CHAPTER 2

2. LITERATURE SURVEY

In 1962, C.Finister invented first solar tracker. Though the Finster solar tracker realized insignificant energy
gains, years of testing and research have led to improvement of the conversion output of the PV system and
consequently the emergency of different tracking technologies and applications (e.g. concentrator and non-
concentrator). In short, improved solar cells have been developed and the use of solar tracking system over the
use of conventional fixedPV system has grown. In fixed photovoltaic system the solar receiver (PV module) is
in a stationary position facing the true north. However, with mechanical or electro-mechanical systems, the
orientation of the collector change continually in reference to the azimuthal directions (east-west) and also in its
elevation. This is dependent on the tracker’s geometrical capacity.

In 2021, Sheetal Sharma and Yogesh Rohilla introduced theprototype design of a study level, dual-axis, active
solar tracker using light dependent. resistor (LDR) sensor and Arduino UNO. One small solar plate, four LDR
sensors, two small servo motors, and one Arduino UNO microcontroller have been utilized in making this
prototype tracker. The working of this dual-axis active solar tracker is as follows. The four LDR sensors fitted
on the top, bottom, left, and right of the solar panel, senses the light intensity of the Sun. Based on the light
intensity, the resistance of the LDRs varies. It is maximum for the dark condition and minimum for the
light/bright condition. The values of the resistances are fed into the Arduino UNO for comparison. The values of
the left and the right LDRs are compared to operate the first servo motor to move clockwise or anticlockwise.
The clockwise movement of the motor rotates the solar panel in the right and vice-versa for the anticlockwise
movement. Similarly, the values of the top and the bottom LDRs are compared to operate the second servo
motor to move clockwise or anticlockwise. The clockwise movement of the second motor rotates the solar panel
in the upward direction. And anticlockwise movement rotates the panel in the downward direction.

In 2020, Saxena and V.Dutta,introduced hybrid controller based on two control loops for dual axis tracker. The
main idea of the system is to switch between the two controllers. Where there are two working modes, the
auto and the manual mode where the closed and the open loop controllers are employed respectively. When
the tracker employs the open loop controller, a large variation in sun position can be occurred in some days.[9]
Yeh H Y designed a hybrid sun tracking controller based on logic-based switching. The tracker controller
employs the open loop and the closed loop controller and switch between the two controllers. The tracker
showed that system can efficiently achieve the stability, but the controller system does not take the protection
feature into account.

In 2017, Praveen Kumar, Sasanka Jonnalagadda, Srihari and Haji Bonothu et.al. develops a dual axis, solar
tracker that have a minimum allowable error of 10° and also be economically feasible to market towards under
privileged countries. They started by examining the prior work done in solar tracking methods to determine our
course of action. From there they designed and tested several mechanical and electrical options and chose the
ones with the most desirable characteristics. The Dual-Axis Solar tracker designed and built in this project show
a clear benefit over both immobile and single-axis tracking systems. In both the axes of movement the tracker
has maximum angular error of 1.5 degree. This value shows that the energy gain by using the rotating solar
tracker is 49% more than stationary solar panel in the condition when both the rotating and stationary solar
panels are of 20W panels.

In 2016, Midriem Mirdanies, Roni Permana Saputra et.al. proposed dual axis system with a combined method
of an Astronomical algorithm and camera based feedback processing for localizing and tracking light intensity
to increase the efficiency in achieving power energy. They also designed a compound algorithm method to
merge approximation data of the sun acquired from astronomical based and visual based feedback. After
simulation, it resulted that the azimuth and elevation sum squared errors from the proposed algorithm are 0.3688
and 0.3874 degree, and the astronomical algorithm are 1.0997 and 1.2877 degree.

In2015,CeydaA.T. and Cenk et al. introduced a microcontroller with linear actuators andpotentiometer
(feedback sensors) based tracking system at laboratory scale in Turkey. In this study efficiency of 40% was
recorded. A Microcontroller (Atmega 8), LDRs, DC motor geared and L293D motor driver was also constructed
and tested atexperimental scale and 40% efficiency was realised developed a microcontroller (Atmega 328),
LDRs, DC motors and relays. Through the system efficiency of about 55-30% was recorded.

In 2012, KS. Madhu et al.,International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research 3, 229-5518 states that a
single axis tracker tracks the sun cat is west, and a two-axis tracker tracks the daily east we movement of the
sun and the seasonal declination movement of the Concentrates solar power systems use lenses or mirrors
and tracking system to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam, PV converts light into electric current
using the photoelectric effect. Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Test results indicate
that the increase in power efficiency of tracking solar plate in normal days is 26 to 38% compared to fixed
plate. And during cloudy or rainy days it's varies at any level.

In 2009, Mousazadeh et al. Introduced the general categorisation of solar tracking systems according to two
main typologies, namely, Energy source (i.e. passive, active and manual), and Degree of freedom (i.e. single or
dual axis). Passive tracking systems- designate all devices that position solar collectors for optimum capture of
energy using mechanical potential and thermal energy principles. Passive systems do not use of electrical
energy. Some of the typical mechanical working principles are Shape Memory Alloy (SMA), Thermo-fluids,
Mechanical potential system (lever, weight and springs). In Shape Memory Alloy, cylindrical actuators to
change the shape the SMA receivers through mirrors until an optimum orientation is achieved.Recent
developments, among others by Kusekar et al (2015), have seen the use of high pressure fluids to convert the
potential energy in the mechanical structure that hold up the PV panel into kinetic energy, which is then used to
move the panel toward the sun.