T.C.

ERCIYES UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

OPTIMIZATION OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM

SOLAR ENERGY

Prepared by

Arda AYDINLIOĞLU
1030110177

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Sebahattin ÜNALAN

Mechanical Engineering Department

Machine Design and Applications–I

November 2022
KAYSERİ

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Machine Design and Applications I Homework named “Optimization of
Electricity Generation from Solar Energy” has been prepared based on Erciyes
University Engineering Faculty Education-Training and Examination Directive.

Prepared by
Arda AYDINLIOĞLU

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 PREFACE AND THANKS

I would like to thank my teacher Sebahattin Ünalan, who provided me with all
kinds of help and sacrifice during my studies.

Arda AYDINLIOĞLU
November 2022, Kayseri

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 Erciyes University, Faculty of Engineering
Machine Design and Applications–I, November 2022
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sebahattin ÜNALAN

ABSTRACT

In this study, I designed a light sensor solar panel system. In the light sensor solar
panel system I designed, I placed the movable pinion gear connected to the servo
motor, the large half gear welded on the fixed holder plate to the panel, the
Arduino system connected to the light sensor, and the lithium battery inside the
motor box. I tried to design this system using Solidworks program. The program
I designed has successfully moved towards sunlight. With this study, I aimed to
increase the efficiency of existing solar panels. The panel holder I designed
consists of panel, direct gears and motor box parts. The results of the application
show that the solar tracking system I designed is more efficient than the fixed
system.

Keywords: Solar energy, Solar panel system, Efficiency

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 CONTENTS

OPTIMIZATION OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM SOLAR

ENERGY

COMPLIANCE PAGE.....................................................................................................

PREFACE AND THANKS……………………………………………………………...

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………

CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………

SHAPES LİST……………………………………………………………………………

PART 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Problem Status………………………………………………………………………

1.2. Purpose of the Research…………………………………………………………….
1.3. Importance of Research…………………………………………………………….

PART 2

DESIGN AND APPLICATION

2.1. Design Part and Part Drawings…………………………………………………….
2.2. System and Other Data……………………………………………………………..
2.3. Part Analysis…………………………………………………………………………

PART 3
DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. Discussion…………………………………………………………………………….
3.2. Conclusion and Recommendations…………………………………………………

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………

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 SHAPES LIST

1-) Solar Panel Design that I designed in Solidworks

2-) Solar Panel Drawing Sheets

3-) Panel Holder Part that I designed in Solidworks

4-) Panel Holder Part Drawing Sheets

5-) Support Part that I designed from Solidworks

6-) Support Part Drawing Sheets

7-) Engine Box that I designed from Solidworks

8-) Engine Box Drawing Sheets

9-) Engine Shaft that I designed from Solidworks

10-) Engine Shaft Drawing Sheets

11-) Shaft Key that I designed from Solidworks

12-) Shaft Key Drawing Sheets

13-) Shaft Cover that I designed from Solidworks

14-) Shaft Cover Drawing Sheets

15-) Pinion Gear that I designed from Solidworks

16-) Pinion Gear Drawing Sheets

17-) Servo-Engine that I designed from Solidworks

18-) Servo-Engine Drawing Sheets

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19-) Arduino that I designed from Solidworks

20-) Lithium Battery that I designed from Solidworks

21-) Light Sensor that I designed from Solidworks

22-) Light Sensor Cover that I designed from Solidworks

23-) Solar Panel System with Light Sensor

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 PART 1

INTRODUCTION

The necessity of taking concrete measures against the limited use of fossil fuels,
polluting the environment and causing climate change has led countries to use
endless and clean renewable energy sources. As a result of environmental
pollution problems and economic evaluations, the idea of cheap and clean energy
has further increased the pace of renewable energy research. Especially in recent
years, energy production with renewable environment-friendly new energy
sources has gained great importance in the field of electrical energy production.

Solar energy is one of the most common renewable energy sources. Although not
at a sufficient level, solar energy is easily available in many parts of the world.
Although Turkey is rich in solar energy resources as a climate zone, the amount
of energy production with these resources in total energy production is far below
the world average.

Studies on systems that produce electricity using solar energy have turned into
commercial products because they are easy, applicable and low-cost compared to
others. Parallel to this, the use of solar panels, which are used to convert solar
energy into electrical energy, has gained importance.

Due to the ease of control and low investment cost, studies were carried out on
the production and use of solar energy independently of each other. However,
despite these developments, the energy produced as a result of the independent
use of each system cannot meet the need in the absence of daylight, causing the
storage need to grow to an uneconomical extent, and the need for a diesel

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generator that needs to run frequently for buyers who cannot be fed from the grid.
In order to reduce both diesel support and energy storage cost in systems that
operate independently, and in systems that can operate in parallel with the grid,
studies have focused on systems using solar energy in order to reduce the cost of
energy storage and the cost of bills to be paid by the user. As a result of these
developments, the cost of energy production from unit investment will be much
lower, and even a small-scale user may be in the position of a seller at certain
times of the day if he uses an inverter that can operate in parallel with the grid. In
such applications, the solar analysis of the place where the system will be installed
is the most important criterion at the beginning.

In the literature, there are studies in which different structures of solar tracking
systems are applied similar to this study. However, in these studies, there are no
studies based on the arduino system light sensor motor and gear movement
installed in the motor box. My point of improvement would be that the panel can
move completely on its own without the need for any remote computer support.

Problem Status;

The main problem is the energy losses in the existing fixed solar panels and the
inability to get the desired efficiency at any time of the day. The aim of my work
is to optimize the panels with a light sensor system and to increase the efficiency.

Purpose of the Research;

The aim of this project I have done is to optimize the panels, to achieve more
efficiency and to ensure a more sustainable use of solar energy in electricity
generation.

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Importance of Research;

With this study I have done, the efficiency of solar panels in our country will
increase, and the amount of electricity produced will also increase and contribute
to the country's economy.

PART 2

DESIGN AND APPLICATION

In this section, I will include the designs of the parts that make up the light sensor
solar panel, which I have designed separately, using the Solidworks program, and
the front, left side and top view technical drawings. I made the design drawings
and technical drawing sheets ready for production.

The parts that make up the panel are as follows; Solar Panel, Panel Holder Part,
Support Part, Engine Box, Engine Shaft, Shaft Key, Shaft Cover, Pinion Gear,
Servo Motor, Arduino, Battery, Light Sensor, Light Sensor Cover, and Solar
Panel with Light Sensor formed by assembling all of them.

In addition, under this title, I will include the mechanical and electrical properties
of the solar panel I used, the mass properties of the panel I designed, the material
information and the flow analyzes I made from the ansys.

The mechanical properties of the panel I designed are in accordance with the
desired values in engineering studies.

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Design Part and Part Drawing;

In this section, I will show the individual pictures and technical drawing sheets of
the parts that make up the light sensor solar panel system I designed.

Solar Panel;

Shape 1- Solar Panel Design that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 2- Solar Panel Drawing Sheets

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Panel Holder;

Shape 3- Panel Holder Part that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 4- Panel Holder Part Drawing Sheets

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Support Part;

Shape 5- Support Part that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 6- Support Part Drawing Sheets

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Engine Box;

Shape 7- Engine Box that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 8- Engine Box Drawing Sheets

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Engine Shaft;

Shape 9- Engine Shaft that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 10- Engine Shaft Drawing Sheets

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Shaft Key;

Shape 11- Shaft Key that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 12- Shaft Key Drawing Sheets

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Shaft Cover;

Shape 13- Shaft Cover that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 14- Shaft Cover Drawing Sheets

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Pinion Gear;

Shape 15- Pinion Gear that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 16- Pinion Gear Drawing Sheets

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Servo Engine;

Shape 17- Servo Engine that I designed in Solidworks

Shape 18- Servo Engine Drawing Sheets

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Arduino;

Shape 19- Arduino that I designed in Solidworks

Lithium Battery;

Shape 20- Lithium Battery that I designed in Solidworks

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Light Sensor;

Shape 21- Light Sensor that I designed in Solidworks

Light Sensor Cover;

Shape 22- Light Sensor Cover that I designed in Solidworks

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System and Other Data;
In this section, I will show you the final version of the light sensor solar panel I
designed and the system in the engine box on the panel in detail. In addition to
these, I will discuss in detail the mass properties of the panel I designed and the
engineering properties of the solar panel I used in the design.

Light Sensor Solar Panel I designed

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As I explained in the design part, there is a motor box connected to the sensor
with the help of a holding pole on the panel. The purpose of putting a motor box
is to enable the motor to rotate the pinion gear and to provide mobility to the panel.
I also aimed to give the energy to the motor with an arduino system through the
sensor. I also placed a battery in the box to store the excess energy. I will show
you the system inside the engine box in detail. System consists of arduino, battery
and servo motor.

The System I installed inside the engine box

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When I designed the system as a draft, the total weight of the system was 350 kg.
Since the system will carry moment in engineering systems, it is not desired that
the weight value exceed certain values. For this reason, I realized that I needed to
reduce the weight of the system. By using the sheet metal method in the
solidworks program and by choosing the appropriate materials, I managed to
reduce the weight of the system close to 50%, to less than 150 kg.

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Now I will explain the mechanical and thermal properties of the solar panel I use
in the system. The characteristics of the solar panel used are important in terms of
the efficiency and operation of the system. I will show the engineering drawings,
mechanical data, thermal characteristics and I-V curves of the solar panel
respectively.

Solar Panel I designed

Solar Panel Engineering Drawing

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 Solar Panel Mechanical Data

Solar Panel Temperature Characteristics

Solar Panel I-V Curves

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Part Analysis;
I used two different analyzes to analyze this system. I did the flow analysis from
ansys as the system will be exposed to sunlight and wind. I showed the pressure
and velocity distributions on the analysis. Then, I determined the points on the
system that are loaded or that will carry the load. There are three different load-
bearing parts in the system. These parts are support part, panel holder and pinion
gear. We need to see the static analysis of these parts from ansys. On the static
analysis, I showed the total deformations and stress distributions at the critical
points. I produced detailed reports and graphs.

Support Part Analysis;

Since the support part on the panel will carry the weight of the panel system to be
placed on it, a force acts on it and static analysis of this part should be done via
ansys. With the static analyzes I made on Ansys, I produced detailed graphs and
numerical data of total deformation, shear stress and elastic strain distributions.

Support Part Mesh

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 Support Part Geometry

Support Part Geometry Properties

Analysis Options

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Support Part Total Deformation

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Support Part Elastic Strain

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Support Part Maximum Shear Stress

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 Support Part Analysis Results

Support Part Steel Analysis Result

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Pinion Gear Analysis;

Since the pinion gear connected to the motor box will also carry force on it, I have
extracted the static analysis from ansys. We can see the distribution of total
deformations, maximum shear elastic stresses and strain energies on the shape.

Pinion Gear Mesh

Pinion Gear Geometry Properties

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 Analysis Options

Pinion Gear Loads

Pinion Gear Force Graphics

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 Pinion Gear Total Deformation

Pinion Gear Maximum Shear Elastic Strain

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Pinion Gear Strain Energy

Pinion Gear Analysis Result

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Pinion Gear Steel Analysis Result

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Solar Panel Analysis;

Since the solar panel will be directly exposed to heat, I made thermal analysis on
the panel. In this way, we can see the temperature distribution in the solar panel.

Solar Panel Thermal Analysis

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 PART 3

DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Discussion;

In this designed project, considering the most effective use of solar energy, the
system that can follow the sun in the east-west direction has been implemented.
The main purpose of the project is; to have a technical idea about the operation of
the system. In addition, it is desired to increase awareness about the subject in
general. Today, energy needs can be obtained by various methods, in return for
certain fees. Thanks to such renewable energy sources, it is possible to obtain
unlimited energy without paying any fee. One of the biggest disadvantages of
these systems is the high initial installation cost. However, if the places to be
installed are determined well, this cost can be removed within the first 1-2 years,
and these systems, which do not require maintenance for a long time and have a
very low probability of failure, can be a good alternative in obtaining energy
today. Some of the biggest factors in choosing this project are its advantages such
as difficult failure of the system, easy maintenance and having an average life of
at least 20-25 years. The world is rapidly turning to renewable energy sources. As
a country, I think we should delay more in tending to these resources. Our country
cannot be in the top 10 in the world and its total installed power in solar energy is
approximately 54 MW. However, this figure is expected to increase in the coming
years. In addition, it was announced by the Ministry of Energy that the work was
started for the project, which is expected to be the largest facility in the world with
a size of 3 GW in Konya. Considering the foreign dependency of our country in
energy, I believe that there should be more such projects.

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Conclusions And Recommendations;

It has been proven that the solar tracking system is 35% efficient compared to the
fixed system in terms of energy production and performance. Although the
applied system is experimental, the efficiency in energy production will be similar
when applied to a real-size system. However, when the system costs are
compared, it has been determined that the solar tracking system has an installation
cost of 15% more than the fixed system.

The sun does not follow the same orbit every day of the year. The trajectory drawn
by the sun according to the seasons is closer to the ground on the horizontal axis
in winter and autumn, a little more perpendicular in spring, and almost parallel to
the horizontal in summer. The application, which is defined as a fixed system, has
to be moved according to the position of the sun at certain times of the year. Even
such a situation makes the system unstable. If the stationary system is not moved
throughout the year, its efficiency will decrease even more.

Two types of motors are used in electrical and mechanical applications in solar
tracking systems; the first of these is a stepper motor and the other is a servo
motor. The application with a stepper motor is easier and simpler to control than
the one with a servo motor. However, since stepper motors are not available in
large powers, they are made up to a certain size. Thus, the system will be easier
to move, less load will be applied to the motor with the gears and brake
mechanisms to be used.

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 REFERENCES

Kaygusuz K., Sarı A. “Renewable Energy Potential and Utilization in Turkey”,

Energy Conversion and Management, 2003

Kaya D. “Renewable Energy Policies in Turkey”, Renewable and Sustainable

Energy Reviews, 2006

J., Heckenberg G., Kleinkauf W., Raptis F. “Power Management for The
Compound Operation of Diesel Generator Sets with Wind Energy and
Photovoltaic Plants”, European Wind Energy Conference (EWEC), 7-9 Oct 1986.

Sözen A., Arcaklioğlu E., Özalp m., Kanit E.G. “Solar- Energy Potential in
Turkey”, Applied Energy, 2005

Evrendilek F., Ertekin C. “Assessing The Potential of Renewable Energy Sources

in Turkey“, Renewable Energy, 2003

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