Design of Two-Axis Automatic Sun Tracking System Assisted with Manual Control through LabVIEW

Abstract:

With the fast depletion of the conventional energy resources and the amount of pollution it is creating, the entire world is looking for an alternative non-conventional and a renewable energy to lessen the dependency on the conventional energy resources. In this scenario, utilizing solar energy which is abundant in nature is gaining high attention. One way of utilizing solar energy is by using solar photovoltaic cells which convert light energy into electrical energy, but they are too costly and less efficient. Many techniques are being developed to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency in harnessing solar energy. Sun tracking technique is one of the methods to increase the efficiency of solar cells. The present work is focused on providing a microcontroller based automatic two-axis sun tracker using Photodiodes as sensors to track sun. The system is assisted with a manual control through LabVIEW (Graphical User friendly Interface) to aid during bad weather conditions.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 813-814)
• Pages: 992-996
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.813-814.992
• Online since: November 2015
• Authors: P. Chandra Dheeraj, B. Avinash, G. Sai Pavan Kumar, P.S. Sivasakthivel, M. Venkatesan*
• Keywords: ATmega32 Micro Controller, LabVIEW, Photodiodes, Stepper Motor, Sun Tracker

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