Summary of Previous Research

A. Key Findings

i. Mechatronic design: the paper (1) discusses about a particular mechatronic

design for implementing a two axis solar tracker for efficient power
management. It uses a VDI 2206 standard to design a system for efficient
power management. The design involves interconnected modules for
mechanism, instrumentation, energy supply and control.
ii. Two axis Tracking: the paper (1) has proposed a system which is dual axis
tracking for the orientation of the photo-voltaic cell or the solar panel. One is
used for orienting the solar panel and one is used for the photo-sensor. This
two-axis tracking achieves better performance than fixed or one-axis system.
Also in the paper (2) it uses a dual axis solar tracking for high efficiency.
iii. Energy Efficiency: The system is (1) is designed to optimize energy
collection and reduce consumption. It includes a worm-gear mechanism for
the elevation axis to maintain position without continuous actuator use which
enhances energy efficiency.
iv. Experimental Validation: The system’s performance (1) was validated
through experiments, showing improved energy collection compared to fixed
systems, especially under cloudy conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness
of the mechatronic design approach.
v. Interdisciplinary Approach: The paper (2) emphasizes the importance of an
interdisciplinary approach in mechatronics education, integrating mechanics,
electronics, control systems, and informatics.
vi. Educational Technology: it introduces a solar tracking system as an
educational tool to help students learn about mechatronics design and
renewable energy technologies.
vii. Project Oriented Learning: the research (2) supports project-oriented
learning (POL) in mechatronics curricula, allowing students to develop
prototypes focused on solving real-world problems.
viii. Industry Relevance: The study (2) highlights the growing demand for
engineers skilled in renewable energy systems, particularly in the design and
implementation of solar concentration applications. Also it shows us how
effectively a mechatronics system can work to produce most effective and
efficient power management.
ix. Multi-Agent System: The paper (3) presents an energy management system
that utilizes a Multi-Agent System (MAS) to self-regulate a set of power
sources and loads, optimizing criteria like cost and efficiency.
x. Micro-Grid Optimization: it (3) focuses on optimizing a micro-grid, which
is a group of heterogeneous power sources and loads, to minimize losses and
costs while avoiding power outages.
 xi. Autonomous Agents: the paper (3) has identified that Each entity within the
micro-grid is modeled as an autonomous agent with decision-making
capabilities, ensuring the system adapts in real-time to changing conditions.
xii. System Architecture: The architecture includes various agent societies for
system management, sources, and loads, each with specific roles like Broker,
Policy Manager, and Physical Law Simulator.
xiii. IoT integration: The paper (4) discusses the integration of the Internet of
Things (IoT) to remotely monitor and control solar energy systems, leading to
enhanced efficiency and economic benefits in an intelligent manner.
xiv. Solar Power Monitoring: It (4) introduces a method for displaying solar
power energy consumption online, using a Arduino Uno with Flask
framework for real-time tracking.
xv. Hardware Implementation: The study (4) details the hardware components
used, such as solar panels, Arduino Uno, voltage sensors, and LCD displays,
to build the solar power monitoring system. For which we can get the power
from the mechatronics system efficiently and intelligently.
xvi. Environmental Impact: The research (5) emphasizes the importance of
adopting renewable and effiecient energy technologies to reduce
environmental impact and addresses the issue of frequent power cuts in India
by promoting the use of solar energy.

B. Major Gaps

i. Mechanism Effieiciency: The study (1) (2) does not address the long-term
durability and maintenance needs of the two-axis sun tracking system, which
are crucial for practical applications. As it has rotary machiences it has some
durable issues. If the efficiency of the whole mechanism could be described
then it would be very helpful for us to scale it.
ii. Electrical Components Longevity: The study (4) (5) (6) uses some cheap
electrical components for their research purpose, the durability for this
components is very less for which the commercial use is hindered.
iii. Cost Analysis: There is a lack of detailed cost-benefit analysis comparing the
two-axis sun tracking system with traditional fixed or single-axis systems (1)
(2) . Also in the study of the IoT management of the Solar power (4) (5) the
cost analysis is not given for this components.
iv. Environmental Impact: The research (1) (2) does not discuss the
environmental impact of manufacturing, operating, and disposing of the
mechatronic components used in the system.
v. Scalability: The study (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) does not explore the scalability of
the design for larger or smaller scale applications, which is important for
widespread adoption.
 vi. Hardware Constraints: The use of specific hardware components like
Arduino Uno and sensors may limit the system’s adaptability to different
technologies or scalability.
vii. Monitoring Limitations: The system (4) (5) (6) relies on continuous sunlight
exposure for monitoring, which may not be feasible in all weather conditions
or geographical locations.
viii. Energy Dependency: The system’s effectiveness is contingent on the
consistent performance of solar panels, which can be affected by
environmental factors and may not guarantee a stable energy supply.
ix. Maintenance Challenges: Regular maintenance and monitoring are required
to ensure maximum efficiency of this mechatronics system (Solar Panel),
which could be resource-intensive.

Critical Evaluation

The research paper [1] shows us an advance mechatronics system for the Solar tracking using
2 degree of freedom. But there are some limitations which are extracted from the paper.

Complexity of 2-DOF Systems: The paper [1] acknowledges that a two-degree-of-freedom

(2-DOF) tracking system requires a more complex structure compared to a single-axis
system, which can lead to higher energy consumption, lower structural life cycles, and
heavier structures. High-level accuracy is required for the instrumentation involved in the
tracking system, which can increase the overall cost of the system. Factors such as
clouds,wind loads may affect the energy collection efficiency, and the paper suggests that a
reconfigurable structure could provide alternative trajectories to collect more energy. The
paper [1] emphasizes the need for an integral strategy for energy optimization that considers
mechanical load balance, choice of mechanical transmission, electronic components, and
trajectory tracking controllers.

VICTOR H. BENITEZ’s paper [2] discusses a solar tracking system as educational tool for
mechatronics engineering. But there are some key limitations in this paper.

The study primarily focuses on the educational aspect of mechatronics engineering within the
context of renewable energies, particularly solar energy. It does not extensively cover other
renewable energy sources or broader industrial applications. The research presents a
prototype heliostat system with certain design and manufacturing limitations. These
constraints may affect the system’s adaptability and scalability for larger, commercial
applications. While the system serves as a valuable educational tool, the paper does not
provide comprehensive insights into its effectiveness in a real-world, industrial setting. The
paper highlights the need for mechatronics specialists in renewable energy but does not
address the full spectrum of skills and knowledge required for the energy sector’s current
demands.
The paper [3] on Intelligent Energy Management System presents a comprehensive approach
to optimizing energy distribution in micro-grids using Multi-Agent Systems (MAS).
However, it acknowledges certain limitations.

The current models for energy sources like photovoltaic arrays and wind turbines are
simplified and do not account for the complexities of power conversion systems. While the
system is open, allowing for the addition and removal of sources and loads, the scalability to
larger, more complex networks is not addressed. The simulations use historical data for
environmental conditions and loads, which may not accurately represent future scenarios or
real-time variations. The paper [3] suggests that future work could improve the decision-
making mechanisms of agents, indicating that the current strategies may not be optimal.

Gaikar Vilas Bhau’s paper [4] discusses an IoT-based solar energy monitoring system in an
intelligent way and its implementation. But some problems we found in this project that are
discussed in the paper. The system’s effectiveness is dependent on the range of sunlight
radiation, which can vary by location and time, affecting the solar panel yield. Solar panels
require continuous monitoring due to their constant exposure to the sun, which necessitates
the use of IoT technology for efficient management. While solar energy is abundant, the
supply and efficiency can fluctuate, leading to potential challenges in consistent energy
provision. The implementation of the system relies on specific hardware components, which
may limit scalability or adaptability to different environments or technological advancements
[4][5][6]

The 5th paper discusses the implantation of IoT regarding harvesting the solar energy in an
intelligent way. Again using IoT has some drawbacks. The system involves data transmission
over the internet, which may raise concerns about data security and privacy. Dependence on
hardware like Arduino and Raspberry Pi could affect the system’s reliability in case of
component failure. The proposed setup might face challenges when scaling up for larger
networks or diverse geographical locations. While monitoring solar energy usage, the system
itself consumes power, which may impact overall energy efficiency. [5] In essence, the paper
presents a method for monitoring solar energy usage using IoT technology, but it
acknowledges potential challenges related to data security, system reliability, scalability, and
the energy consumption of the monitoring system itself.

Overall all the papers has their own limitations and drawbacks. Using two axis mechatronics
system for harvesting the solar power is a good choice but there are lacking and difficulties
of implanting and designing the system. While the components used in the system have to be
robust for longer life performance. The motors,actuatutors used in that project are not very
well maintained for which there are some scalability issues. Using IoT has some data security
issues like data breaching or hacking. But using IoT we can manage the power in an
intelligent manner while monitoring all the data’s.
References:

[1] D. A. Flores-Hernández, S. I. Palomino-Reséndiz, N. Lozada‐Castillo, A. Luviano‐Juárez,

and I. Chairez, “Mechatronic design and implementation of a two axes sun tracking
photovoltaic system driven by a robotic sensor,” Mechatronics, vol. 47, pp. 148–159, Nov.
2017, doi: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2017.09.014.

[2] V. H. Benítez, J. De La Rubia Pacheco, M. Anaya, and L. C. Félix-Herrán, “Solar

Tracking System: an educational tool to introduce mechatronics engineering to renewable
energy studies,” International Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 50–58,
Jan. 2018, [Online]. Available: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6861544

[3] M. Cirrincione et al., "Intelligent energy management system," 2009 7th IEEE
International Conference on Industrial Informatics, Cardiff, UK, 2009, pp. 232-237, doi:
10.1109/INDIN.2009.5195809. keywords: {Intelligent systems;Energy management;Solar
power generation;Councils;Real time systems;Cost function;Production;Photovoltaic
systems;Solar radiation;Multiagent systems},

[4] V. Gaikar, R. G. Deshmukh, T. R. Kumar, S. Chowdhury, Y. Sesharao, and Y.

Abilmazhinov, “IoT based solar energy monitoring system,” Materials Today: Proceedings,
vol. 80, pp. 3697–3701, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.07.364.

[5] Patil, S., Vijayalashmi, M. and Tapaskar, R., 2017. Solar energy monitoring system using
IOT. Indian J. Sci. Res, 15(2), pp.149-155.
[6] S. M. Patil, M. Vijayalashmi and R. Tapaskar, "IoT based solar energy monitoring
system," 2017 International Conference on Energy, Communication, Data Analytics and Soft
Computing (ICECDS), Chennai, India, 2017, pp. 1574-1579, doi:
10.1109/ICECDS.2017.8389711. keywords: {Monitoring;Renewable energy sources;Solar
energy;Cloud computing;Voltage measurement;Batteries;Python;Renewable
energy;IoT;flask;Cloud},