Automatic Solar Tracker (Without Arduino) | Simple Science Project. Inspire Award Project
I'm .Puspendu Ghosh ..
In this video I'm going to explain.. how to make Simple Sun tracker Solar Panel. Without arduino. It's a very simple science project for science exhibition & science fair. And also a very cheap project. Light following Robot using TDA2822 IC. Watch Full video you can easily make it at home ...
Building an Automatic Solar Tracker With Arduino UNO
Solar energy is becoming more and more prevalent across the world. Currently, many methods are being researched to make solar panels produce more energy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and coal. One way to do this is to have the panels move, always facing the sun in the sky. This allows optimal energy collection, making solar panels more efficient.
This Instructable will look at how solar trackers work, and implement such a method into a solar tracker prototype using an Arduino UNO.
How solar trackers work
There are 3 main methods which are used to control a solar tracker. The first is a passive control system, and the other two are active control systems. The passively controlled solar tracker contains no sensors or actuators but changes its position based on heat from the Sun. By using gas with a low boiling point in a container mounted on hinges at its middle, similar to a see-saw, the solar panel can change its position based on the direction of heat from the Sun.
The active systems are a bit different. Both require a processing system, as well as actuators to move the panels. One way to actively control solar panels is to transmit the Sun's position to the panels. The panels then orient themselves to this position in the sky. Another method is by using sensors to detect the sun's position. By using Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs), its possible to detect varying light levels. These sensors are then used to determine where the sun is in the sky, allowing the panel to orient itself appropriately.
In this Instructable, we will use the sensor based active control system.
System Diagram/Component Overview
How this system works is shown in the pictures above. There will be 1 light dependent resistor on each side of a divide. This divide will cast a shadow on the sensor on one side of the panel, creating a dramatic difference between the two sensor readings. This will prompt the system to move toward the brighter side to equalize sensor readings, optimizing solar panel position. In the case of a 2 axis solar tracker, this same principle can be used, with 3 sensors instead of two (1 on the left, 1 on the right, 1 on the bottom). The left and right sensors can be averaged, and this reading can be compared with the bottom sensor to determine how much the panel must move up or down.
Main Components Overview
Arduino UNO: This is the microcontroller for this project. It reads sensor data and determines how much and in which direction the servos must turn.
Servo: These are the actuators used for this project. They are easy to control and very precise, making it perfect for this project.
Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs): These are variable resistors that detect light levels. These are used to determine the position of the sun in the sky.
Materials/Equipment
The materials used to build this project are:
Arduino UNO
2 servers
3 Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs)
3 10k Ohm resistors
Popsicle sticks
Cardboard
The tools used to build this project are:
Soldering iron
Tape
Scissors
Utility Knife
Hot Glue Gun
Automatic Solar Tracker (Without Arduino) | Simple Science Project. Inspire Award Project
I'm .Puspendu Ghosh ..
In this video I'm going to explain.. how to make Simple Sun tracker Solar Panel. Without arduino. It's a very simple science project for science exhibition & science fair. And also a very cheap project. Light following Robot using TDA2822 IC. Watch Full video you can easily make it at home ...
Building an Automatic Solar Tracker With Arduino UNO
Solar energy is becoming more and more prevalent across the world. Currently, many methods are being researched to make solar panels produce more energy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and coal. One way to do this is to have the panels move, always facing the sun in the sky. This allows optimal energy collection, making solar panels more efficient.
This Instructable will look at how solar trackers work, and implement such a method into a solar tracker prototype using an Arduino UNO.
How solar trackers work
There are 3 main methods which are used to control a solar tracker. The first is a passive control system, and the other two are active control systems. The passively controlled solar tracker contains no sensors or actuators but changes its position based on heat from the Sun. By using gas with a low boiling point in a container mounted on hinges at its middle, similar to a see-saw, the solar panel can change its position based on the direction of heat from the Sun.
The active systems are a bit different. Both require a processing system, as well as actuators to move the panels. One way to actively control solar panels is to transmit the Sun's position to the panels. The panels then orient themselves to this position in the sky. Another method is by using sensors to detect the sun's position. By using Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs), its possible to detect varying light levels. These sensors are then used to determine where the sun is in the sky, allowing the panel to orient itself appropriately.
In this Instructable, we will use the sensor based active control system.
System Diagram/Component Overview
How this system works is shown in the pictures above. There will be 1 light dependent resistor on each side of a divide. This divide will cast a shadow on the sensor on one side of the panel, creating a dramatic difference between the two sensor readings. This will prompt the system to move toward the brighter side to equalize sensor readings, optimizing solar panel position. In the case of a 2 axis solar tracker, this same principle can be used, with 3 sensors instead of two (1 on the left, 1 on the right, 1 on the bottom). The left and right sensors can be averaged, and this reading can be compared with the bottom sensor to determine how much the panel must move up or down.
Main Components Overview
Arduino UNO: This is the microcontroller for this project. It reads sensor data and determines how much and in which direction the servos must turn.
Servo: These are the actuators used for this project. They are easy to control and very precise, making it perfect for this project.
Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs): These are variable resistors that detect light levels. These are used to determine the position of the sun in the sky.
Materials/Equipment
The materials used to build this project are:
Arduino UNO
2 servers
3 Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs)
3 10k Ohm resistors
Popsicle sticks
Cardboard
The tools used to build this project are:
Soldering iron
Tape
Scissors
Utility Knife
Hot Glue Gun
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