Description
ABSTRACT
Solar energy is one of the well-known sources of renewable energy which is known as energy from the sun. In solar energy, solar panel converts sunlight into electricity. Traditional solar panels are stationary which do not follow the movement of the sun. Because of this limitation, solar panel can only work efficiently only if the presence of the Sun is strong and when the panel is perpendicular to the sun rays ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight is harvested throughout the day. In other to overcome this problem a solar tracking system was developed. This work deals with the solar tracking system using arduino. Solar tracking system has always proved to be an effective way to generate more energy because it helps the solar panel remain exactly in front of the solar rays. The concept behind these researches is that it is a fact that the sun keep on moving across the sky, the whole day long therefore it’s a good idea to track its location so that the solar panel can remain exactly in front of it absorbing more power.
This device is developed using arduino, light emitting resistor (LDR), Servo motor as the major components. Light emitting resistor (LDR) and Servo motor were interfaced to the arduino which makes the system functional.
At the end, the concept of tracking systems were designed which help increase the amount of energy a solar panel may accumulate. This project employs a solar panel mounted to a stepper motor to track the sun so that maximum sun light is made incident upon the panel at any given time of the day.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWELDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
- PROBLEM STATEMENT
- AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
- SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
- METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
- BACKGROUND LITERATURE SURVEY OF THE STUDY
- OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
- RENEWABLE ENERGY
- HISTORITICAL BACKGROUND OF PHOTOVOTAIC CELL
- THEORETICAL REVIEW OF SOLAR CELL
2.5.1 Solar power concentrator
2.5.2 Nature of solar irradiation
2.5.3 Sunlight
2.5.4 Solar constant Gcs
2.6 SOLAR ANGLES
2.6.1 Elevation angle
2.6.2 Zenith angle
2.6.3 Azimuth angle
2.7 SOLAR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
2.7.1 Active solar tracking
2.7.2 Passive solar tracking
2.7.3 Chronological solar tracking
2.7.4 Single axis tracking
2.5.5 Dual axis tracking
2.8 EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY
2.9 EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR PANELS
2.10 SOLAR CELL EFFICIENCY
2.11 REVIEW OF SOLAR CELL MATERIALS
2.12 THEORETICAL FUNDAMENTALS
2.13 PV FUNCTIONALITY
2.14 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY
3.1 SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM
3.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM BLOCK
3.3 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
3.4 SYSTEM OPERATION
3.5 PROGRAM CODE
3.6 DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR COMPONENTS USED
CHAPTER FOUR
TEST AND RESULT ANALYSIS
- CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
- CASING AND PACKAGING
- ASSEMBLING OF SECTION
- PACKAGING
- TESTING ANALYSIS
- RESULT
- DISCUSSION ON THE RESULT
- BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT
- PROBLEM OF THE PROJECT
- APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT
CHAPTER FIVE
- CONCLUSION
- RECOMMENDATION
- REFERENCES
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Solar cell/ Photovoltaic cell (Muhammad, 2023)
Figure 2: Solar power concentrator (Rockwell, 2019)
Figure 3: Solar angles (Ponniran et al., 2019)
Fig. 4. Structure of a PV cell
Fig.5. Photovoltaic system
Figure 6. Cylindrical Solar Cooker Side View [Gay et al., 2022].
Fig.7. Altitude-azimuth sun tracking system
Fig 8. Block diagram of an arduino based solar tracker
Figure 9: Flow chart diagram of the solar tracking system
Fig.10: arduino based solar tracking system circuit diagram
Figure 11. The arduino Board
Figure 12: Graph of power readings for a cloudy morning and sunny afternoon, 20th March, 2021.
Figure 13: Graph of power readings for a bright sunny day, 21st March, 2021.
Figure 14: Graph of power readings for a bright sunny day, 23rd March, 2021.
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: The range of the brightness of sunlight
Table 1: Power readings for a cloudy morning and sunny afternoon, 20th of March 2021
Table 3: Power readings for a bright sunny day, 21st March 2020
Table 4: Power readings for a bright sunny day, 23rd March 2021
CHAPTER ONE
- INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Solar energy is an everlasting resource for tomorrow because it is free, practically inexhaustible, and involves no polluting residues or greenhouse gases emission. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cell directly converts sunlight to electricity. A solar system with 10% efficiency covering 0.16% of earth would provide 20TW (Terawatt) energy, about twice the world consumption rate of fossils energy (Serhan et al., 2020).
Recently, all over the world the energy demand has greatly increased. Meanwhile the resources of fossil fuels are depleting with the passage of time.
The world’s demand for energy will be almost triple in the forthcoming three decades. This situation appeals the research community to pay attention toward renewable energy system. To and sufficient pollution free energy resources for future is one of the great challenges for society. Research in the field of renewable energy can solve this problem. Energy generated from natural renewable resources such as wind, waves, tides, solar radiation etc. are termed as renewable energy (Goetzberger et al., 2022).
With the higher demand of electrical energy day by day, so many different power sources are being used in modern power system. Researchers are trying to make power system more and more efficient. Solar tracking system is also a part of that research to make power sources more efficient. Solar tracking is used to extract more power from solar panels by giving solar panels maximum appearance to sun light. Different techniques have been developed for solar tracking system (Goetzberger et al., 2022).
Smart solar panel monitoring system for real-time energy tracking automatically adjust the position of solar panel to more optimum position based on the position of the sun rays with the help of servo motor and Arduino microcontroller connected to solar panel. An algorithm developed with microcontroller using real-time clock time is used to adjust position of solar panel with the help of dc motor.
This tracking movement is achieved by coupling a stepper motor to the solar panel such that the panel maintains its face always perpendicular to the sun to generate maximum energy. This is achieved by using an arduino for the stepper motor to rotate the mounted panel in one direction and then return to the start point for next day light as desired.
The main aim of this work is to build an arduino based solar tracking system. The Stepper motor is driven by interfacing arduino with the stepper motor. This particular project is provided with a dummy solar panel, which can be used for demonstration purpose only.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Traditional solar panels are stationary and do not follow the movement of the sun, as a result of this, users find it difficult to use solar energy early in the morning and in the evening. Because of this problem – it can only work efficiently only if the presence of the Sun is strong and we all know that the incident of sunlight changes or moves with the time of the day. To solve this problem, a smart solar panel monitoring system for real-time energy tracking system was developed which automatically adjust the position of solar panel to more optimum position based on the position of the sun rays. This solar tracking system is used to tracks the sun’s movement across the sky and tries to maintain the solar panel perpendicular to the sun’s rays, ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight is incident on the panel throughout the day.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
The aim of this work is to develop a device that will position a solar panel according to the motion of the sun so that it can produce maximum power. The objectives of the study are:
- To increase the output efficiency of a solar panel.
- To maximize the amount of sunlight captured by the solar panel
- To optimize the position of solar panelsto maximize their exposure to sunlight and increase energy production
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
Adding solar trackers to a solar panel array are very important and a very good idea. These solar trackers actually increase the time a panel may face the sun which helps them produce power more effectively. We have used the concept of using time to track the sun, and not the device which could sense the presence of sun and move the panel in that particular direction.
Developing a solar panel tracking system will serve as a means of extending the use of solar energy. With solar tracking device one can use solar energy from around mid-day to early morning or late in evening.
Using solar panel tracking system will serve as a means of increasing the generated power from the panel by 10 – 60% compare the fixed system.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The scope of this work covers developing a solar tracking system which has always proved to be an effective way to generate more energy because it helps the solar panel remain exactly in front of the solar rays. The concept behind these researches is that it is a fact that the sun keep on moving across the sky, the whole day long therefore it’s a good idea to track its location so that the solar panel can remain exactly in front of it absorbing more power. By applying this concept tracking systems were designed which help increase the amount of energy a solar panel may accumulate. Solar panel is connecting with servo motor. Servo motor and LDR are interface to an arduino.
1.6 METHODOLOGY
To achieve the aim and objectives of this work, the following are the steps involved:
- Study of the previous work on the project so as to improve it efficiency.
- Draw a block diagram.
- Test for continuity of components and devices,
- programming of microcontroller
- Design and calculation for the work was carried out.
- Studying of various component used in circuit.
- Construct the whole circuit.
- Finally, the whole device was cased and final test was carried out.
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 CONCLUSION
As the proposed prototype is a miniature of main system, it has some limitations which can be mitigated through future developments. A small cardboard is rotated in the system and 12v solar panel is used for analysis. As a miniature system, it works out well. Larger Solar panel must be integrated with the system to prepare better result and cost analysis.
It has been proven through our research and statistical analysis that solar tracking system with single-axis freedom can increase energy output by approximately 20%.Further mechanical enhancement can be done to the prototype, to implement dual-axis tracking.
A solar panel tracking system was designed and implemented. The aim of the solar panel tracking system is to track the position of the sun for better efficiency of the solar panel has shown in the experimental results. This work can be executed on an industrial scale which be beneficial to developing countries like Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa countries.
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
Our recommendation for future works is to consider the use of more sensitive and efficient sensors which consume less power and which are also cost effective. This would increase the efficiency while reducing cost.
Arduino recommended input voltage is from 7 to 12 volts. Make sure you power it within the recommended input voltage.
