Improving Efficiency of SCP through

Sunflower Technology
Alexandria STEM school, G12, Semester1, 2021-2022, Group no. 12312
Mohamed Bakr - Marwan Mohamed - Ahmed Salah

ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT When the sun would have a different angle – from the perpendicular – the piece gen-
erates a shadow on one of the LDRs. The variation in the resistance through that spe-
The efficiency tests results are shown in these tables:
Table 4 Table 5
trough stations, for example, Bog El-Arab solar energy station, the efficiency would increase from about 9% to
30%, so the production of the station will increase from 850 kilowatts to about 2550 kilowatt (2.55 megawatt).
Recently, Egypt has suffered from a significant dilemma that stunts economic growth, causing many other enig- Fresnel lens Fresnel lens and tracking system This station would also decrease its area from 10 000 M^2 to about 6 000 M^2. Furthermore, this could be done
cific LDR is then detected and translated into signals transferred to the Arduino. The
mas in various aspects such as public health and the spread of pollution, increasing the utilization of alternative Time Temperature Solar radiation Power Produced Time Temperature Solar radiation Power Produced because of the solar tracking system that will save the areas needed to avoid making the through causing a
code translates the input signals to specific output signals, which then go to the servo
energy resources. All the world tends to use alternative energy resources to reduce the impact of fossil fuels, like clock °C ±1 W/m^2 ±2 W ±0.001 clock °C ±1 W/m^2 ±2 W ±0.001 shadow on each other.
motor and adjust the specific angle that would make all the LDRs away from the
hydropower energy, tidal Energy, Solar Energy, etc. one of the critical methods to use the radiant heat energy from dark and perpendicular to sun rays. This would lead to all the photoresistors being in
7 66.1 220 0.02 7 114.1 750 0.72 Learning outcomes
8 71.9 350 0.105 8 119.8 771 0.81
the sun is to convert it to mechanical energy then into electricity. This job is done by concentrating sun rays using the light until the sun moves again from the perpendicular angle and produce a 9 87.7 440 0.149 9 125.3 786 0.89 Many learning outcomes helped bring out the project into this
a particular type of solar concentrator, which is Fresnel lens, a series of concentric rings, each consisting of an ele- shadow on one of the LDRs, which would rerun the whole process and move the 10 101.7 520 0.28 10 127.3 816 0.98 form. in CH.3.01, It helped in Studying the concept of scientific
ment of a simple lens, grouped in a harmonious relationship on a flat surface to provide a short focal length, to 11 114.6 658 0.49 11 130.2 841 1.11 methods which helped in performing the work in proper way and
servo to face the perpendicular sun rays. This system receives the maximum energy 12 119.8 853 0.78 12 132.2 861 1.27
evaporate water and the steam produced from this water then will be used to run a steam turbine, that would gen- from the sun rays without any loss due to the shadow effect. 1 135.6 841 1.26
also helped in knowing the main differences of hypothesis, laws
1 125.8 803 0.701
erate mechanical energy. Then this energy would be used to move dynamo to generate electricity. Part of this elec- The other system collects that perpendicular sun rays and generates electricity by 2 112.6 680 0.45 2 120.09 815 1.04 and theories. In PH.3.04, It helped in knowing the basic elements
tricity will be consumed by the angle adjusting mechanism connected to the device. This mechanism will use light them. A particular type of lens called Fresnel lens would collect sun rays without sig- 3 99.2 630 0.299 3 115.6 787 0.87 of communication system and the connectivity between sensors
sensors to set the lens at the perfect angle always towards the sun rays for the best efficiency. So, what was accom- 4 83.1 540 0.17 4 113.7 768 0.79 and the circuit, also helped in knowing the different type of wire-
nificant loss in the system's efficiency. As shown in the figure (Fig.10), the special
plished in the building and testing the prototype achieved the design requirements, as the project is more efficient Fig.(9): Photoresistors arrange- less communication to use the proper one in the project which is the
lens design and its small thickness saves too much cost and energy, as it is not a thick ment
and endurable compared to previous solutions in the same field of electricity generation from solar thermal material to absorb the energy of the light rays before refracting on the ground communication by using Bluetooth. In PH.3.06, It helped

energy, and the user interface was designed to be easy for those who read it to understand the data collected about
the energy consumed and energy produced from the whole project. The project achieved high output efficiency,
where the project achieved approximately 3 times that of other solutions.
Key words: Fresnel lens - Steam turbine - Solar tracing
other side. The sun rays collected on the focus point will be received on
an aluminum heat exchanger – the receptor – with a unique design to trap
the light rays and prevents their reflection and losing its energy. All the
energy of the sunlight rays will be transferred into heat on the receptor.
The water in that receptor cannot leave it except in the high-pressure gas
phase. This water vapor would then be driven to a steam turbine. The
ANALYSIS
By increasing the utilization of alternative energy resources many other
major problems would breakdown. Solar energy is the future of the
in determining the type of convergent lens needed as mentioned
before the Fresnel Lens is a flattened version of a convex lens. Also
helped in calculating the focal point to know the concentrating
point that focuses the sun rays. In ME.3.01 This lo was the main
reference to all the mechanics and servo’s work. As we had to cal-
culate the moment of the system to find the equilibrium point by
adding the wights at the specific points to equalize the moment and

INTRODUCTION
steam turbine is designed as a closed chamber with different stages of Fig.(10): Fresnel lens structure
of blades on an axis, as shown in figure (11). When the steam enters that upcoming generation. It is safe, a greener and economical alternative. achieve the stability of the mechanism. Finally, chemistry. In
Moreover, it can be replenished so it serves as a renewable source of CH.3.03: it helped in knowing the kinetic molecular theory and the
engine and hits the blades with all its pressure, it causes a high moment and rota-
energy. As a result, it does not cause pollution. After implementing the test collision of particles, which helped to know that the increase in
tion on the axis of the turbine. This motion is then transferred to a dynamo connect-
plan on the prototype, it achieved the desired requirements as the proto- temperature increases the number of collisions, so the stored kinet-
ed to the turbine to generate electricity from that mechanical energy.
Egypt is currently encountering many grand challenges that are halting its economic growth as a developing type. Efficiency of the project were increased by adding some critical ic energy increases.
In order to complete the system, all these processes would need to be tracked by the
country. Two of which are alternative energy usage and pollution. Alternative energy production is a critical foun- modifications. The modifications made to the main process are covered in
user. The communication system would do this: space Wi-Fi radio waves. A chip
dation stone for every country because it ensures an enduring amount of energy to operate factories, houses, etc. three points - using Fresnel lens, adding sunlight tracing system, adjusting
would be inserted on the circuit of the project, and a code would be added to trans-

Pollution is the main consequence of using non-renewable energy sources, which cause various problems like
climate change and a decrease in general public health. As apparent, the two grand challenges are connected and
solving one will lead to working out the other. The current semester’s Capstone challenge is to increase alternative
energy usage through a coherent solution that includes communication, alternative energy, and technology. The
solution must be applicable in real life. It also must be dealing with a problem related to the challenge, which is
increasing the usage of alternative energy in Egypt. The problem chosen to address is “increasing the efficiency
of producing electricity from heat energy.” Confronting heat energy problems is imperative. Solar energy, for
example, is one of the most promising alternatives for fossil fuels in Egypt, especially because of the relatively
hot nature of Egypt. The efficiency problem is acute when it comes to solar energy because solar radiation chang-
es during the day. Solving this problem will guarantee constant and high energy production. Many previous solu-
tions were made to solve this problem, one of which is “Solar parabolic trough.” Even though parabolic trough
has a relatively low cost, it has a “low conversion efficiency” due to the absorption of the mirror to the light radiat-
ed, which leads to the generation of a low amount of energy (Belyakov, 2019). So, in order to come up with a
better solution, some testable design requirements were selected to go through in constructing the prototype. The
first design requirement is efficiency. Efficiency is the ratio between the output and the input, which gives clear
data on how good is the project working. The second one is durability, which gives an indication of the project's
ability to sustain harsh conditions. A durability test will help select the place of the project and know whether it
fer all the data processed by the Arduino through that chip. Fig.(11): Steam turbine mechanism
Then, an application would receive all that data from the chip and translate it into the simple interface that informs
the user state of the project, such as the temperature of the receptor, the electricity produced, the light intensity of the
sun, the angle of the sun rays, and the estimated time to turn off the device for saving power if rains or could block
the sun was detected. To simplify the testing process, the same project and all its stages would be done as a prototype
on a small scale; the only difference would be using a Bluetooth chip instead of Wi-Fi. This prototype can be easily
tested.
Test plan:
Each design requirement will be tested as follows:
First, the lens used. as Fresnel lens have been used instead of an ordinary lens, the energy produced by the Fresnel
lens will be tested and compared with an ordinary lens. the heat transferred to the receiver would be measured using
an infrared thermometer and heat transferred equation: ∆Q=mc∆T
The second thing concerning efficiency is the light tracing system. The whole prototype would be left working for a
day without the photo-following sensors. Then, would be leaved for another day with the sensors and compare
between the two results.
The final test for the efficiency will be done by placing the prototype in the desert and leaving it for about one hour.
CONCLUSION
communication system. Those three points have a significant addition to
the device's efficiency and validity, and those additions are shown through
the test results. The graphs (1 and 2) show that using the Fresnel lens,
instead of the normal solar trough as the solar concentrator, increased the
prototype's power output. However, both concentrators had the same size.
The energy produced by the Fresnel is twice that produced the solar Finally, it was concluded that the prototype satisfied all the design requirements after testing. It was a combina-
trough. When the receptor was adjusted at the focal point - as we studied tion of affordability, efficiency, and superiority. The project generated clean energy by converting heat energy into
in physic( PH.3.06 ) - in both the trough and the lens, the heat was trans- mechanical energy by the movement of the rotor blades, and the motor is connected to a dynamo that converted
ferred to the receptor in a given time by the Fresnel lens (1350 joule) was mechanical energy into clean electrical energy at a rate of 1.2 watts. It showed higher output efficiency than other
about 2.5 times greater than that transferred by the trough (517.5 joules). ordinary solar concentrators especially the solar trough of approximately three times its output, in addition to
This was calculated by the heat transferred equation as explained in the nearly zero percent impact on the environment. It solved the shadow effect by using such sensors to trace the sun-
test methods. The optical efficiency of both concentrators can explain light, which helped maximize the efficiency, which was initially in the ordinary stations was dependent on direct
this. The optical efficiency measures how efficinet the concentrator is in sunlight for several hours only. However, this project continued to track the sun's rays throughout the peak period
reflecting or refracting the light. All optical material causes a loss in energy of the light when it goes through it. from sunrise to sunset.
This happens because the different frequencies of light carry energy but can be absorbed by the atoms of the con-
centrator. The optical efficiency of the Fresnel lens turned out to be about 96%, while the normal trough's optical
efficiency did not exceed 73%. This indicates that the energy absorbed by the Fresnel lens is negligible, in compar-

will survive the conditions. The final design requirement is the simple user interface which should guarantee a
well displayed and organized data. The chosen solution is utilizing sun energy using a concentrating Fresnel lens
that follows the sun throughout the day using photosensors and then using the concentrated sunlight to heat up the
water in a steam turbine that generates electricity. This solution is supposed to address the design requirements
flawlessly. This means that the prototype's efficiency should be higher than the efficiency of Solar troughs and
stationary concentrators, because of its solar tracking system, it will receive more solar radiation perpendicularly
more than stationary concentrators. Also, the efficiency is expected to be higher than solar troughs because the
Then detect how much energy was produced and how much energy was consumed.
The second design requirement is durablity. Durability is tested by exposing the polycarbonate material to high tem-
perature to determine the limiting conditions of the prototype.
One final test was done to determine the simplicity of the user interface. That was done by sending the user interface
application combined with a survey about the application and if it was easy to use.
RECOMMENDATION
ison with the solar trough, due to its special designs that obtain its thin body, compared with other lenses.
Science is cumulative likewise in this project Like anything in life, the project can become along by a way or
another to keep pace with our era's advancement. In this project, the efficiency of the project could be enhanced
through numerous ways and additions. One of these ways is by adding molten Solar Salt (60% sodium nitrate and
40% potassium nitrate) to the receptor. This would increase the heat capacity of the energy receptor and maintain

RESULTS
Fresnel lens has higher optical efficiency than mirrors of solar troughs. In addition, the solution should be more
durable than other solutions. This is because it shall be made of materials which has a high melting point. Finally, it without radiating to the environment for a more extended period. So, the water evaporating would absorb all
the user’s interface has to be simple enough for the user to read the data easily. the energy and minimize the heat loss. Another feature to maximize efficiency is by controlling and managing
the pressure of the turbine system. This includes maintaining the water vapor to increase its pressure till it reaches
the suitable pressure for the maximum motion and torque across the turbine. Moreover, demi water should be
After testing the prototype with the aforementioned tests, the following results gave a brief understanding of the used as the fluid evaporated in the steam turbine to prevent the conurbation of metals because of the salts in the
normal water. Finally, another modification recommended is to adjust the blades of the turbine to a precise
MATERIALS & METHODS
efficiency of the system:
1- The efficiency of the solar concentrator: a standard solar trough with the exact dimensions was used as the refer- known angle that would give the maximum efficiency and maximize the torque of the turbine. Also, a condensing
ence concentrator that will be compared with the Fresnel lens. After adjusting the receptors on their focal point, system should be added to the flow of the water after the vapor exit the turbine. That could prevent both negative
their temperature was compared. The previous graphs (graph 3 and 4) present the variation of the direct solar radiation with the daytime and its effect environmental impact and cost of Deming water after short periods. Another thing to keep in mind is weather
on the temperature of the water vapor produced from the receptor. The parabolic behavior shown in the “graph 3” conditions, so when applying the project in real life, weather must be considered Last but not least we can benefit
Fig.
Materials List Cost Quantity Usage no.
Type of concentrator Solar trough Fresnel lens indicates the importance of the sun's direction represented in the time, as the sun changes its direction from the earth from this project in real life by placing it in opened hot area, like The Borg El-Arab, East Desert of Egypt or West
Table 1 Temperature of the reciever 140°C ±1 326°C ±1 as the day passes. However, the Fresnel lens produces a higher temperature in the steam; due to the greater amount Desert of Egypt to benefit from high and direct intensity from sunlight during the entire day.
The power source for the whole mechanism Fig. of heat it transfers, it still varies significantly with time. As been shown before, the power produced is directly pro-
Battery (3.7V) 20 L.E 2 and the storage bag for the dynamo output (1)
After calculating the heat transferred to the receptor in ten minutes, by the following equation, the results were as
follows ∆Q=mc∆T portional to the direct solar radiation. So, by varying the solar radiation across the cycle of the day, the power pro-
duced will decrease as the sun changes its direction. This is called the shadow effect. Because the direct solar radia-
Used to detect the sun direction and sense Fig. Type of concentrator Solar trough Fresnel lens

LITERATURE CITED
tion is maximum when the sun is perpendicular to the surface of the given area when it changes its direction creating
Photoresistors 1.5 L.E 4 signals to the movement of the mechanism (2)
Table 2 Heat transfered to the receptor 517.5 joule ±1.5 1350 joule ±1.5 another angle different from the perpendicular, the solar radiation significantly changes. That is why both concentra-
in 10 minutes
Secondly, both the solar concentrators were adjusted on the prototype to test their electricity production and their tors reached their peaks between 12:00 am and 01:00 pm. Here comes the importance of the second point, the sun
Used to measure the voltage generated by Fig.
tracing system. As been described in the methods section, the tracing system determine the direction of the sun pre-
Voltage sensors 30 L.E 1 the dynamo (3) effect on the temperature of the evaporated steam. (tables 3&4)
Thirdly, the solar tracing system was tested to measure its Table 3 cisely and by LDRs system sensor and drives a signal to Arduino to change the direction of the lens to be exactly in Al-Dohani, N. S., Nagaraj, S. N., Anarghya, A., & Abhishek, V. N. (2018). Development of powerhouse
accuracy and effect on the whole system. It was added to Solar Trough the face of the sun rays (have a perpendicular angle with the surface of the lens). The next graphs (graph 5 and 6) using Fresnel lens. MATEC Web of Conferences, 144, 04006.
Fresnel lens Used to concentrate sunlight on the recep- Fig.
(300mm*300mm) 200 L.E 1 tor as the heat source from the sun (4) the prototype and left to be tested for one more day. The Time Temperature Solar radiation Power Produced
studies the production results after adding the tracing system to the Fresnel lens.
As shown, the direct solar radiation was stable compared to the other trials without the tracing system; the system
https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201814404006
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results shown in the tables were compared to the results of clock °C ±1 W/m^2 ±2 W ±0.001
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Used as the main motherboard to process all Fig. 58 220
1
7
Arduino Uno 150 L.E the signals and the motion of the mechanism (5) (table 5). -
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Used as communication system to transfer Fig. 63.9 440
1
9
Bluetooth module 100 L.E data for the user interface (6) to measure the prototype consumption and production. 0.03
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the results showed the project's final output to be 1.19 watts. Compared with the initial solar trough, before adding
To convert the mechanical energy into elec- Fig. the results showed that the prototype consumes about 0.13 0.133 782–789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2016.04.167
Dynamo 90 L.E 1 tricity (7) Watts (5 Volts x 0.023 Ampere) and produces about 1.32
11 65.7 650
0.33
the Fresnel lens and the tracking system, which had maximum power production of 0.4 watts, the project's output Concentrating solar power basics. (n.d.). NREL.gov. https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-csp.html.
Watts on average. So, the final output of the prototype is 12 65.7 740 was approximately three times that of the solar trough. It increased the output of the stationary Fresnel system by Concentrating solar-thermal power. Energy.gov.
Used to make the body of the prototype and in Fig. 1.19 Watts. The only problem with these results is that 0.4 "146%". The ratio between the output power to the input that came from the sun of the solar trough's prototype was https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/concentrating-solar-thermal-power.
64 800
Polycarbonate 50 L.E 1 M^2 the generation of motion as steam turbine (8) they were affected by weather conditions.
1
0.37
about 0.1%, and it was increased at the final prototype to reach 2%. Novas, N., Fernández-García, A., & Manzano-Agugliaro, F. (2020). A simplified method to avoid shadows
blades The durability test was done by putting a piece of polycar- 2 62.9 780 Real life at parabolic-trough solar collectors facilities. Symmetry, 12(2), 278.
The cost reached a total of 666 L.E. didn’t exceed 1000 L.E. bonate in a furness and increase the temperature until it 0.32 By scaling up to real-life calculations and neglecting the energy loss due to the incompatibility of the parts and the https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12020278
3 60.1 730
Methods: melts. The prototype sustained temperature up to low accuracy and quality of material, the final total efficiency of the solar trough would have an efficiency of 8.7%. Serway, R.A. & Jewett, J.W. (2014) Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics (9th ed.),
0.129
“245°C”. One final test was done to determine the 4 56.4 640 However, the modified project with the Fresnel lens and the tracking system would have an efficiency of 29.4%. The Cengage Learning, Boston.
In this project, there are two central systems, the first system is solar tracking, and the second is collecting the modified project will increase production by 300%, as has been mentioned before. These numbers were calculated
simplicity of the user interface had the results as follow: After having the feedback from about 30 sample Xie, W. T., Dai, Y. J., Wang, R. Z., & Sumathy, K. (2011). Concentrated solar energy applications using
sunlight rays and running a steam turbine by it. In the tracking system, LDRs would be used as the sun detec- by reconsidering the stander ranges of the efficiency of the stages in real life, such as the steam turbine, the dynamo,
users, the survey results showed that 94% of the users loved the user interface and rated an average of 8.9 out Fresnel lenses: A Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(6), 2588–2606.
tor; four LDRs would be put on shadow piece as shown in the opposite figure (Fig.9). and the mechanical connections. So, the prototype was applied, and the modification was added to one of the solar
of 10 on the simplicity scale in the survey. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2011.03.031