Group 8 Final Manuscript 1
Group 8 Final Manuscript 1
Group 8 Final Manuscript 1
A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
PRESENTED TO THE
MAGUINSAY, QUEENIE B.
In this paper, researchers will further study in order to design and develop
Solar PV system to improve its efficiency by following the sun’s movement. To
generate more electricity, this project will employ a Chronological Dual-Axis Solar
Tracker which will be installed to rotate at the desired angular position with respect
to the sun. Noting the above studies in mind, the researchers intend to investigate
designing a Chronological Dual-Axis Solar Tracker using Arduino Uno and
compare it to a conventional or fixed solar panel in terms of cost and efficiency. It
intends to explore which of the two ways is more economical over a long period.
Instead of using light sensors, this project employs a chronological or time-based
solar tracker to adapt to weather changes. Once completed, the results of this study
will aid the Chronological Dual-Axis Solar Tracker's effectiveness and reliability.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Solar energy is one of the best sources of renewable power today. With the
free energy that it provides, consumers must maximize the utilization of its
sustainable and inexhaustible power – that is, solar panels should always be
positioned perpendicular to the sunlight to absorb maximum sunlight and generate
optimum power at any time of the day and any season of the year.
However, fixed panels, the most commonly used way of harnessing solar
power, cannot absorb maximum sunlight most of the time because it cannot keep up
with the sun’s movement. This in turn results in lesser power output and a less
efficient system of utilizing solar power.
The study aims to design and develop a solar tracking system in a chronological
approach that can move horizontally and laterally using Arduino.
• Evaluate, verify and test the performance of the design using its prototype.
• Compare the reliability and efficiency of the Chronological Dual-Axis Solar Tracker
and Conventional Fixed-type Solar Panel.
Renewable energy like solar energy is at its peak nowadays because it both
generate electricity as well as helps protect the environment and ensures long-term
sustainability. Solar energy as we all know is one of the most efficient source of
power. It is an important source in the transition to clean energy because the sun
provides more energy than humans will ever require. Thus, designing and
developing a chronological dual – axis solar tracker using arduino will in return can
benefit both the environment and the society. With the proposed system, it is
possible to maximize the electrical energy produced by the PV panel by achieving
the best angle of incidence. Given the vast potential of solar energy, PV is poised to
become a major source of clean electricity in the future. This will prove that the
performance of the solar panel using a Chronological Dual-Axis Solar Tracker will
be at its Full Panel Performance, which maximizes the amount of electricity that can
be captured per unit area during the day. Furthermore, the study will pose a positive
impact in the society because it will primarily focus on meeting energy demands
through improved solar panel efficiency.
Lastly, this study will be most beneficial in carrying out while at the same
time creating an intuitive outcome or product so to address the challenges faced not
just with our country, whilst the world.
1.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
1.5.1 Sun’s Path with Respect to Solar Altitude (θz) and Azimuth (θa)
Considering tracking of the sun for 12 hours (number of hours the sun is present in a
day) from East to West, the total angle is 180˚ (i.e. -90˚ to +90˚)
(1.0)
𝛼 =15 per hour
The angles will be utilized as a reference for the desired angle and direction
that will manipulate the solar tracker, based on the recorded data of Table 1.0 and
Table 1.1 from the Time and Date website.
The first axis of the chronological solar tracker is the altitude angle of the
sun. The motor/actuator is set to revolve at a slow rate of one revolution per day (15
degrees per hour) as shown in Equation 1.0. The average time of sunrise and sunset
in the locality is set to 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM respectively. In table 1.0 above, it
shows that from 5:30 AM the angle of the solar tracker changes to 15° per hour until
it reaches the maximum angle of 180° at exactly 5:30 PM 12 hours from the start.
This process is repeated every day with respect to the Azimuth angle of the sun
shown in table 1.1.
The azimuth angle ( ) is the compass direction from which the sunlight is
coming. At noon, the sun is always directly south in the northern hemisphere and
directly north in the southern hemisphere. The azimuth angle varies throughout the
day as shown in the figure below. At the equinoxes, the sun rises directly east and
sets directly west regardless of the latitude, thus making the azimuth angles 90° at
sunrise and 270° at sunset.
The azimuth angle is like a compass direction with North=0° and
South=180°. Other authors use a variety of slightly different definitions (i.e., angles of
± 180° and South = 0°).
Figure 1.1 Sun’s path with respect to azimuth and altitude (Kelly and Gibson, 2014)
Table 1.1. Seasonal changes of the sun’s direction and its azimuth angle
Month Direction Angle of
Azimuth
Sunrise Sunset
JAN-FEB East Southeast West Southwest 112.5° (AM)
67.5° (PM)
MAR-APR East West 90°
MAY-JUN East Northeast West- 67.5°(AM)
Northwest 112.5°(PM)
JUL-AUG East Northeast West- 67.5°(AM)
Northwest 112.5°(PM)
SEP-OCT East West 90°
NOV-DEC East Southeast West Southwest 112.5° (AM)
67.5° (PM)
The second axis of the chronological tracker will be based on the azimuth
angle of the sun. This angle is based on the sun’s horizontal position in every
season. In table 1.1, there are 3 sets of the sun’s position in Dipolog City which will
act as the seasonal changes. The East-West direction will be set to 90 degrees as
reference from a compass with regards to the motor’s direction of rotation. Since in
one rotation there are 16 directions, the angles in between them will be 22.5. Having
the axis move in motion, the angle of azimuth for east northeast-west northwest will
have 67.5 degrees (AM) to 112.5 degrees (PM) while east southeast-west southwest
has 112.5 degrees (AM) to 67.5 degrees (PM). There will be a change in angle from
morning to afternoon when sunrise to sunset does not come from east to west. For
March, April, September, and October, its azimuth angle will return to 90 degrees
which is the east to west direction.
The main parameters that are used to characterize the performance of solar
cells are the peak power (Pm), the short-circuit current (Isc), the open circuit voltage
(Voc), and the fill factor (FF). The characteristics of the solar cell above can be
summarized by the following equation for an ideal cell.
Equation (1.1) can further be expressed by expanding the diode saturation current, Id
and shunt resistance current, Ish to detail the intrinsic behavior of the solar cell
operation. Hence, the circuit can be rewritten as,
I = Iph − Is[exp ( q · (V + I · Rs) kTCA ) − 1] − V + I · Rs Rsh (1.2)
Modulation), which is used to drive the servo motor. There are three types of pulses:
minimum, maximal, and repetition rate. From its neutral position, the servo motor may
turn 90 degrees in either direction. All servo motors connect directly to your +5V
supply rails and be cautious of the amount of current it consumes. An appropriate servo
shield should be created (Apoorve, 2015). The energy consumption of the motor will be
measured using Equation 1.3.
E=P*T (1.3)
where E is the energy consumption by the servo motor; P is the Motor Power which
is calculated by using Watt’s Law; T is the time the motor takes to rotate in one
revolution.
The Payback Period Formula (Equation 1.5) will be used to determine how long
it will take to recover the investment cost. This includes dividing the investment cost by
the cash flow. Cash flow is the product of power generated by the system and the cost
per unit. Because the system involves moving components that wear out and need to be
replaced, the maintenance cost will be incorporated into the payback period of the
chronological dual-axis solar tracker. The annual maintenance cost will be deducted
from the revenue of the systems.
A real-time clock is a clock that keeps track of the current time and that can
be used in order to program actions at a certain time. With a built-in real-time
clock/calendar and a 31-byte static RAM, it can communicate with the
microcontroller unit through simple serial ports, Reset (RST) cable, I/O data (SDA)
cable, and serial clock (SCL) cable. It can automatically adjust the number of days
per month and days in a leap year. You can determine to use a 24-hour or 12- hour
system by AM/PM selection.
1.5.8 12V DC to 220V AC Inverter
An inverter is a device that transforms DC electricity from batteries or fuel
cells to AC electricity. The electricity can be of any voltage; it can, for example,
power AC equipment meant for mains operation, or it can be rectified to create DC
at any desired voltage. The basic principle of its operation is a simple conversion of
12V DC from a battery using integrated circuits and semiconductors at a frequency
of 50Hz, to a 220V AC across the windings of a transformer.
Figure 1.6 Circuit Diagram of a Power Inverter (12 DC to 220 AC Inverter Circuit and
PCB, 2021)
The subject of the study is limited to charging mobile phones only such as IOS
and Android devices.
The study needs at least 5 people involved in order to complete the work needed
and the division of expenses.
The words used in the study were defined according to standard definitions and
operations for easy understanding.
Altitude Angle. It is used to determine the sun’s position at a given time of day.
Arduino Uno. It is a microcontroller used in the study to control the movement of
the axes which will track the sun’s position
Azimuth Angle. It is the direction from which the sunlight is coming which will be
used to determine the location of the sun in every season of the year.
Chronological Tracker. It is a time-based tracking system where the structure is
moved at a fixed rate throughout the day as well for different months.
Photovoltaic (PV). It produces electricity from sunlight which will be used to power
the wireless mobile charging station.
Seasonal Changes. It refers to the division of the sun’s horizontal position in a year.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The chapter presents the literature and studies related to Chronological Dual-
Axis Solar Tracker, Solar PV systems, Arduino Uno, and types of Solar Trackers
and Solar Tracking Techniques.
Ferdaus et. al. (2014) stated that solar tracking is best achieved when the tilt
angle of the solar tracking systems is synchronized with the seasonal changes of the
sun’s altitude. An ideal tracker would allow the solar modules to point towards the
sun, compensating for both changes in the altitude angle of the sun (throughout the
day) and latitudinal offset of the sun (during seasonal changes). So the maximum
efficiency of the solar panel is not being used by a single-axis tracking system
whereas double axis tracking would ensure cosine effectiveness of one.
Given that the system is a dual-axis with unrestricted rotation on the X and Y axes,
the rotation is controlled by an Arduino Uno pre-programmed microcontroller. The
automatic movement of the solar panel is basically based on predefined data about
the sun’s position. In the study of Byregowda et al. (2020) entitled, “Study and
analysis of Arduino based solar tracking panel”, the Arduino environment's built-in
serial monitor may be used to connect with the Arduino board. To gather the
findings, a method was built that allowed data to be collected from the LDRs every
hour. The readings from the two LDRs must be read and recorded at specified
intervals. It means that in the recording of data for solar trackers, Arduino plays a
significant role, resulting in more accurate and exact data collection.
Humans exploited the sun as their first source of energy for lighting and
heating. Every day, the sun provides an enormous amount of free energy to the
earth, which can be used to generate electricity. According to Afework (2020), a
photovoltaic (PV) system is made up of one or more solar panels, an inverter, and
other electrical and mechanical components that utilize the sun's energy to generate
electricity. PV systems come in a wide range of sizes, from small rooftop or
portable systems to large utility-scale power plants. Although PV systems can run
off-grid, this article concentrates on PV systems that are connected to the utility
grid, also known as grid-tied PV systems. The sun's light, which is made up of
packets of energy called photons, falls onto a solar panel and generates an electric
current through a process known as the photovoltaic effect, according to Jenden et.
al. (2020). Each panel produces a little quantity of electricity on its own, but when
linked together as a solar array, they may create larger amounts of energy. Direct
current (DC) is the type of power generated by a solar panel (or array) . Although
many electronic gadgets, such as your phone or laptop, use DC electricity, they are
designed to work with the electrical utility system, which uses alternating current
(AC). As a result, solar electricity must first be converted from DC to AC using an
inverter before it can be used. The inverter's AC electricity can either be used to
power local gadgets or transferred to the electrical grid for use elsewhere.
Furthermore, the efficiency of a PV cell is simply the quantity of electrical power
produced by the cell in comparison to the energy emitted by the light shining on it,
indicating how efficient the cell is at converting energy from one form to another.
The amount of energy generated by PV cells is determined by the properties (such
as intensity and wavelengths) of the available light as well as the cell's many
performance factors (Department of Energy, 2021).
Mithya et al. (2019) also added that the Arduino UNO comes under the type
of microcontroller. The version of the board used is ATmega328P. It consists of 14
digital input pins and the number of output pins out of which 6 pins are configured
as PWM outputs. And also it contains 6 input pins which are analog, 16 MHz quartz
crystal, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It
consists of everything that is needed to support the microcontroller, to start the
microcontroller, it should be connected to a computer by means of a USB cable or it
is powered by an AC-to-DC adapter or an external battery. "Uno" means one in
Italian. The reference versions of the Arduino are the Arduino UNO board and the
Arduino software version 1.0 and it is now evolved to newer versions. The UNO
board which is the reference for the Arduino platform is the first in a series of USB
ARDUINO boards.
Single Axis Solar Tracking System. This technology is typically utilized for solar
trackers intended for use in the tropics, where the goal is to follow the sun's angle of
altitude (angle of tilt) along a single axis. To drive the panel in response to sun
motions, a single linear actuator, such as a motor, is employed. A pair of LDRs on
opposing sides of a solar panel may be used to quantify the intensity of solar
irradiation by measuring the voltage drop between them, which is then compared by
a drive circuit until the two LDR voltages are equal and the panel stops moving. As
a result, the solar panel is always oriented, generally toward the sun's irradiation.
Dual Axis Solar Tracking System. This approach is mostly intended for locations
outside of the tropics or beyond 10°N and 10°S of the equator. The solar tracker's
azimuth and tilt angles are both employed in this approach to follow the sun's
motions throughout the year. As a result, a set of two actuators, usually motors, is
used to move the solar panel accordingly by receiving voltage control signals from a
set of four LDRs (two on opposite sides of the solar panel), and when the voltage
drop on all four LDRs is equal, the panel is receiving maximum solar irradiation
and thus the motion stops. This keeps the solar panel always at correct angles to the
sun.
Active Solar Tracking. This approach entails continuously monitoring the sun's
position during the day, and when the tracker is exposed to darkness, it pauses or
sleeps according to its design. This can be accomplished by employing light-
sensitive sensors such as photoresistors (LDRs), the voltage output of which is sent
into a microcontroller, which then drives actuators (motors) to modify the position
of the solar panels.
Passive Solar Tracking. Passive trackers employ a low boiling point compressed
gas fluid that is pushed to one side or the other of the tracker to cause it to move in
reaction to an imbalance. This approach employs trackers that identify the Sun's
location by using a pressure imbalance established at the tracker's two ends. This
imbalance is generated by solar heat-producing gas pressure on a low boiling point
compressed gas fluid, which is subsequently forced to one side or the other, causing
the structure to shift.
It is a system that proposes a solar tracker which follows the sun’s motion in a
twoway axis chronologically, which that means in following the sun’s motion for
the collection of the incident light the movement of the PV panel is also based on
the
Based on the related literature and studies presented it suggests that the
proposed system which is the chronological dual-axis solar tracking system that
uses predefined algorithms about the sun’s trajectory to determine the sun’s position
at a particular time has a great advantage, for the system will surely have a high
amount of power gain. According to (Advantages and Disadvantages of a Sun
Tracker System, 2016) because of their enhanced direct exposure to sun rays,
trackers generate more power than stationary equivalents. This increase can range
from 10% to 25%, depending on the tracking system's geographic location. As a
result, the system's power gain is extremely considerable. In regard to the world's
current situation, this system is the breakthrough in the emerging energy crisis that
the world is currently facing. Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable
energy sources, with a large potential for conversion into electrical power. Using a
Photovoltaic (PV) panel is an innovative solution to addressing concerns about
power outages. According to (Kreindler et al., 2012) that PV panels' output power
is highly influenced by the amount of incident light. The sun-earth relative position
is always changing, resulting in a constant change in incoming radiation on a
stationary PV panel. When the direction of solar radiation is perpendicular to the
panel surface, the maximum received energy is obtained. By placing a PV panel
atop a solar tracking device that tracks the sun's trajectory, the output energy of the
panel may be increased. It implies that a dual-axis solar tracker is an optimum
choice for maximizing the amount of sunlight absorbed by the PV panel. Since
Solar PV systems are capable of generating electrical energy, it would be of great
help, especially to those communities that are currently experiencing frequent power
outages. The researchers presented a mobile charging system that is solar-powered
that is controlled by microcontrollers, allowing end-users to charge their phones
even when there's a power outage.
Aside from the benefits that the system might provide, it also produced
significant drawbacks. Given current commodity prices, the components and
equipment required for the installation and construction of the chronological
dualaxis solar tracker are rather expensive. It implies that the implementation of this
system does not provide a wide range of opportunities to all consumers. Moreover,
the solar panels do not primarily modify and harm the environment during their
operation, but rather during the production of its components. In research from Tali
(2019), it was stated that toxic chemicals used in the photovoltaic manufacturing
process include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride,
1,1,1trichloroethane, and acetone. If manufacturers do not carefully adhere to the
rules and regulations, these substances can pose serious health concerns, particularly
to factory employees. Moreover, the continuous production of these hazardous
components and materials could also be a great threat to the environment and to
different living organisms.
The design that is proposed in this system will consist of 4 parts namely:
solar panel, solar tracker, power inverter, wireless mobile charging system. The
solar panel will be mounted to the dual-axis solar tracker that tracks the sun’s path.
The dualaxis rotating mechanism allows the panel to move horizontally and
laterally. The solar tracker is equipped with two motors that are programmed by a
microcontroller unit (Arduino). The RTC module is used in this design to provide
the current date and time that are needed for the direction of the motors. Table 1.0
and Table 1.1 shows the azimuth and altitude angle of the current date and time with
respect to the sun’s movement. In this manner, the solar tracker is tracking the sun
chronologically where the solar panel is moving at a fixed rate using the information
from the sun’s path (angles) at a certain location. This information will be used in
the development of the codes of the Arduino which then will be programming the
two motors to rotate at certain angles at a certain time and date. The power inverter
is used in this design to convert the 12V DC to 220V AC from the battery to the
load.
Figure 3.0 shows the proposed system block diagram. The sunlight will be
absorbed by the solar panel and the energy generated will be stored in the battery
through the solar charger. The power inverter is connected to the solar charger that
will convert the 12V DC to 220V AC to power the wireless mobile charging system,
Arduino Uno, and the two servo motors. The Real-Time Clock Module will be the
one providing the date and time which will be used by the Arduino as an input. The
Arduino will be the one programming the two servo motors and these servo motors
are responsible for moving the solar panel to a certain angle with respect to time.
In this study, independent and dependent variables are involved in order to collect
the necessary data to be used. These variables are divided in parts, namely: azimuth
and altitude angle computation, solar tracking, and power conversion. In the angle
computation, the azimuth and altitude angle are the independent variables whereas
the solar tracker is the dependent variable. In solar tracking, the movement of the
two motors with respect to the sun’s movement is the independent variable while
the solar energy harness is the dependent variable. In power conversion, the solar
energy harnessed is the independent variable while the mobile charging system is
the dependent variable that serves as the load of the design. Intervening variables
are also involved in collecting the data. These variables are the weather condition,
size and brand of the solar panel and the measuring device.
The data are measured accordingly after collecting them. In the relationship
between the angle computation and solar tracker, the data are measured by
observing the direction of the rotation of the two motors. The rotation of the motors
serves as the response of the input. In the relationship between the solar tracking
and solar energy harnessed, the data are measured through a voltmeter and ammeter.
Using the data measured, it will be used to calculate the power output. To compare
its power output to the fixed solar panel, a fixed panel with the same size, brand and
rating will also be exposed to the sun at the same time with the system design. Its
output voltage, current, power, and ambient temperature will also be measured
accordingly.
In the actual experiment, the researchers will be using a prototype to verify the
design. The reason for this action is to lessen the size of the solar panel used, which
will lead to more torque used in the motor if it were to use a bigger solar panel. A
bigger panel will also lead to an additional total cost of the design. To do the
comparison between the fixed panel and solar tracking panel, both will be tested at
the same time and date. The data to be collected for the experimental and control
group are ambient temperature, voltage, current, and power. These data are
scheduled to be collected hourly from 5:30 AM to 5:30 PM in the span of 7 days.
Note that the weather condition, size and brand of the panel, and measuring device
are held constant and uncontrollable for both the control and experimental group.
The data that will be gathered from this study will be recorded in a table and
graph for better comprehension, understanding, and analysis.
1. Using the Proteus software, create the circuit diagram as shown in Figure 3.5.
2. In the Arduino software, create and develop the codes needed for the design
using the information from Tables 1.0 and 1.1.
3. Upload the code from the Arduino software to the Proteus software.
4. Simulate the Project.
5. Observe the rotation of the two motors with respect to the time and date. Record
the direction of the rotations.
Assuming the solar panel is already perpendicular to the sunlight at a given date
and time, the next simulation will examine the efficiency of the system to evaluate
the performance of the design.
Actual Experiment
1. Set both the solar panels in a fixed/static position and test the two panels by
measuring their output voltage, current, and power to check their ratings. Record
the values in Table 4.1. If both panels have different ratings, the solar panel will
be interchanged every day.
Table 4.2. The output voltage, current, power, and ambient temperature of the solar
tracker panel and for the fix-mounted panel.
VCC2 is connected to the VCC of the Arduino, RST to pin 8, I/O to pin 7, and
SCLK to pin 6. The LCD’s SCL is connected to A5 and SDA to A4. The RTC
module serves as the input for this design since it will be the one providing the
current date and time for the Arduino. The current time and date will be displayed
on the LCD for ease of access in recording data. In this simulation, its main point is
to check the functionality of the design and code by observing the direction of the
rotation of the two servo motors.
MatLab Simulation
To verify the system’s improved efficiency, a panel or PV array in its energy
conversion circuit will be simulated in MatLab. The output voltage, current, and
power will be measured before attempting to solve the device’s efficiency. To
measure the current and voltage, an ampere meter will be connected in series and a
voltmeter will be connected in parallel to the PV array’s load. This measurement
will be visible on the screen. The product of the two results will determine the
power output. As for the input side, assuming that the tracker works, the panel’s
irradiance will be the measurement of irradiance and temperature for each time of
the day.
Figure 3.9 shows the energy conversion circuit for MatLab simulation. The
photovoltaic array is connected to a load using irradiance and temperature as inputs.
To obtain the current output, a current measurement is connected in series to the
load, and voltage measurement is connected in parallel to the load. A powerful is
also used to store the equivalent Simulink circuit that represents the model’s state-
space equations.