Design and fabrication of an automatic dual axis solar tracker by using LDR sensors

Abstract

Due to the rotation of the earth in an orbit, direction of the Sun changes relatively. This paper represents a setup, which is fabricated to minimize the angle of incidence between incoming light from Sun and a flat photovoltaic (PV) panel to increase the intensity of the light received. It increases the power generated by an installed power generating unit. This setup consists of a mechanical mechanism to tilt the flat PV panel towards the Sun. This mechanism is derived by DC motors having a high reduction ratio. Voltage supplies to these motors are controlled by the LDR (Light Dependent Registers) sensors by the means of electronic circuits. The energy consumed by the tracking system is very less. The cost of the mechanical parts and electronic components are very less. The Microprocessor is not used in this setup. Hence it does not require programming and computer interface. Not any geological data are required, because LDRs work on the differential of the light intensity at the both ends of the plate. The motive of the work is to fabricate a solar tracker at a very low cost.

Keywords: Solar Tracker, LDR, Photovoltaic (PV) cell, Dual Axis, Solar Collectors, Solar power plant