SOLAR TRACKER

THIS PROJECT IS MADE BY US

STUDENTS:-
 KRISHNA R PATEL
 UJAS P PARMAR
 MAAHIL R PATEL
 GAURANG D PATEL
 MANAN P PATEL

 GUIDED BY :- ANKIT MAKWANA

 CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION
 WHAT IS SOLAR TRACKER
 NEED OF SOLAR TRACKER
 WORKING PRINCIPLE
 TYPES OF SOLAR TRACKER
 OVERVIEW OF PRESENT TRACKER DRIVE TYPES
 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
 MATERIAL USED IN SOLAR TRACKER
 COMPARISON OF STATIONARY SOLAR AND SOLAR TRACKER
 FUTURE SCOPE OF SOLAR TRACKER
 ADVANTAGES
 DISADVANTAGES

 INTRODUCTION

 Renewable energy solutions are becoming popular.

 Maximizing output from solar system increases efficiency. Presently solar panels are of fixed type which
lower the efficiency.
 Maintaining vertical direction between light and panel maximizes efficiency.
 Solar tracking system has 35% higher generating power than fixed.
 Solar tracking system based on PLC can adjust automatically orientation of panel.
WHAT IS SOLAR TRACKER
A Solar tracker is a device used for orienting a
solar photovoltaic panel or lens towards the sun by
using the solar or light sensors connected with the
machine.
In solar tracker we can use one or multiple solar
panel to make it efficient.
 NEED OF SOLAR TRACKER

 Increase Solar Panel Output.

 Maximum efficiency of the panel.
 Maximize Power per unit Area.
 Able to grab the energy through out the day.
WORKING PRINCIPLE

 Auto-tracking control system composed of PLC, sensors, signal processing units,

PV cells, electromagnetic and mechanical motion control modules and power
supply systems.
 Panel detects the sun light strength to sensors.
 The sensors output is given to the PLC which compares it and produces an
equivalent output so as to rotate the motor and align the panel in the direction of
sun.
TYPES OF SOLAR TRACKER

 SINGLE AXIS TRACKER

 DUAL AXIS TRACKER
SINGLE AXIS TRACKER

Single axis solar trackers can either

have a horizontal or a vertical axle.
DUAL AXIS TRACKER

Dual axis solar trackers have both a

horizontal and vertical axis.
It can track the Sun's apparent motion
exactly anywhere in the world.
OVERVIEW OF PRESENT TRACKER DRIVE
TYPES

1. PASSIVE TRACKER
2. ACTIVE TRACKER
3. OPERN LOOP TRACKER
PASSIVE TRACKER

Passive trackers use a compressed gas

fluid in two canisters.
The mechanism is in such a way that
if one side cylinder is heated other
side piston rises causing the panel to
tilt over the sunny side.
ACTIVE TRACKER

measure the light intensity from the

sun by using light sensors And
determine where the solar modules
should be pointing.
OPEN LOOP TRACKER

Open loop trackers determine the position

of the sun using computer controlled
algorithms or simple timing systems.
1. Timed Trackers A timer is used to
move the tracker across the sky.
2. Altitude Trackers It uses the
astronomical data or sun position
algorithms to determine the position
of sun for any given time and location
by using PLC.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
MATERIAL USED IN SOLAR TRACKER

1. SOLAR PANEL
2. LDR
3. BATTERY
4. CONTROL BOARD
5. PLASTIC BASE
6. ON/OFF SWITCH
7. DC GEAR MOTOR
8. BJT
9. RESISTOR
10. LED
SOLAR PANEL

Its made up of a number of solar cells

connected in series internally.
Convert solar energy to electricity.
Based on photo voltaic effect. Photo
voltaic effect produces a change in
electrical characteristics when light is
incident upon it.
TYPES OF SOLAR CELL

 MONOCRYSTALLINE SOLAR CELL

 POLYCRYSTALLINE SOLAR CELL
 THIN FILM SOLAR CELL
MONOCRYSTALLINE
SOLAR CELL

A monocrystalline solar panel is a

solar panel that contains
monocrystalline solar cells.
These cells are made from a
cylindrical silicon ingot grown from a
single crystal of silicon of high purity
in the same way as a semiconductor.
Monocrystalline panels have higher
efficiency in the range of 15-20%.
POLYCRYSTALLINE
SOLAR CELL

Just like monocrystalline solar cells,

polycrystalline solar cell are made from silicon
crystals.
The difference is that, instead of being extruded
as a single pure ingot, the silicon crystal cools
and fragment on its own.
These fragments are melted in an oven and
formed into cubes which are cut into thin
wafers.
Polycrystalline panels have lower efficiency
rates typically in the 13-16% range
THIN FILM SOLAR
CELL

A thin-film solar cell is a second

generation solar cell that Is mad by
depositing one or more layers, or thin
film of photovoltaic material on a
substrate, such as glass , plastic or
metal.
Thin-film solar panels have less
efficiency compare to other solar
panels around 7 and up to 18%.
LDR

A high resistance semiconductor

whose resistance decreases with
increasing incident light intensity.
When light falls on such a
semiconductor, the valence electrons
receive the light energy incident and
jump to the conduction band.
The conductivity of the device
increases, decreasing its resistivity.
BATTERY

A battery is a source of electric power

consisting of one or more
electrochemical cells with external
connections for powering electrical
devices.
When a battery is supplying power,
its positive terminal is the cathode
and its negative terminal is the anode.
 Click icon to add picture

BASE

Base is use to support the servo and

arm and also solar panel and also
protect circuit board.
PUSH BUTTON SWITCH

A push button switch is a type of

switch which consist of simple
electrical mechanism or air switch
mechanism to turn something on or
off.
The button itself is usually
constructed of a strong durable
material such as metal or plastic.
DC GEAR MOTOR

A gear motor is an all-in-one

combination of a motor and gearbox.
The addition of a gear head to a
motor reduces the speed while
increasing the torque output.
 IC L293D

The L293D is designed to provide bidirectional

drive currents of up to 600-mA at voltages from
4.5 V to 36 V.
The L293D is a 16-pin Motor Driver IC which
can control a set of two DC motors
simultaneously in any direction.
 BJT

A bipolar junction transistor is a three-

terminal semiconductor device that
consists of two p-n junctions which are
able to amplify or magnify a signal.
It is a current controlled device. The
three terminals of the BJT are the base,
the collector, and the emitter.
 RESISTOR

A resistor is an electrical component that

limits or regulates the flow of electrical
current in an electronic circuit.
Resistors can also be used to provide a
specific voltage for an active device
such as a transistor.
 LED (LIGHT EMITTING
DIODE)

LED stands for light emitting diode.

An electrical current passes through a
microchip, which illuminates the tiny
light sources we call LEDs and the result
is visible light.
 COMPERRISON OF SATIONARY SOLAR
AND SOLAR TRACKER THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR
SOLAR EFFICENCY%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
WINTER SUMMER MONSOON

WITH TRACKER WITHOUT TRACKER

FUTURE SCOPE OF SOLAR TRACKER

 Dependency on coal and petroleum fuel for electricity is reduced.

 ECO friendly.
 Pollution less.
 High output then solar panel.
 Solar trackers farm using one of a number of systems of electricity generation on
large scale.
 Rooftop solar tracker for homes, offices and industry.
ADVANTAGES

 Easy to operate
 Low cost
 We can monitor directly using PC.
 Tracking accuracy is more.
 Reduce the usage of power from power grid.
DISADVANTAGES

 Solar electricity is not available at night and is less available in cloudy weather
conditions. Therefore, a storage or complimentary power system is required.
 Limited time power density.
 Solar cells produce DC which must be converted to AC when used in currently
existing distribution grids.
CONCLUSION

 Used relative method of sunlight strength.

 Established a model of automatic tracking system to keep vertical contact
between solar panels and sunlight.
 Improved the utilization rate of solar energy and efficiency of photovoltaic power
generation system.
THANK YOU