A RESEARCH PROJECT
BY
NNAEMEKA ORIOHA
EE/2017/167
SUBMITTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING CARITAS UNIVERSITY, AMORJI-NIKE, ENUGU.
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (B.ENG)
AUGUST 2017
APPROVAL PAGE
This project has been read and approved by the undersigned as with the requirement at the department of Electrical Electronic Engineering of Caritas University Amorji Nike Enugu for the award of Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Electrical Electronic Engineering.
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Engr. Ejimorfor Date
(Project supervisor)
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Engr. Ejimofor Date
(Head of Department)
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External Supervisor
DECLARATION
I declare that this project material is an original work done by me under the supervision of Engr. Ejimorfor, department of electrical electronic engineering faculty of engineering caritas university, amorji-nike, enugu
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to Almighty God and to my parents Engr. & Mrs. Chukwu A. Orioha and to my beloved brothers and sisters whose ever loving kindness and support has seen me through my years of studies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my immense gratitude to God Almighty for his mercy, guidance and protection towards me for seeing me through the rigors of this work. I am greatly indebted to my supervisor Engr. Ejimofor for his kind gesture and whose critics lead to the achievement of this work. I also will remain grateful to the tremendous contribution of my lecturers Engr. Ojobor (the Dean of Engineering Faculty), Engr. Ejimofor (Head of Electrical Electronic Engineering Department), Engr. Mbah, Engr. Ochi, and all the staff of Electrical Electronic Engineering both academic and non academic staff for their intellectual upbringing. My special appreciation goes to my loving parents Engr. & Mrs. Chukwu A. Orioha, my grandparent, my uncles and aunties, my brothers and sisters whose moral and financial support cannot be over emphasized. Also my sincere gratitude and special regards to my friends too many to mention whose encouragement also lead to the success of this work.
Solar energy is one of the well-known sources of renewable energy. You will find many recent researches conducted with an objective to enhance the efficiency of solar panels (also known as Photo Voltaic systems). One of the ways to attain this objective is solar tracking system. Our project also suggests the same solution but it deals with the solar tracking system which is RTC based. Solar tracking system has always proved to be an effective way to generate more energy because it helps the solar panel remain exactly in front of the solar rays. The concept behind these researches is that it is a fact that the sun keep on moving across the sky, the whole day long therefore it's a good idea to track its location so that the solar panel can remain exactly in front of it absorbing more power. By applying this concept tracking systems were designed which help increase the amount of energy a solar panel may accumulate. This project employs a solar panel mounted to a time-programmed stepper motor to track the sun so that maximum sun light is made incident upon the panel at any given time of the day. This is better compared to the light-sensing method that may not be accurate always – for example, during cloudy days.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Demand of electrical energy is increasing day by day. So many different power sources are being used in modern power system. Researchers are trying to make power system more and more efficient. Solar tracking system is also a part of that research to make power sources more efficient. Solar tracking is used to extract more power from solar panels by giving solar panels maximum appearance to sun light. Different techniques have been developed for solar tracking system.
Time based solar tracking automatically adjust the position of solar panel to more optimum position based on time with the help of servo motor connected to solar panel. A algorithm developed with microcontroller using real-time clock time is used to adjust position of solar panel with the help of dc motor.
This tracking movement is achieved by coupling a stepper motor to the solar panel such that the panel maintains its face always perpendicular to the sun to generate maximum energy. This is achieved by using a programmed microcontroller to deliver stepped pulses in periodical time intervals for 12 hours for the stepper motor to rotate the mounted panel in one direction and then return to the start point for next day light as desired.
The microcontroller used in this project is from the 8051 family. The Stepper motor is driven by an interfacing IC as the controller is not capable of handling the power requirements of the stepper motor. This particular project is provided with a dummy solar panel, which can be used for demonstration purpose only.
Furthermore, this project can be enhanced by using an RTC (Real Time Clock) to follow the sun. This helps in maintaining the required position of the panel even if the power is interrupted for some time.
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
The main objective of the project is to position a solar panel according to the motion of the sun so that it can produce maximum power. This project uses solar panels, Microcontroller, RTC, and Stepper motor (along with its driving circuit). RTC, here, plays the role in finding the position of the sun.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
The purpose of this work is to build a device that when sun is high up in the sky, the tracking system must follow its position. An active control can help achieve this purpose by using time movements. The system need to be automatic thus making it simple and easy to use. The operator interference need to be negligible and must be restricted.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
Adding solar trackers to a solar panel array are very important and a very good idea. These solar trackers actually increase the time a panel may face the sun which helps them produce power more effectively. We have used the concept of using time to track the sun, and not the device which could sense the presence of sun and move the panel in that particular direction.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
Solar tracking system has always proved to be an effective way to generate more energy because it helps the solar panel remain exactly in front of the solar rays. The concept behind these researches is that it is a fact that the sun keep on moving across the sky, the whole day long therefore it's a good idea to track its location so that the solar panel can remain exactly in front of it absorbing more power. By applying this concept tracking systems were designed which help increase the amount of energy a solar panel may accumulate. Solar panel is connecting with servo motor. Servo motor is interface with servo motor controller. 5 volt power supply is used provide power supply to microcontrollers. DC1307 real time clock is used to keep information of real time to microcontroller. Optional, a liquid crystal display can be used to display time.
1.6 BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT
- Trackers generate more electricity than their stationary counterparts due to increased direct exposure to solar rays. This increase can be as much as 10 to 25% depending on the geographic location of the tracking system.
- There are many different kinds of solar trackers, such as single-axis and dual-axis trackers, all of which can be the perfect fit for a unique jobsite. Installation size, local weather, degree of latitude and electrical requirements are all important considerations that can influence the type of solar tracker best suited for a specific solar installation.
- Solar trackers generate more electricity in roughly the same amount of space needed for fixed-tilt systems, making them ideal for optimizing land usage.
- In certain states, some utilities offer Time of Use (TOU) rate plans for solar power, which means the utility will purchase the power generated during the peak time of the day at a higher rate. In this case, it is beneficial to generate a greater amount of electricity during these peak times of the day. Using a tracking system helps maximize the energy gains during these peak time periods.
- Advancements in technology and reliability in electronics and mechanics have drastically reduced long-term maintenance concerns for tracking systems.
1.7 PROBLEM OF THE PROJECT
- Solar trackers are slightly more expensive than their stationary counterparts, due to the more complex technology and moving parts necessary for their operation.
- Even with the advancements in reliability, there is generally more maintenance required than a traditional fixed rack, though the quality of the solar tracker can play a role in how much and how often this maintenance is needed.
- Trackers are a more complex system than fixed racking. This means that typically more site preparation is needed, including additional trenching for wiring and some additional grading.
- Single-axis tracker projects also require an additional focus on company stability and bankability. When it comes to getting projects financed, these systems are more complex and thus are seen as a higher risk from a financier’s viewpoint.
- Solar trackers are generally designed for climates with little to no snow making them a more viable solution in warmer climates. Fixed racking accommodates harsher environmental conditions more easily than tracking systems.
1.8 APPLICATIONS OF THE PROJECT
- These panels can be used to power the traffic lights and streetlights
- These can be used in home to power the appliances using solar power.
- These can be used in industries as more energy can be saved by rotating the panel.
1.9 PROJECT WORK ORGANISATION
The various stages involved in the development of this project have been properly put into five chapters to enhance comprehensive and concise reading. In this project thesis, the project is organized sequentially as follows:
Chapter one of this work is on the introduction to this study. In this chapter, the background, significance, objective, purpose, problem and benefit of this study were discussed.
Chapter two is on literature review of this study. In this chapter, all the literature pertaining to this work was reviewed.
Chapter three is on design methodology. In this chapter all the method involved during the design and construction were discussed.
Chapter four is on testing analysis. All testing that result accurate functionality was analyzed.
Chapter five is on conclusion, recommendation and references.
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