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Project ID:

SCEN102

Development of Active Based Solar Tracking System

Project Title:

Category:

Science & Engineering

Inventors:

Ng Khai Le, Dr. Tan Jia Hou, Mr. Leong Kah Meng, Dr. Dalilah binti Nordin

Institution/Company:

Southern University College

Invention Description/ Abstract:

The active based solar tracking system is a system that will automatically actuate the motor to position the solar panel to be perpendicular to the highest light intensity location. Making the solar panel perpendicular to the highest light intensity location will increasing the output power efficiency. In the solar tracking algorithm, Python acted as the Master that will send the instructions to the Arduino which is a Slave to do the tasks such as sending back the power information, or moving the solar panel. All of these were processed with Bluetooth communication which were wirelessly be done. The prototypes used in this project are the azimuth altitude dual axis solar tracker(AADAT) and vertical single axis solar tracker(VSAT). The most attractive parts in this project is the real world solar tracker can controlling the virtual solar tracker in the PC. The virtual solar tracker was simulated in Robodk robotic software and can be coded using Python, this process is called online programming. The PCB has been designed using EasyEda software and 3D prototypes were designed using ONSHAPE software. The prototypes are still in the improving and testing progress.

Invention Technical Description

The solar panel's output will be feed into the voltage divider circuit which R1= 22750ohm and R2=12250ohm, total of 35k ohm resistance. The solar panels used in this project are three 14V 2W with the dimension of 110x136 measured in cm. The Arduino is programmed using C++ with official Arduino IDE, while the PC is programmed using Python with Pycharm software. The virtual solar tracker is controlled by Python coding which will move simultaneously with real world solar tracker. How the solar tracker can define which direction or location is having the highest light intensity is by using the LDRs as the light sensing devices. LDRs acted as the resistor that will change its resistance according to the surroundings brightness. The LDRs were added into the voltage divider circuit and acted as R1, while R2 is basically 1k ohm resistor. The operations of the LDR voltage divider are when the surroundings are bright, the voltage reading of R2 will be high, and while it is dim, the voltage will become low. All of this voltage will feedback to the Arduino Uno Analog pin to do the calculations.

Demostration/ Presentation Video

Poster/ Broucher/ Invention Photo

Video Link

Poster Link

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