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TITLE PAGE

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A SOLAR PANEL TRACKING SYSTEM

BY

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EE/H2013/01430
DEPARTMENT OF ---
INSTITUTE OF ---

DECEMBER,2018

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APPROVAL PAGE

This is to certify that the research work, "design and construction of a solar panel tracking system" by ---, Reg. No. EE/H2007/01430 submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement award of a Higher National Diploma on Electrical and Electronics Engineering has been approved.

By
Dr. ---                                           Dr. ---
Supervisor                                                  Head of Department.
Signature……………….                           Signature……………….        

……………………………….
Dr. ---
External Invigilator

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DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to Almighty God for his protection, kindness, strength over my life throughout the period and also to my --- for his financial support and moral care towards me.Also to my mentor --- for her academic advice she often gives to me. May Almighty God shield them from the peril of this world and bless their entire endeavour Amen.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of this project work could not have been a reality without the encouragement of my --- and other people. My immensely appreciation goes to my humble and able supervisor mr. --- for his kindness in supervising this project.
My warmest gratitude goes to my parents for their moral, spiritual and financial support throughout my study in this institution.
My appreciation goes to some of my lecturers among whom are Mr. ---, and Dr. ---. I also recognize the support of some of the staff of --- among whom are: The General Manager, Deputy General manager, the internal Auditor Mr. --- and the ---. Finally, my appreciation goes to my elder sister ---, my lovely friends mercy ---, ---, --- and many others who were quite helpful.

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Electricity is one of the basic needs of life. Emission of harmful gases during the process of electricity generation leads to greenhouse affects. However, by employing photovoltaic (PV) panels, electricity can be generated without creating air, noise and water pollution caused by the emission of harmful gases. Geographically, Nigeria is located in a region of the world where solar irradiance is approximately 2000 KWh/m2. In recent decades, grid-connected PV power plants have been implemented worldwide to fulfill the power requirements. Usually, these power plants are mounted fixed. However, with advancement in technology solar trackers have increased the yield.
A solar tracking system is a specific device intended to move the PV modules in such a way that they continuously face the sun with the aim of maximizing the irradiation received by the PV array. A solar tracking system is composed of three well-differentiated components: the mechanism, the driving motors, and the tracking controller.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWELDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE
1.0      INTRODUCTION
1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM OF THE PROJECT
• OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
• SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
• BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT
• PROBLEM OF THE PROJECT
• APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

• BBACKGROUD LITERATURE SURVEY OF THE STUDY
• OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
• THEORETICAL FUNDAMENTALS
• COMPONENTS OF SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEMS
• REVIEW OF THE PAST WORK ON SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM

CHAPTER THREE
3.0     CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY
3.1      SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM
3.2      DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM BLOCK
3.3      CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
3.4      SYSTEM OPERATION
3.5      DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

3.6      DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR COMPONENTS USED

CHAPTER FOUR
TEST AND RESULT ANALYSIS

• CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
• CASING AND PACKAGING
• ASSEMBLING OF SECTION
• PACKAGING
• TESTING ANALYSIS
• RESULT
• COST ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

Solar energy is an everlasting resource [1] for tomorrow because it is free, practically inexhaustible, and involves no polluting residues or greenhouse gases emission [2]. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cell directly converts sunlight to electricity. A solar system with 10% efficiency covering 0.16% of earth would provide 20TW (Terawatt) energy, about twice the world consumption rate of fossils energy [3, 4].
Recently, all over the world the energy demand has greatly increases. Meanwhile the resources of fossil fuels are depleting with the passage of time.
The world's demand for energy will be almost triple in the forthcoming three decades [5]. This situation appeals the research community to pay attention toward renewable energy system. To and sufficient pollution free energy resources for future is one of the great challenges for society. Research in the field of renewable energy can solve this problem. Energy generated from natural renewable resources such as wind, waves, tides, solar radiation etc. are termed as renewable energy.
Photovoltaic energy is one of the mature technologies amongst all renewable sources. To harvest solar energy, solar tracker is used which keeps panel normal to the sun radiations in sunrise hours therefore, more energy could be collected. One of the main objectives of this study is the investigation of solar tracking system and its various types, i.e., single and dual axis and their techniques along with open and closed loop system used in solar trackers. This study also discusses the implementation of tracking system in PV power plants and its effectiveness on the yield gain.
An automated system (in which solar panels are mounted), tracks sun’s position accurately in order to maximize the power yield. Everyday sun rises in the east and move across the horizon toward west (solar azimuth angle) yield of sunflowers rotate according to the sun motion (east to west) throughout a sunny day such that each leaf seek maximum light heliotropism, a clever bit of natural engineering [1, 2].
Sun changes its position throughout the days, years and seasons. To increase the energy production from PV panels, it is necessary to rotate the PV panels accordingly. It can be realized that more power will be generated it PV panel is exposed (for more time) towards the sun, so they can harness more sunlight.

1.1                                           BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
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.
A solar tracker is a device that orients a payload toward the Sun. Payloads are usually solar panels, parabolic troughs, fresnel reflectors, lenses or the mirrors of a heliostat.
For flat-panel photovoltaic systems, trackers are used to minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy produced from a fixed amount of installed power generating capacity. In standard photovoltaic applications, it was predicted in 2008-2009 that trackers could be used in at least 85% of commercial installations greater than one megawatt from 2009 to 2012.[2][3] In concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) applications, trackers are used to enable the optical components in the CPV and CSP systems. The optics in concentrated solar applications accept the direct component of sunlight light and therefore must be oriented appropriately to collect energy. Tracking systems are found in all concentrator applications because such systems collect the sun's energy with maximum efficiency when the optical axis is aligned with incident solar radiation.[5][6]
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.

1.2                                                  PROBLEM STATEMENT
Generally, solar panels are stationary and do not follow the movement of the sun. Because of this disadvantage of solar panel - it can only work efficiently only if the presence of the Sun is strong and we all know that the incident of sunlight changes or moves with the time of the day. solar tracker system is used to tracks the sun’s movement across the sky and tries to maintain the solar panel perpendicular to the sun’s rays, ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight is incident on the panel throughout the day.

1.3                                             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, mechanism and Stepper motor in finding the position of the sun.

1.4                                              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.

1.5                                         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.

1.6                                                 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.

1.7                                               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.

1.8                                              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.

1.9                                    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.

1.10                        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 ONE: The complete chapter one of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” is available. Order full work to download. Chapter one of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system”consists of the literature review. In this chapter all the related work on“design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” was reviewed.

CHAPTER TWO: The complete chapter two of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” is available. Order full work to download. Chapter two of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” consists of the literature review. In this chapter all the related work on “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” was reviewed.

CHAPTER THREE: The complete chapter three of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” is available. Order full work to download. Chapter three of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” consists of the methodology. In this chapter all the method used in carrying out this work was discussed.

CHAPTER FOUR: The complete chapter four of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” is available. Order full work to download. Chapter four of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” consists of all the test conducted during the work and the result gotten after the whole work

CHAPTER FIVE: The complete chapter five of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” is available. Order full work to download. Chapter five of “design and construction of a solar panel tracking system” consist of conclusion, recommendation and references.

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