Journal Integrated Engeerg, Vol. 3 No. 3 (2011) p. International Journal Integrated Engeerg, Vol. 3 No. 2 (2011) p. 5-9 5-9 A Design Low Power Sgle Ax Trackg System Regardless Mor Speed Asmarhid Ponniran 1,* 1,*, Ammar Hhim 1, Ariffudd Joret 1 1 Faculty Electrical & Electronic Engeerg, Universiti Tun Husse Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, MALAYSIA Received 1 March 2011; accepted 30 Ocber 2011, avail onle 24 December 2011 Abstract: Abstract: generation generation had had been been a renew renew energy energy sce sce years years ago. ago. Residential Residential that that uses uses ir ir alternative alternative supply supply brg brg benefits benefits m. m. ma ma objective objective th th paper paper present present development development an an aumatic aumatic trackg trackg panels panels keep keep aligned aligned with with order order maximize maximize harvestg harvestg.. focuses focuses on on controller controller design design it it tracks tracks hit. hit. When When decreg, decreg, th th aumatically aumatically changes changes its its direction direction.. LDR LDR light light detecr detecr acts acts a sensor sensor trace trace coordate coordate detectg detectg brightness brightness level level.. While While rotate rotate appropriate appropriate position position panel, panel, a DC-geared DC-geared mor mor.. controlled controlled two two relays relays a DC-geared DC-geared mor mor driver driver a microcontroller microcontroller a ma ma processor. processor. Th Th project project covered covered a sgle sgle ax ax designed designed low low residential residential usage usage applications. applications. From From hardware hardware testg, testg, track track follow follow order order at at output output regardless regardless mor mor speed. speed. Keywords: Keywords: trackg, trackg, tracker, tracker, microcontroller, microcontroller, DC DC mor, mor, LDR. LDR. 1. Introduction In lt ten years, many residentials around world electric a sub at ir houses. Th because energy an unlimited energy resource, set become cregly important longer term, providg electricity heat energy user. energy also h potential be major energy supply future. tracker an aumated panel that actually follows Sun cree [3]. sun's position sky varies both with equipment over any fixed position. One well-known type tracker heliostat, a mov mirror that reflects movg sun a fixed location, but many or approaches are well. Active trackers use mors gear tras direct tracker commed a controller respondg direction. tracker can be several application such cells, day-lightg rmal arrays [1]. tracker very useful device that needs more sunlight higher efficiency such cell. Many panels had been positioned on a fixed surface such a ro. As sun a movg object, th approach not best method. One solutions actively track sun usg a sun trackg device move panel follow Sun. With Sun always facg panel, energy can be absorbed, panel operatg at ir greatest efficiency [4]. ma reon th project efficiency cells. Although re are many trackers market, price *Correspondg author: mar@uthm.edu.my 2011 2011 UTHM UTHM Publher. Publher. All All right right reserved. reserved. penerbit.uthm.edu.my/ojs/dex.php/ijie penerbit.uthm.edu.my/ojs/dex.php/ijie expensive unafd because market tracker still new only certa countries use tracker such USA South Korea. large scale tracker that normally not suit residential use. As a result, th project develop a Sun trackg specially designed residential use a low cost cell. Previous researchers [5, 7] [6] LDR phodiode sensors respectively. Meanwhile [5] [6, 7] DC mor with gear steeper mor respectively. Those projects have dadvantages some dadvantages are high cost durg development, difficult control mor speed difficult design because usg microprocessor. ma objective th project develop sun trackg model which a device that follow movement Sun regardless mor speed. Beside that, it improve overall electricity generation usg sgle ax sun trackg also provide design residential use. LDR or light dependent resr h been chosen sensor because LDR commonly sun trackg. Th because LDR sensitive light. restance LDR decrees with creg cident light [2]. For controller, PIC16F877A had been chosen. Th PIC programmg give pulse driver move mor. For driver, bi-directional DC mor control usg relay h been. mor controller had been chosen because it can control mor rotate clockwe counter-clockwe eily. DC geared mor also been 5 5
Asmarhid Ponniran et al., et al., Int. Int. J. Of J. Integrated Of Integrated Engeerg Engeerg Vol. 3 No. Vol. 3 (2011) 3 No. 2 p. (2011) 5-9 p. 5-9 chosen because it h a hold rque up 24 kg.cm low rpm. Lt but no let, LM7805 convert put voltage from source 5 V ouput because tegrated circuit only need 5 V operate. 2. Methodology Th project divided two parts, hardware development programmg development. Figure 1 shows block diagram project. Figure 1: Block diagram project project built usg a balanced concept which two signals from different sensors are compared. Light Dependent Resr (LDR) a light sensor h been. two light sensor are separated divider which create shadow on one side light sensor if panel not perpendicular sun. For controllg circuit, microcontroller PIC16F877A acts a bra that controls movement mor via relay. Data received from sensors processed microcontroller. microcontroller send a data Bi-directional DC-geared mor via relay ensure panel perpendicular wards Sun. Relay controls rotation mor eir rotate clockwe or anticlockwe. panel that attached mor be reacted accordg direction mor. Figure 2: Flowchart PIC 16F877A programmg 4. Results Analys focusg on controller design. constructed h been tested some data from hardware meurement have been collected dcussed. Typical panel h been purpose only prove designed operate accordgly. ree surroundg effects, stance, wear condition are not seriously considered durg hardware testg. 4.1 Sensor Figure 3 shows sensor circuits. 3. Programmg microcontroller th tracker PIC16F877A ready ADC converter. Figure 2 shows a flowchart PIC16F877A programmg. Figure 3: Sensor circuit 6 8
Asmarhid Asmarhid Ponniran Ponniran et al., Int. et al., J. Of Int. Integrated J. Of Integrated Engeerg Vol. Vol. 3 No. 3 No. 2 (2011) 3 p. p. 5-9 T 1 shows LDR output voltage from hardware meurement. When LDR exposed, V LDR 0.74 V V LDR 1.53 when not exposed. It shows that brightness voltage at LDR low. be tapped DC geared mor. Figure 5 shows condition when put RB0 set high (1), mor rotate clockwe direction. T 1: LDR output voltage from sensor circuit from hardware meurement To sunlight V RLDR V LDR Exposed 3.75 V 0.74 V Not exposed 3.46 V 1.53 V 4.2 Microcontroller For ADC conversion, calculation determe desired voltage shown equation 1 2. Usg 200 16, th condition sample can be determed. If both puts analogue p PIC16F877A less than 0.2 V, output at p 33 34 be set low (0). If difference both put analogue p higher than 0.2 V, output eir at p 33 p 34 be high (1). V V reference step ADC bit (1) For th project, V Reference equal V DD which 4.94 V ADC PIC16F877A a 10-bit ADC module. Thus, calculated V Step 0.00482 V. Desired Voltage ADC output (2) V step Usg calculated V Step, ADC output can be calculated usg equation 2. For example, desired voltage 3.75 V. So value ADC 777 10 or 309 16. (a) Figure 5: Input at RB0 high (clockwe rotation), (a) designed circuit, (b) hardware circuit (green LED activated) Hardware observation shows when put RB1 high (1), relay RL1 be activated. ree 12 V be tapped DC geared mor. Figure 6 shows condition when put RB1 set high (1), mor rotate counter-clockwe direction. (b) 4.3 DC-geared Mor Controller Relay driver h been control direction DC geared mor. Figure 4 shows control circuit Bi-directional DC-geared mor usg relay. (a) Figure 4: Circuit Bi-directional DC-geared mor From hardware observation, when put RB0 high (1), relay RL2 be activated. ree 12 V 9 7
Asmarhid Ponniran et al., et al., Int. Int. J. Of J. Integrated Of Integrated Engeerg Engeerg Vol. 3 No. Vol. 3 (2011) 3 No. 2 p. (2011) 5-9 p. 5-9 designed speed DC-geared mor neglected because mor fers low output rated speed, 17 rpm high output rated rque, 1960 mn.m. ree, speed mor not critical consideration durg design process. ma consideration deigned direction mor rotation th matter h been tackle considerg relay driver circuit. (b) Figure 6: Input at RB1 high (counter-clockwe rotation), (a) designed circuit, (b) hardware circuit (red LED activated) T 2 shows voltage readgs from LDR sensors th direction mor rotation effected, clockwe or counter-clockwe. Meanwhile, T 3 shows mor operatg condition. T 2: Mor operatg condition 4.4 Model T 4 shows specification sgle ax trackg model. Figure 7 shows hardware constructed designed. T 4: Specification Trackg System Design Aspect Weight Size Material Specification 2.4 Kg (cludg panel) 38cm x 40cm x 32 cm Bes- PVC pipe (20MM 3/4") Panel chs - alumum bar - (.55ch x.55ch) Clockwe Counter-clockwe LDR1 = 1.06 V LDR2 = 0.25 V LDR1 = 0.15 V LDR2 =1.11 V T 3: Mor operatg condition RB0 RB1 Direction 0 0 Sp 1 0 Clockwe 0 1 Counter-Clockwe 1 1 Sp From hardware testg result, designed operate accordgly DC-geared mor rotate eir clockwe or counterclockwe directions bed on data from sensors (LDRs) sensors are detect brightness level that hit m. unique Figure 7: Hardware constructed designed 4.5 Readg Data From Panel Durg Hardware Testg T 5 shows data voltage, current received from static panel trackg a day. From static panel, voltage, current 21.1 V, 5.94 ma 125.334 mw respectively. Meanwhile, from trackg, voltage, current 21.6 V, 6.35 ma 137.160 mw respectively. Figure 8 shows comparon electric charactertic curves from static panel trackg. It shows that trackg receive more consequently generate more compared static panel. 8 8
Asmarhid Asmarhid Ponniran Ponniran et al., Int. et al., J. Of Int. Integrated J. Of Integrated Engeerg Vol. Vol. 3 No. 3 No. 2 (2011) 3 p. p. 5-9 T 5: Readg data from panel durg hardware testg Power (mw) Hours 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 8:00 From static panel From trackg V ma mw V ma mw 16.8 1.23 20.664 18.3 3.41 62.403 17.0 2.34 39.780 18.9 3.57 67.473 17.6 2.51 44.176 19.4 3.98 77.212 19.4 3.64 70.616 19.7 4.76 93.772 19.8 4.45 88.110 20.4 5.40 110.430 20.5 5.12 104.960 21.6 6.35 137.160 21.1 5.94 125.334 21.4 6.11 130.754 19.4 5.43 105.342 20.5 5.87 120.335 17.2 5.01 86.172 19.6 5.26 103.096 16.5 4.28 70.620 18.5 4.86 89.910 16.2 2.87 46.494 17.5 3.75 65.625 Electric Power vs Hours Charactertic Curve - Static Panel Trackg System 9:00 10:00 11:00 Static Panel 12:00 1:00 Hours 2:00 3:00 4:00 Trackg System 5:00 6:00 Figure 8: Electric Power vs Hours charactertic curve comparon between static panel trackg 5. Conclusion Sgle Ax Trackg System protype model successfully developed. designed focuses on designg controller part ma concern design appropriate circuits circuits suppose be control DC-gear mor rotation direction without considerg mor speed. track follow order collect regardless mor speed. unique developed, mor speed not critical consideration because DC-geared mor fers low output rated speed high output rated rque. ree any types DCgeared mor can be th regardless mor speed controller unit long speed rque mor are followg given specification. constructed model can be applied residential area alternative electricity generation especially non-critical low appliances. References [1] A.K. Saxena V. Dutta, A versatile microprocessor bed controller trackg, Proc. IEEE, 1990, pp. 1105 1109. [2] Tamara A. Papali Mike Wong, Makg Sense Light Sensors, Application notes, CA: Intersil Americ Inc. 2007. [3] David Appleyard, Trackers: Facg Sun, Renew Energy World Magaze, UK: Ralph Boon, June 1, 2009. [4] S. J. Hamiln, Sun-trackg cell array, Department Computer Science Electrical Engeerg, University Queensl, Bachelors s, 1999. [5] N. Am, W. C. Yung K. Sopian, Low Cost Sgle Ax Aumated Tracker Design Higher PV Power Yield ISESCO Science Technology Vion, Volume 4, November 2008. [6] Han Wan Siew, Tracker SIM University, 2008. [7] Jyotirmay Gadewadikar, Microprocessor Bed Trackg System Usg Stepper Mor S.G.S. Institute Tech. & Science, Indore. 9 9
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