Relay micro controller a microcontroller is a programmable digital. Arduino solar tracker linear actuator modification the. Their robust and efficient dc motor 24v or 36v keeps power consumption to a minimum. We have developed a solar tracking system using a combination of microcontroller, stepper motor and light dependent resistors ldrs with the primary aim of improving the power efficiency of the solar panels.
For the most part its extremely easy to work into small, low voltage, projects. We all know sun is the best source of energy source and has been shining since the universe was created. We decided we wanted to build a two axis solar tracker and start with a basic. We have developed a solar tracking system using a combination of microcontroller, stepper motor and light dependent resistors ldrs with. This project proposes a dual axis solar tracker system that increases the productivity by a significant. Pdf solar tracking, sun tracking, sun tracker, solar. Solar tracker is used to increase the solar energy output. By using the real time clock microcontroller gives the angle to the stepper motor gets rotating as per given angle of inclination. Microcontroller based solar tracker system using ldrs and stepper motor conference paper pdf available july 2015 with 16,859 reads how we measure reads. Background the dual axis solar tracker was designed as a project that integrated simple arduino programing and solar energy creation. For the azimuth stepper motor, we used a gear ratio of 48. In this project, i am going to show you how to make a solar tracker using arduino nano.
The need of the hour is renewable energy resources with cheap running costs. In this article we are going to make a sun tracking solar panel using arduino, in which we will use two ldrs light dependent resistor to sense the light and a servo motor to automatically rotate the solar panel in the direction of the sun light. This project is not a stand alone project but is meant to supplement our original arduino solar tracker project. Id made a sensor of 4 ldrs with sheets between them the withe stips are the ldrs when the stick on top is righted to the sun or the brightest point the four. Automatic solar tracking using ldr and stepper motor based on. This instructable is the translation of another that was originally written in spanish, so i beg your pardon if i have many grammatical errors, if so off id love to suggest me to edit it. For a really smart solar tracker we need the equation of the sun in our coordinates. Nov 25, 2016 alternately, you can also drive the tracker with a stepper motor which is also controlled by the arduino. Stepper motor electromechanical device which converts electrical pulses into discrete mechanical movements. Pdf microcontroller based solar tracker system using ldrs and. Advantage of this project is that solar panel will always follow the sun light will always face. The demonstration of such a prototype is shown in this video. Introduction solar energy is an unlimited source of energy which if harnessed properly will get the mankind devoid of using the conventional sources of energy he has been long using.
The sun tracking solar panel consists of two ldrs, solar panel and a servo motor and atmega328 micro controller. The stepper motors we obtained are nema size 23 with 200 steps per revolution, or 200 steps per 360 degrees. In modern solar tracking systems, the solar panels are fixed on a structure that moves according to the position of the sun. Stepper motor is brushless, load independent, has open loop positioning capability. Hi steve, ive been using an off grid design at home sri lanka using a primitive design of solar tracking for my 14 x 12 volt dc 45 watt panels during the past 3. A bearing is aligned in parallel with the vertical servo motor on the center of the end of the pv panel to ensure better flexibility when the solar tracker is. The efficiency of a panel determines the area of a panel 14 15. Arduino based sun tracking solar panel project using ldr. Solar tracker using 555 timer electronics forum circuits. Albeit, the price of various solar tracker are still costly because solar tracker is still fresh.
Project details i have made a project dual axis solar tracker using arduino to align the solar panel towards the higher density of sun light. Microcontroller based solar tracker using stepper motor the main blocks of this project are. Pdf arduino based solar tracking system for energy. In this project, we are building a solar tracker used for solar panels. Travel speeds remain nearly constant regardless of the load. This makes stepper motors suitable for 3d printers and camera. It searches for the brightest light source like the sun. Five characteristics of the stepper motor have been considered while choosing stepper motor for the solar tracker prototype. For the altitude stepper motor, we used a gear ratio of. It consists of three main constituent which are the inputs, controller and the output as shown in fig 1. A bearing is aligned in parallel with the vertical servo motor on the center of the end of the pv panel to ensure better flexibility when the solar tracker is rotated on the horizontal axis. Compared to a single axis tracker, the dualaxis tracker had an annual energy gain of 36.
Advantages and disadvantages of a solar tracker system. The designed solar tracker is able to maintain a difference angle of 1. How to create a solar panel that tracks the sun pc control. The main aim of the project is to design one system for automated solar tracking system. Ermm, actually i also not familiar using stepper motor. We can harness solar energy by either converting it into electricity using solar cell or using solar thermal energy by means of solar cooker, solar water heater or by using it to heat or cool a room using solar passive systems. In this project we are using the photovoltaic type. Pdf microcontroller based solar tracker system using. Even though the theory of the controller system is similar to all the applications, there are some differences.
The prototype is designed using arduino controller which controls the tracking system by communicating with the ldrs and stepper motor driver based on the. Pdf microcontroller based solar tracker system using ldrs. Sun tracking solar panel project using microcontroller. Now i have tweaked it to work through 1 such motor. So, i need some guide to construct the motor part for my solar tracker. Solar energy is coming up as a major source of energy. Two ldrs light dependent resistor are also connected to analog pins of the arduino. Diy how to make single axis solar tracker using arduino. Stepper motors are inexpensive but become complicated and lose some of their economic benefits when components are added to operate in the closedloop position control schemes that characterize solar tracking.
Methodology the main impulsion is to design a high quality solar tracker. I have arranged the panels in arrays and have 4 arrays. The solar tracker chassis has been manufactured using wooden plates, but it can be made from aluminum or other materials. Solar tracking actuators joycedayton solar actuators are designed to precisely position smaller solar tracking equipment. Solar tracking battery charger ucf department of eecs. Ideal for rugged environments common to the solar industry, these cost effective sa actuators have an ip65.
The built system had a calculated annual energy gain of 48. Two light dependent resistors are arranged on the edges of the solar panel. For the altitude stepper motor, we used a gear ratio of 4. Since solar energy is renewable, it is a good power source, especially for developing countries. Solar cell, stepper motor, microcontroller, sun light the purpose of this project is to design and construct a solar tracker system that follows the sun direction for producing maximum out for solar powered applications.
The unit is a mobile system aimed to provide energy in remote areas or during emergency conditions. Microcontroller is programmed using powerful embedded c language. In this solar tracker project we will design a simplest single axis solar tracker and its concept can be expanded to make a full fledged dual axis solar tracker. Jun 03, 2018 install solar water pump 12v solar pump with 150 watt solar panel with borewell drill complete steps duration. I have used a atmega168 controller ic for programming, and two servo motor for movement of solar panel. And i was finished my solar tracker but without any codes please help me 2 x 28 byj48 steper motor and uln2003a step motor driver board 4 x ldr light sensor card these are my pin numbers 4 x ldr up left a0 up right a1 bottom left a2 bottom right a3 2 x stepper motor for vertical move. Jul 04, 2016 in this project, we are building a solar tracker used for solar panels. Solar energy is rapidly advancing as an important means of renewable energy resource. Let us design a solar tracker using two servo motors, a light sensor consisting of four ldrs and arduino uno board. Solar tracking system using stepper motor research india. This limits the area of exposure of sunlight on solar panels and efficiency of the solar tracking system involving solar panels.
The main component of this tracker is at89s52 microcontroller which is programmed to detect the sunlight with the help of ldrs and then actuate the stepper motor to position the solar panel in. Circuit diagram the circuit design of solar tracker is simple but setting. I am using a 28byj48 stepper motor in order to control the position and light resistors to capture the light intensity. The math behind the mechanical and electrical functioning of the. Apr 03, 20 stepper motors are inexpensive but become complicated and lose some of their economic benefits when components are added to operate in the closedloop position control schemes that characterize solar tracking. Pdf development and control of a sun tracking system based on. Arduino can be used to make the prototype of solar tracker. In above circuit diagram, two light dependent resistors are used to measure intensity of light. Introduction since this project is about creating a solar tracker, some light dependent circuit element.
Feb 21, 2014 consists array of solar panels, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and or solar tracker and interconnection wiring. With the tracking system, the solar panels outputted. Microcontroller based solar tracker system using ldrs and. Solar tracking system using stepper motor semantic scholar. Solar cells, or photovoltaic cells, are arranged in a gridlike. To achieve this, components like pic microcontroller, a dc gear motor, four solar cells, and a gear wheel arrangement were used. Sep 05, 2018 the sun tracking solar panel consists of two ldrs, solar panel and a servo motor and atmega328 micro controller.
You will need to follow this guide in conjunction with the original guide in order to produce the linear actuator solar tracker. Solar tracking enables more solar energy to be generated because the. Light dependent resistors produce low resistance when light falls on them. So, i need some guide to construct the motor part for my solar tracker about the 4017, ive asked someone and he said that using 4017 will make it easier and he said that the circuit will have no problem. In this project an arduino nano is used, which works as a controlling unit. Arduino based sun tracking solar panel project using ldr and. Advantage of this project is that solar panel will always follow the sun light will always face towards the sun to get charge all the time and can. Intelligent solar tracker system implemented on 8051. One of the advantages of using a stepper motor over other dcmotors are that it is easier to control how much the rotor should rotate, since the rotor moves in precise steps 4.
Alternately, you can also drive the tracker with a stepper motor which is also controlled by the arduino. The solar tracking system operates by the comparison of voltages using solar cell array, which is connected to the pic microcontroller. A dummy solar plate is attached in parallel to the axis of servo motor and both the sensors are kept on the dummy solar plate as shown in the figure below. Development of dualaxis solar tracking using arduino with. Show full abstract control system that allows carrying out solar tracking with two axes using a stepper motor and linear actuator was established through an electronic circuit based on. The stepper motor can be told what step it should position itself, and hold that position without any form of feedback. Stepper motor stepper motors are commonly used in precision positioning control applications. May 09, 2016 hi steve, ive been using an off grid design at home sri lanka using a primitive design of solar tracking for my 14 x 12 volt dc 45 watt panels during the past 3. Consists array of solar panels, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and or solar tracker and interconnection wiring. All about stepper motors created by bill earl last updated on 20200217 12. The servo motor connected to the panel rotates the panel in the direction of sun. The solar tracker can be used for several applications. With the current systems for solar energy harvesting, we have high production only at fixed times mostly noon. The kit uses an arduino uno, an arduino sensor shield, two 9g metal gear servos, and four light detecting resistors to achieve active tracking in real time.
Step count the next thing to consider is the positioning resolution you require. Pv photovoltaic generator tracker, heliostat, solar furnace and so on. A algorithm developed with microcontroller using realtime clock time is used to adjust position of solar panel with the help of dc motor. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Time based solar tracking automatically adjust the position of solar panel to more optimum position based on time with the help of servo motor connected to solar panel. Jun 18, 20 project details i have made a project dual axis solar tracker using arduino to align the solar panel towards the higher density of sun light. Sep 23, 2018 the solar tracker chassis has been manufactured using wooden plates, but it can be made from aluminum or other materials. Design and working of single axis solar tracker system using. Nowadays, the highest efficiency of solar panel is 19%. Free to download ebook on practical solar tracking design, following the sun solar tracking system, sun tracking system, sun tracker system, solar tracker system, sun positioning system, and sun path tracking with follow the sun position calculation.
How to create a solar panel that tracks the sun although this guide shows how to create a control system to make a solar panel track the sun, its main purpose is to show how to write your own program for a pc to read analogue inputs and then control stepper motors according to your requirements. The solar panel tracker is designed to follow the sun movement so that maximum light intensity hits on the solar panel, thus increasing the power efficiency we have designed a singleaxis solar tracking system. Arduino based prototype automatic solar tracking system is mainly constructed by using. Stepper motors air gap is a fraction of the size of other motor types and can lead to the rotor binding against the stator when there. One frequent question we get from students and hobbyists is how can i m. The stepper motor is connected to the microcontroller.
One of the advantages of using a stepper motor over other dcmotors are that it is easier to. Amongst these the most popular and best method to harness solar. For this we are using 8051 family microcontroller and two ldr for finding the light intensity and stepper motor for rotation of the solar panel. The solar panel tracker is designed to follow the sun movement so that maximum light intensity hits on the solar panel, thus increasing the power efficiency. Arduino uno microcontroller, four ldrs and three stepper motors. We at love using solar energy with our electronics projects. It consists of three main constituent which are the inputs, controller and. At maximum, the solar tracker was perpendicular to the light source by 1. A algorithm developed with microcontroller using realtime clock time is used to adjust position of. Time based solar tracking system using microcontroller. Index termsdecade counter, 555 timer, ldr, solar tracking system, stepper motor. Uln2003 is used because microcontroller pins can not provide current more than 30ma. The tracker uses two nema 23 bipolar stepper motors to rotate 2 photovoltaic cells.
As found by szokolay1996 and carruthers, et al 1990and found on the square. We have developed a solar tracking system using a combination of micro controller, stepper motor and light dependent resistors ldrs with. The number of steps per revolution ranges from 4 to 400. Designing a solar tracking system with 4 ldr, 1 stepper. So, the efficiency can be enhancing by using solar tracker. In the loop we read the values received from our 2 sensors and adjust the solar panel based on these values.