Dual-axis solar tracker based on UV and MEMS sensors

An Indian-Chinese research team has developed a new dual-axis solar tracking system based on sensors and a controller module.

“In this work, an attempt was made to design and implement a single dual-axis tracking motor for a simple yet effective control system,” the researchers said. “No programming or computer interface is required as standard electronic circuits are used. This system is independent and self-sufficient.”

The group explained that the new system uses two different sensor types: an ultraviolet (UV) sensor and a microelectromechanical solar sensor (MEMS). “The UV sensor calculates the intensity of UV radiation received from the sun, and the MEMS sensor predicts the sun’s path across the sky,” she added.

The data collected by these sensors is then fed into an arithmetic optimization-based PID (AOPID) controller, which uses arithmetic-based functions to achieve better response time, tracking accuracy and interference suppression.

“The AOPID controller uses input from the UV and MEMS sensors to change the position of the solar panels and optimize energy absorption,” the scientists further explained. “The controller achieves this by using a feedback loop that adjusts the controller’s proportional, integral and derivative gains to reduce the variation between the set point and the actual location of the solar panels through the use of arithmetic optimization algorithms.”

The academics tested the proposed system using MATLAB simulation software based on a simulated 50W PV panel. They then compared the power production and consumption over a few hours with that of a simulated fixed-tilt PV system.

“The comparative energy analysis graph shows that the proposed dual-axis solar tracking system was more productive than the fixed-tilt solar tracking system and the matrix converter,” the researchers said. “Achieving high net energy requires precise adjustment of controller parameters and positioning. the panels.”

The system was presented in the paper “Solar PV tracking system with dual axis and sensor arithmetic optimization,” published in Measurement: sensors. The research was conducted by scientists from China’s Xinxiang Vocational and Technical College and India’s Publon Research Center.