figure 2.4 arduinoUno micro controller ..........................................................................................9

Figure 2.5 pin diagram of LCD........................................................................................................9

Figure 3.1Dual axis tracker ............................................................................................................16

Figure 3.2Photovoltaic panel array ................................................................................................17

Figure 4.1Setup of squared solar panel ..........................................................................................18

Figure 4.2Block diagram Of over all the system ...........................................................................19

Figure 4.3 (a) Flow chart ..............................................................................................................20

Figure 4.3 (b) Flow chart ..............................................................................................................21

Figure4.4Circute design of solar tracking system ........................................................................22

Figure 4.5 Solar tracker simulation test .......................................................................................23

Figure4.6 Anti clockwise movement of servo motor 1 .................................................................24

Figure 4.7 Clockwise movement of servo motor 1 ........................................................................24

Figure4.8 Anti clockwise movement of servo motor 2 .................................................................25

Figure 4.9 : Clockwise Movement of Servo Motor 2..........................................................................26

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Pin description of LCD ..................................................................................................10

Table 2.2Command description of LCD........................................................................................11

Table 3.1Direct power lost (%) due to misalignment(angle i)........................................................14

Table 4.1 Algorithm of two axis solar tracking system. ................................................................19

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ACRONYMS

DEC Defense engineering college

PV Photovoltaic

DC Direct current

LCD Liquid Crystal Display

LDR Light dependent resistor

Proteus Simulator software

PWM Plus width modulation

I/O Input Output

ADC Analog to digital converter

ICSP In circuit serial programming

FTDI Future technology devices international

USB Universal serial bus

Acc Accumulator

CRT Cathode ray tube

RD Read

WR Write

RS Register select

EN Enable

D0-D7 Data lines

RS Resister selector

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IDE Integrated development environment

AADAT Azimuth altitude dual axis trackers

ƟZ solar altitude

ƟA solar azimuth

OS Operating system

VSM Virtual system HSAT

Horizontal single

VSAT Vertical single axis

MPPT Maximum power

RTC Real time clock

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CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background information of the project

Nowadays green energy (regeneration energy) has gained much importance because of the energy
resource as fossil fuel price is fluctuating. 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 principle of solar light into Electricity, called Photo-Voltaic (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. Solutions for
improving the efficiency of PV conversion can be achieved by improving the solar cell
configuration of a solar tracking system and its technologies. The solar tracking system that
automatically adjusts the PV panel position based on the illumination with respect to the natural
position of the Sun at different times of the day can be realized by a means of a DC Motor. A DC
motor (stepper motor or servo motor ) controlled by micro controller that is equipped with an
algorithm to provide the tracking position, the proposed tracking system generates efficient energy
compared to that of fixed system.
1.2 General objective
 Design and implementation of solar tracking system for maximum power
generation using microcontroller.
1.3 Specific objective
 Design circuit model for solar tracking system.
 Interfacing components with microcontroller.
 Simulation of the designed circuit using proteus.
1.4 Methodology
 The methodology to be used to design and simulate the control circuit will be used
Proteus software for simulation.
 Programming C language development using micro C compiler

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1.5 Literature review

 Arduino based solar tracking system
MsAyushi Nitin Ingole [1],in this paper is based on the use of solar panel coupled to a stepper
motor to track the Sun so that maximum sun light is incident upon the panel at any given time of
the day and year. This is better compared to fixed panel method that may not be so efficient.
Moreover, the code is constructed using C++ programming language and targeted to Arduino
UNO controller. The efficiency of the system has been tested and compared with static solar panel
on several time intervals, and it shows the system react the best at the 10-minutes intervals with
consistent voltage generated. Therefore, the system has been proven working for capturing the
maximum sunlight source for high efficiency solar harvesting applications. Further the work can
be enhanced by using RTC (Real Time Clock) to follow the Sun. This helps in maintaining the
required position of the panel even if the power is interrupted for some time.

Figure 1.1: Block diagram of Solar tracking system using LDR, OPAmp and a microcontroller
 Single Axis Automatic Solar Tracking System Using Microcontroller

Nitai Pal [2], in this document solar power generation had been employed as a renewable energy
for years. Residents that use solar power as their alternative power supply will bring benefits to
them. The main objective of this paper is to develop a microcontroller-based solar panel tracking
system which will keep the solar panels aligned with the Sun in order to maximize in harvesting
solar power. When the intensity of light is decreasing, this system automatically changes its
direction to get maximum intensity of light. Light dependent photo resistors are used as the
sensors of the solar tracker. For rotating the appropriate position of the panel, a stepper motor is

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used. This design is covered for a single axis and is designed for residential use.

Figure1. 2 Block Diagram of Microcontroller and Associated Circuitry

In project we designed dual axis solar tracking system, which over comes the problem existing
while using single axis solar tracking system beside this our project solves the existence of real
time clock, i.e. tracking solar energy by avoiding wastage by introducing real time clock
(RTC),finally using servo motor helps to get accurate and exact rotation points.
1.6 Statement of the problem

Most photovoltaic panels currently in use (e.g. DEC) are fixed at one position. So our need is to
design an automatic solar tracking system which is able to change the panel position based on the
illuminant from sun and to increase the power generated.

1.7 Significance of the Project

Realizing this project will be a step forward to opening the way how to develop a solar tracking
system that will be highly important to the present life of our people in building a strong economic
way with modern technology, and energy used trend, to enhance the prevailing industrial vibration
in the country. Moreover, it will serve as a means of technology transfer regarding application of
solar (tracking) technology for designing solar tracking system and it will also serve as an
Educational Aid in High-schools, Colleges, and Higher Education Institutions about the
application of solar tracking system.
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1.8 Scope and Limitation of the study

1.8.1 Scope of the study
Our project “Solar Tracking System for Maximum Power Generation ”is to track intensity of light
using light dependent resistor then it feeds to Arduino microcontroller which in turn rotates the
two servo motors based the difference of intensity existing. In the design ,liquid crystal display
also used to display “Solar Tracking System” as a welcome message .
1.8.2 Limitation

We are confident that our system works correctly, but we have to solve tolerance values to get
more accurate servo rotation.

1.9 Outline/Organization of the project

This project is organized in five chapters as follows:
Chapter one discusses the introduction and literature review.
Chapter two provides clear details about the hardware and software components used in the
Whole design and development of solar tracking system.
Chapter three is all about the solar tracker system and types of solar tracking system.
Chapter four design and sumilation of solar tracking system. Finally, chapter five is conclusion
and future work.

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CHAPTER TWO
2. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
2.1Hardware

Introduction

The design of this solar tracking system is as cost effective as possible while not compromising its
performance. After a couple of possible design investigation, one which is most convenient design
is developed. The first deal is whereby the design of the automatic solar tracking system to generate
maximum power. Solar tracker has to be controlled by microcontroller.

2.1. 1 Solar tracker main board

The main board of this Solar tracker has four direction (wheel) each being controlled by two DC
motors (servo motor), one for up and down (N,S),one for left and right(E,W) . This design is
chosen in order to facilitate the motion of the (Solar) tracker controlled solar through any direction;
the design being quite adequate for this project though it has its own limitations if it is to be used
for real world application.

2.1.2 Overview on Electronic Components

The solar, for its full development and implementation, and effective functionality purpose, has
required a lot of electronic components and equipment that have to be chosen carefully. Thus,
before choosing the necessary electronic system components and equipment types to be used in the
design and development of this solar tracking system, system specification and feasibility study is
conducted so as to obtain the best possible system components from various previously done
related projects as well as by reading variety of forms in the internet. For possible cost effective
development and implementation of this project, the available products in the market, limitations
and constraints of these products are studied; and prices of components is compared. Finally the
best suited system components are selected.
List of components used
LDR
Servomotor
Resistor
Bread board

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LCD display

2.1.3 Servomotor

A servomotor is a rotary actuator that allows for precise control of angular position. It uses a
feedback mechanism to maintain its shaft position with minimum error. The servo motor has three
wires. Among those 3 wires, 2 wires provide power supply to the motor and one is used to send
signals to the motor for required shaft positions. These signals are PWM signal of varying duty
cycle. Servo shaft is rotated by an angle depending on the ON-Time and off time of the pulse.
Servo motors are used to rotate the solar panel by sending an electrical pulse of variable width, or
pulse width modulation (PWM) through the control wire. The servomotor is represented in Figure
2.1

Figure 2.1: Servo Motor

2.1.4 Sensor

A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be
read by an observer using an instrument.

 Light Dependent Resistor

Light Dependent Resistor is made of a high-resistance semiconductor. It can also be referred to as

a photoconductor. If light falling on the device is of the high enough frequency, photons absorbed
by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into the conduction band. The
resulting free electron conducts electricity, thereby lowering resistance. Hence, Light Dependent
Resistors is very useful in light sensor circuits. LDR is very high-resistance, sometimes as high as
10MΩ, when they are illuminated with light resistance drops dramatically.

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A Light Dependent Resistor is a resistor that changes in value according to the light falling on it.
A commonly used device, the ORP-12, has a high resistance in the dark, and a low resistance in
the light. Connecting the LDR to the microcontroller is very straight forward, but some software
calibrating is required. It should be remembered that the LDR response is not linear, and so the
readings will not change inexactly the same way as with a potentiometer. In general there is a
larger resistance change at brighter light levels. This can be compensated for in the software by
using a smaller range at darker light levels.

We are using Four Light Dependent Resistor’s as a sensor. They sense the higher density area of
sun light. The solar panel moves to the high light density area through servo motors.

Figure2.2 Light dependent resister and symbol

Figure 2.3 Light dependent resister circuit diagram

Each LDR is connected to power supply forming a potential divider. Thus any change in light
Intensity is proportional to the change in voltage across the LDR’s. LDR is a passive transducer
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hence we will use potential divider circuit to obtain corresponding voltage value from the
resistance of LDR. LDRs resistance is inversely proportional to the intensity of light falling on it
i.e. Higher the intensity or brightness of light the Lower the resistance and vice versa.
2.1.5 Interfaces:
Input (ADC):
Arduino has an inbuilt 10-bit Analog to Digital converter (ADC), hence it can provide Digital
values from 0-1023.(since 2^10=1024). We can also set the ADC reference voltage in arduino, but
here we’ll let it use default value. LDR’s has two pins, and to get voltage value from it we use
potential divider circuit. In potential divider we get Vout corresponding to resistance of LDR
which in turn is a function of light falling on LDR. The higher the intensity of light, lower the
LDR resistance and hence lower the Output voltage (Vout) and lower the light intensity, higher
the LDR resistance and hence higher the Vout.
Output (PWM):
Arduino has a 8-bit PWM generator, so we can get up to 256 distinct PWM signal. To drive a
servo we need to get a PWM signal from the board, this is usually accomplished using timer
function of the microcontroller but arduino makes it very easy. Arduino provides a servo library in
which we have to only assign servo angle (0-1800) and the servo rotates by that angle, all the
PWM calculations are handled by the servo library and we get a neat PWM signal according to the
desired angle.
2.1.6 Arduino Uno Microcontroller:
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core,
memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Microcontrollers are designed for embedded
applications, in contrast to the microprocessors used in personal computers or other general
purpose applications. A microcontroller is a compact microcomputer designed to govern the
operation of embedded systems in motor vehicles, robots, office
machines, automated sun trackers, and various other devices. A typical microcontroller includes a
processor, memory, and peripherals. Arduino UNO R3 is a microcontroller board based on the
ATmega328 will be used. It has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as Pulse
Width Modulation [PWM] outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB
connection, a power jack, an In-Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP)
header, and a reset button. The UNO differs from all preceding boards because it does not use the

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FTDI USB-to-serial driver chip. This is what justifies the choice of UNO. The microcontroller is
represented in Figure 2.4

Figure 2.4 Arduino Uno Microcontroller

2.1.7 16x2 liquid crystal display (LCD)

A liquid crystal display (LCD) is an electronic, thin, flat panel used for electronically displaying
information such as text, images, and moving pictures. Its uses include monitors for computers,
televisions, instrument panels, and other devices ranging from aircraft cockpit displays, to every-
day consumer devices such as video players, gaming devices, clocks, watches, calculators, and
telephones. Among its major features are its lightweight construction, its portability, and its ability
to be produced in much larger screen sizes than are practical for the construction of cathode ray
tube (CRT) display technology. There are two main types of LCD display that is:

1. Numeric displays (used in watches, calculators etc.) and

2. Alphanumeric text displays (often used in devices such as photocopiers and mobile telephones).

Figure 2.5 Pin diagram of LCD

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Table 2.1 Pin Description of LCD

PIN SYMBOL I/O DESCRIPTION

1 VSS -- Ground

2 VCC -- +5V power supply

3 VEE -- Power supply to control contrast

4 RS I RS=0 to select command register

RS=1 to select data register

5 R/W I R/W=0 for write

R/W=1 for read

6 EN I/O Enable

7 DB0 I/O The 8-bit data bus

8 DB1 I/O The 8-bit data bus

9 DB2 I/O The 8-bit data bus

10 DB3 I/O The 8-bit data bus

11 DB4 I/O The 8-bit data bus

12 DB5 I/O The 8-bit data bus

13 DB6 I/O The 8-bit data bus

Vcc, Vss and Vee: While VCC and VSS provide +5V and ground respectively, VEE is used for
controlling LCD contrast.

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RS (register select):

There are two important registers inside the LCD. When RS is low (0), the data is to be treated as
a command or special instruction (such as clear screen, position cursor, etc.). When RS is high (1),
the data that is sent is a text data which should be displayed on the screen. For example, to display
the letter "T" on the screen you would set RS high.

RW (read/write):

The RW line is the "read/write" control line. When RW is low (0), the information on the data bus
is being written to the LCD. When RW is high (1), the program is effectively querying (or
reading) the LCD.

EN (enable):

The EN line is called "enable". This control line is used to tell the LCD that you are sending it
data. To send data to the LCD, your program should first set this line high (1) and then set the
other two control lines and/or put data on the data bus.

D0-D7 (data lines):

The 8-bit data pins, D0-D7 are used to send information to the LCD or read the content of the
LCD’s internal registers. To display letters and numbers, we send ASCII codes for the letters A-Z,
a-z and numbers 0-9 to these pins while making RS=1. There are also instruction command codes
that can be sent to the LCD to clear the display or force the cursor to the home position or blink
the cursor.

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Table 2.2 command Description of LCD

Code Command to LCD instruction register

(HEX)

1 Clear display screen

2 Return home

4 Decrement cursor(shift cursor to left)

6 Increment cursor(shift cursor to right)

5 Shift display right

7 Shift display left

8 Display off , cursor off

A Display off , cursor on

C Display on , cursor off

E Display on cursor blinking

F Display on cursor blinking

10 Shift cursor position to left

14 Shift cursor position to right

18 Shift the entire display to the left

1C Shift the entire display to the right

80 Force cursor to beginning of 1ST line

C0 Force cursor to beginning of 2ND line

38 2 lines and 5x7 matrix

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2.2 Software part

2.2.1 Arduino IDE

The Arduino Integrated Development Environment - or Arduino Software (IDE) – contains a text
editor for writing code, a message area, a text console, a toolbar with buttons for common
functions and a series of menus. It connects to the Arduino hardware to upload programs and
communicate with them. The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write code
and upload it to the board. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The environment is written
in Java and based on Processing and other open-source software. This software can be used with
any Arduino board.

2.2.2 Proteus Professional

Proteus is best simulation software for various designs with microcontroller. It is mainly popular
because of availability of almost all microcontrollers in it. So it is a handy tool to test programs
and embedded designs. Proteus (Virtual System Modeling) VSM uses our proven Schematic
Capture software to provide the environment for design entry and development. Proteus capture is
a long established product and combines ease of use with powerful editing tools. It is capable of
supporting schematic capture for both simulation and PCB design. For the simulation, Proteus 8
Simulation Software is used.

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CHAPTER THREE
3. SOLAR TRACKER
INTRODUCTION

Solar Tracker is a Device which follows the movement of the sun as it rotates from the east to the
west every day. The main function of all tracking systems is to provide one or two degrees of
freedom in movement. Trackers are used to keep solar collectors/solar panels oriented directly
towards the sun as it moves through the sky every day. Using solar trackers increases the amount
of solar energy which is received by the solar energy collector and improves the energy output of
the heat/electricity which is generated. Solar trackers can increase the output of solar panels by 20-
30% which improves the economics of the solar panel project.

3.1 Need for solar tracker

The energy contributed by the direct beam drops off with the cosine of the angle between the
incoming light and the panel. The table no.3.1 shows the Direct power lost (%) due to
misalignment (angle i).
Table no.3.1 Direct power lost (%) due to misalignment (angle i)
Misalignment (angle i ) Direct power lost
(%)=1- cos(i)
0o 0
o
1 0.015
3o 0.14
8o 1
23.4o 8.3
30o 13.4
45o 30
o
75 >75

The sun travels through 360 degrees east-west a day, but from the perspective of any fixed
location the visible portion is 180 degrees during a 1/2 day period. Local horizon effects reduce
this somewhat, making the effective motion about 150 degrees. A solar panel in a fixed orientation

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between the dawn and sunset extremes will see a motion of 75 degrees on either side, and thus,
according to the table above, will lose 75% of the energy in the morning and evening. Rotating the
panels to the east and west can help recapture these losses. A tracker rotating in the east-west
direction is known as a single-axis tracker.
The sun also moves through 46 degrees north-south over the period of a year. The same set of
panels set at the midpoint between the two local extremes will thus see the sun move 23 degrees
on either side, causing losses of 8.3% A tracker that accounts for both the daily and seasonal
motions is known as a dual-axis tracker.

3.2 Active tracking system

The two basic types of active solar tracker are single-axis and double-axis.

3.2.1 Single axis trackers

The single axis tracking systems realizes the movement of either elevation or azimuth for a solar
power system. Which one of these movements is desired, depends on the technology used on the
tracker as well as the space that it is mounted on. For example the parabolic through systems
utilize the azimuthally tracking whereas the many rooftop PV-systems utilize elevation tracking
because of the lack of space. A single-axis tracker can only pivot in one plane – either horizontally
or vertically. This makes it less complicated and generally cheaper than a two-axis tracker, but
also less effective at harvesting the total solar energy available at a site. Trackers use motors and
gear trains to direct the tracker as commanded by a controller responding to the solar direction.
Since the motors consume energy, one wants to use them only as necessary.
Single axis trackers have one degree of freedom that acts as an axis of rotation. There are several
common implementations of single axis trackers. These include horizontal single axis trackers
(HSAT) and vertical single axis trackers (VSAT).

A horizontal-axis tracker consists of a long horizontal tube to which solar modules are attached.
The tube is aligned in a north-south direction, is supported on bearings mounted on pylons or
frames, and rotates slowly on its axis to follow the sun's motion across the sky. This kind of
tracker is most effective at equatorial latitudes where the sun is more or less overhead at noon. In
general, it is effective wherever the solar path is high in the sky for substantial parts of the year,
but for this very reason, does not perform well at higher latitudes. For higher latitude, a vertical-

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axis tracker is better suited. This works well wherever t he sun is typically lower in the sky and, at
least in the summer months, the days are long.

3.2.2 Dual Axis Trackers

Dual axis trackers as shown in the figure 1 have two degrees of freedom that act as axes of
rotation. Double-axis solar trackers, as the same suggest, can rotate simultaneously in horizontal
and vertical directions, and s o are able to point exactly at the sun at all times in any location.
Dual axis tracking systems realize movement both along the elevation- and azimuthally axes.
These tracking systems naturally provide the best performance, given that the components have
high enough accuracy as well.

Fig 3.1 Dual axis solar tracker [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solar-tracker # Dual-axis-trackers/]

3.3 Working of Photovoltaic
Photovoltaics are the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials
exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light
and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, electric current results that can be
used as electricity.
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A solar cell (also called photovoltaic cell or photoelectric cell) is a solid state electrical device that
converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Crystalline silicon
PV cells are the most common photovoltaic cells in use today.
A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support structure or
frame are called a photovoltaic module. Modules are designed to supply electricity at a certain
voltage, such as a common 12 volts system. The current produced is directly dependent on how
much light strikes the module. Multiple modules can be wired together to form an array. In
general, the larger the area of a module or array, the more electricity will be produced.
Photovoltaic modules and arrays produce direct-current (DC) electricity. They can be connected in
both series and parallel electrical arrangements to produce any required voltage and current
combination.

Figure 3.2: Photovoltaic panel or array [science.nasa.go]

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CHAPTER FOUR
4. TRACKER DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
A solar tracker is a device that orient photovoltaic array toward the sun. In flat-panel photovoltaic
(PV) applications trackers are used to minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming light
and a photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy produced by the photovoltaic array.
Here we can use azimuth-altitude dual axis trackers (AADAT). Dual axis trackers extract the
maximum solar energy levels due to their ability to follow the sun vertically and horizontally. No
matter where the sun is in the sky, dual axis trackers are able to angle themselves to be in direction
toward the sun.

Fig.4.1 Setup of a squared solar panel [WWW.Solar choice.net.au/blog/solar-trackers/]

The Fig.4.1 shows a setup of a squared solar panel with two degrees of freedom. Here Two DC
motors are used to drive the two rotational degrees of freedom. The motors can mounted directly
on the rotation pins of the rotational joints to reduce losses caused by linkages and joints and to
avoid using more linkages and mechanisms.

4.1 System design

The purpose of a solar tracker is to accurately determine the position of the sun. This enables solar
panels to interface to the tracker to obtain the maximum solar radiation.

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With this particular solar tracker a closed loop system was made.

Liquid Crystal
LDR1 Display (LCD)

Arduino UNO
LDR3
LDR2 Microcontroller Servo 1

Servo 2
LDR4

Virtual Terminal
(VT)
Figure 4.2 Block Diagram of overall system

This micro controller processes the sensor input and provides two PWM signals for the movement
of servo motors.
This servo motor moves the solar panel towards the higher density of solar light. The entire
electrical system is powered by a 5 volt source power supply.
Initially four different analog values are obtained from LDR’s, and then they are fed to micro
controller. Micro controller gives two different PWM signal for the movement of solar panel
through servo motor.
4.2 Algorithm
Table 4.1Algorithm for 2 Axis solar tracking system
No Working Principle

1 If LDR1 >LDR2, then Rotate Servo1 Anti-Clockwise

2 If LDR1 =LDR2, then Do not RotateServo1
3 If LDR1 <LDR2, then Rotate Servo1 Clockwise
4 If LDR3 >LDR4, then Rotate Servo2 Anti-Clockwise
5 If LDR3 =LDR4, then Do not Rotate Servo2
6 If LDR3 <LDR4, then Rotate Servo2 Clockwise

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From Table 4.1, LDR 1, LDR 2, LDR 3, and LDR 4 represents the four LDRs situated the four
coordinates at north, south, east and west. Servo1 and Servo2 represent the servo motors for the
control of east-west and north-south movement of the solar panel.
There is no "ELSE" in the rules – all of the rules are evaluated, because the Sensor 1 might be
receiving higher, lower or equal intensity of light with sensor 2 and sensor 3 might be receiving
higher, lower or equal intensity of light with sensor 4.
4.3. Flowchart

Figure 4.3(a) flow chart

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Figure 4.3(b) flow chart

4.4 Virtual Prototype of the System

For identifying accurate and efficient mechanical configurations suitable for tracking systems, a
structural simulation model was designed using Proteus professional software version 7.8. 1. The
components were picked from the library and connected appropriately as represented in Figure
4.4. The resistors represent the sensors connected to pins A0, A1, A2, and A3 of the
microcontroller respectively for providing input into the system. The actuators represent the servo
motors connected to pin 9 and 10 of the microcontroller for receiving output from the system. The
liquid crystal display (LCD) and the virtual terminal (VT) are connected to pins 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7
of the microcontroller for displaying output from the system. The compiled program was written
in Arduino IDE and transferred into the microcontroller after the design completion by double
clicking the microcontroller and uploading the hexfile.

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Figure 4.4: Circuit design of the solar tracking system

4.5 Solar Tracker Simulation

The simulation was designed using Proteus Professional 7.8 software and the microcontroller
program was written using Arduino IDE 5.0.2. The simulation was shown in figure 4.5.

In this simulation, the process started as sensors read input parameters (light intensity) induced by
the sun and passed same into the microcontroller. For Arduino, the analog-to-digital converter
(ADC) already exists on the input pins. Therefore, the sensors can be directly connected into it.
Inside microcontroller a comparison between the signal values from each LDR is made in order to
send control signals to the appropriate motor to move. There are 6 cases involved in the process.
Servo motor movement will follow the condition specified by the microcontroller after signal
comparison from each of the LDRs.

In dual axis solar tracking system, there are two servo motors. One motor is used to control
elevation axis and another motor is used to control azimuth axis.
The Servo Motor movement is fixed between -900 to +900 since it can move for 1800. This is set
because the angle of inclination of the sun is -900 after sun rise and +900 before sun set.

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Figure 4.5: Solar Tracker Simulation Test

4.6 Simulation Results

The circuit was connected and the simulation has worked correctly and gave all required results.
The workings of the 2 actuators representing the servo motors are all indicated as follows.

4.6.1 Servo Motor 1 (East – West Motion)

Due to the daily motion of the sun from east to west every day, the east west motor has three cases
as follows:

CASE 1. Motor 1 is in initial position; if LDR1 (E) is higher than LDR2 (W),that means the light
intensity affecting LDR1 is higher than that affecting LDR2 and this is the first motivation of the
day. In the morning Servo1 start to rotate anticlockwise (from east to west) until the two sensors
are receiving the same value (LDR1=LDR2). This is represented in figure 4.6.

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Figure 4.6: Anticlockwise Movement of Servo Motor 1

CASE 2. After case 1, if (LDR1 =LDR2) the sensors measured the same value. The motor will not
rotate. That means the solar panel is now facing the sun correctly.
CASE 3. After case 2, Servo1 will stop rotating and then the sun continues moving towards east
and the eastern sensor, LDR2 begins to have higher value than LDR1, so Servo1 will rotate
clockwise until the 2 sensors reads the same value (LDR1=LDR2).This is represented in figure
4.7.

Figure4.7: Clockwise Movement of Servo1

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4.6.2 Servo Motor 2 (North – South Motion)

The seasonal variation makes the sun path dynamic all the year round. The sun trajectory at the
summer and winter periods differs. This necessitates the second axial issue.

CASE1. The northern sensor (LDR3) is higher than the southern sensor (LDR4). Here servo 2
start to rotate anticlockwise. So value of LDR4 increases until the two sensors are having the same
value (LDR3=LDR4). This is represented in Figure 4.8 below:

Figure 4.8: Anticlockwise Movement of Servo Motor 2

CASE 2. These case happens when the two sensors reads the same value (LDR3=LDR4). The
motor will not rotate, that means the solar panel is now in the correct position facing sun.

CASE 3. The southern sensor (LDR4) is higher than the northern sensor (LDR3). Here servo 2
starts to rotate clockwise. So value of LDR3 increases until the two sensors are having the same
value (LDR3=LDR4). This is represented in Figure 4.9.

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Figure 4.9: Clockwise Movement of Servo Motor 2

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CHAPTER FIVE
5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

5.1 Conclusion

This project has presented a means of controlling a sun tracking array. Specifically it demonstrates
a working software solution for maximizing power output of the solar cell by positioning the
system at the point of maximum light intensity. For energy reasons, as the main objective of this
strategy is the generation of energy using sun as a source, the tracker is commanded to follow the
sun at all times because this will cause continuous movement of the motors. Thus, the tracker
waits for the sun. This process is identical and independent for each axis. However the two motors
never move at the same time. Before ordering the movement of one axis, a check is made to
ensure that the other axis is not moving. The two axes are not allowed to move simultaneously. As
the sun moves along its trajectory throughout the day, signals from the light dependent resistors
are sent so that appropriate motor moves appropriately, thus generating the electrical energy is
designed to provide. The current sensor is used to confirm that the PV cell is tracking the sun
correctly since it is measuring the power generated, so a decrease in the power generated (under
normal external conditions, i.e. without taking into account an extended cloudy period, for
example) indicates a tracking problem. It is known that the greater the error is in either of the two
coordinates (azimuth and elevation), the less power is generated. As a result, if the motor is on
either of the coordinates (while the other is fixed) it can be assumed that the real position of the
sun for that coordinates corresponds to the point where the maximum power was produced during
the movement. This is why both motors cannot move simultaneously.

5.2 Future Work

Further work in this project may include the following:

1. Use of different MPPT method and modified algorithms for increasing efficiency in fast changing
environmental conditions. This is necessary in order to find which of the methods have high
efficiency in such environments so as to adopt it. Try to design such model for solar PV system
which should compact size and cheaper and also its maintaining and operating cost should be less.
This is necessary so that people’s attention is attracted to use it and do not go for conventional
sources.

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2. Inverter should be design by constructing its circuits and control algorithm to make the model a
complete power system. By doing this, the system will be a complete system so that adequate
power backups can be achieved that can last for some time.
3. Overall physical implementation of the system will remain for the future work. This is necessary
because the model needs to be constructed as hardware so that its physical usage can be seen.

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BIBLIORGAPHY
Book’s

[1] Abdallah, S., & Salem N. (2004). Two axes sun tracking system with PLC control.
Energy Conversion and Management, 45(11-12), 99-103.

[2]Bari, S., (2000). Optimum slope angle and orientation of solar collectors for
different Periods of possible utilization. Energy Conversion and Management,
41(8), 855- 860.

[3]Tranvir Araft khan Md.,SM,.shahrear Tanzil, Rifat Rahaman,SM.shafiu/Aam,

”Design and construction of an automatic solar tracking system “,presented at 6th
international conference on Electrical and computer engineering ICECE 2010,180-
20 December 2010,Dhaka,Bangladesh

[4] Sara vanan C.,Dr.M.A Panncer selvam ,I.William Christopher ,”A Novel low
cost Automatic solar tracking system “.international Journal of computer.
Applications (0975-8887) Volume 30-NO 9, October 2011.

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Appendix (Solar tracker rotating sample programs)

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

#include <Servo.h>

LiquidCrystallcd(2,3,4,5,6,7);

Servo x;

Servo y;

intpostx = 0;

int time1 =100;

int Cell_Sensor3 = 0; void

setup() { lcd.begin(16,2);

Serial.begin(9600);

lcd.setCursor(0,0);

lcd.print("Sun Tracking");

lcd.setCursor(0,1);

lcd.print("System");

angleX();

angleY();

voidCell_Read() {

Cell_Sensor1 = analogRead(A0);

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voidangleX()
{

Postx = 0;

if (Cell_Sensor1 < Cell_Sensor2)

{
Cell_Read() ;
}

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