Army Institute of Technology , Pune

Department of E&TCPROJECT TITLE :-SOLAR TRACKER FOR SOLAR PANEL

GUIDE

Mrs. Sushma Wadar

Submitted by:-

Mukesh Choudhary [T120223066]Neeraj Bani [T120223067]Prashant Kumar [T120223077]

CONTENT

1.Introduction 2.Aim & Objective 3. Literature review4. Methodology5. Component 6. Block diagram/flow chart7. Prototype Images8. Advantages

INTRODUCTIONSolar Tracker:-Solar tracker are devices used to orient

photovoltaic panels, reflectors , lenses or other optical devices toward the sun.

Since the sun’s position in the sky changes with the seasons and the time of day, trackers are used to align the collection system to maximize energy production

Aim & OBJECTIVE Aim: The aim of our projects is to utilize the maximum solar energy through solar panel.

Objective To fabricate a DC motor control interfaced with driver circuit.

To construct a model prototype solar cell movement system with a mechanical assemble to move the panel from 180⁰ E to W.To design an electronic circuit to sense the intensity of light and to control DC motor driver for the panel movement.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Sun rays come in form of UV-light, a form of electromagnetic radiation and once they fall of solar panel surface made of materials such as silicon, the irradiation is absorbed and converted into electrical energy through photo emission. Maximum absorption occurs when the solar panels and solar cells directly face the Sun, so that the sun’s rays fall perpendicularly on the absorption surface.

This absorption and conversion may not be optimal given that the solar panels and solar cells are mounted in fixed positions usually on rooftops with slants. For viable solar energy generation using single installation, its efficiency has to be improved and therefore various solar tracking methods are devised to closely track sun movement during the day.

METHODOLOGY This solar tracking system will have three salient components; an input stage

with light sensors and potentiometer, a program in embedded software in microcontroller and a driving circuit in form of H-bridge. The input stage is two LDRs which are part of voltage divider circuit. L293D chip forms the driver circuit and aC-program loaded into MSP430 forms the embedded software. All the parts are designed independently and then assembled into a solar tracking system. Finally a wooden frame is used to house the components required to execute the tracker.

Block Diagram/Flow Chart

Component

MSP430G2231 Rotary Potentiometer - 10k Ohm, Linear

DC motor

9V battery

LDR Sensor

L293D 47Kohm

Prototype image

Advantages Solar energy offers many advantages over other forms of energy. Some of those

benefits are listed below:

1. The 89Petawatts of sunlight reaching the earth's surface is plentiful – almost6,000 times more-compared to the 15 terawatts of average powerconsumed by humans. Additionally, solar electric generation has the highestpower density (global mean of 170 W/m²) among renewable energies.

2. Solar power is pollution free during use.

3. Production end wastes and emissions are manageable using existingpollution controls and end-of-use recycling technologies are also underdevelopment.

4. Facilities can operate with little maintenance or intervention after initialsetup. Solar electric generation is economically superior where grid connectionor fuel transport is difficult, more costly or impossible. Examples includesatellites, island communities, remotely locations such as ocean vessels.

Thank You...

Submitted by :-

Prashant Kumar [T120223077]Mukesh Choudhary [T120223066]Neeraj Bani [T120223065]