Dual-Axis Solar Tracker for Using in Photovoltaic Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a dual-axis solar tracker based on a real-time measurement of solar radiation. For this, Matlab-Simulink was used to perform the dynamic model of: solar radiation, electromechanical system and solar panel. The implementation of the solar tracker was performed using a digital controller that processes signals from radiation sensors and inertial measurement unit. The acquired data are contrasted with a mathematical algorithm to calculate sun’s position and set the control action to orient the panel. A real-time processing system with internal memory capacity was developed, which considers the relative position between the radiation sensor and solar panel to improve system efficiency. The obtained simulation results confirm the approach robustness. Preliminary results with the solar tracker show a maximum increase of 9.87% in the energy obtained from dual-axis solar panel compared with energy from a fixed panel optimally oriented. The tests were performed using two 200W solar panels operating simultaneously under the same climatic conditions.