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Mauritius researchers have developed a prototype solar tracker that increases current by around 37%. The device uses a simplified, mechanical tracking system.
Researchers at the University of Mauritius have designed a tracking system that can be used with lightweight portable photovoltaic systems for use in remote areas in tropical climates.
The scientists describe the tracker as a low-cost device that uses a simplified, mechanically driven tracking mechanism. It can be connected to a solar panel and is capable of directing its linear displacement in each of the four corners of the module itself and making it rotate along the three main axes. An arrangement of power screws driven by direct current motors allows the movement of the follower.
“A motor coupler was used as a connector between the DC motors and the lead screw,” they explain. "The spindle had pitch and diameter specifications of 1mm and 8mm respectively."
Through the direction and rotation speed of the motors, PV system owners can achieve desired tilt angles by finely adjusting each corner of the solar panel.
“For smooth operation of the solar tracker, the four linear actuators were attached to the main stage considering a ball-and-socket system based on 18mm diameter aluminum balls,” they said. “To protect the engine components and electronic circuitry from adverse weather conditions, a lightweight protective casing made of aluminum composite panel (ACP), specifically alucobond, was used. The protective casing had cross-sectional and height dimensions of 25 by 25 cm and 20 cm, respectively.”
The system moves the panel according to the position of the sun based on the data from the sensors transmitted and processed by the open source microcontroller Arduino Uno, which follows a voltage difference observed on the corresponding paired sensors due to the variation of intensity. of the light.
"The paired motors work synchronously but in the opposite direction to induce a tilt effect to the solar panels," they explain. "To achieve optimized orientation on the three main axes, the two remaining motors also work in a similar way to compensate for the tilt of the solar panel according to the variation in light intensity detected by the two additional sensors."
The academics built a prototype of the system with a 450mm x 170mm solar module rated at 22.5W. The research group claimed that the system was capable of generating 37% more current than a reference panel without the follower.
“The proposed device is expected to produce a total of up to 8,100 Wh of energy if it runs for 12 hours in a 30-day period and if it meets the set target of a maximum power of 22.5 W,” they conclude.
The team described the device in "Low-cost solar tracker to maximize the capture of solar energy in tropical countries," recently published in Energy Reports.
“Cost analysis and portability testing demonstrated that the final designed system met the objectives initially set in this study,” they noted. |
