Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658

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Energy Reports
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/egyr

Research paper

Design of a nature-inspired sun-tracking device in context of rural India

Amrita Bhattacharjee *, Saad Ahmed Shaikh
PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The efficiency of the photovoltaic system is traditionally being increased with the help of solar concentrators.
Nature-inspired The concentrators based on biomimetic structures of various flowers have proven to be effective in increasing
Heliotropism performance efficiency. The present study proposes the design of a nature-inspired, novel and passive, single-axis
Sun-tracking
solar tracker that operates on the principle of variable coefficients of thermal expansions of different metals in a
Rural context
Bimetallic
bimetallic plate. The proposition mimics the heliotropism mechanism of Sunflowers to achieve acceptable re­
sults. It involves the use of a solar PV panel mounted on a gear assembly, connected to a bimetallic plate via
connecting linkage and a concave mirror to reflect the incident sun rays on the plates during the day. The
resultant deflection in the plates rotates the mounted solar PV panel to follow the sun throughout its diurnal
course. There were certain conditions that were determined mathematically to ensure correct working of the
proposed design. CAD modelling was adopted to better study the functioning of the envisioned contraption as a
whole. The proposed design is easy to construct; thereby making it an efficient, promising and economical
alternative to other passive and fixed ones.

1. Introduction
The human civilisation is going through energy crisis. The depen­
dence on fossil fuels has created depletion of conventional energy re­
sources while making detrimental effects on the planet earth. The
scarcity of electricity in rural villages of India, is still a concerning issue.
Most of the people residing in rural areas continue to rely largely on
traditional biomass fuels to meet their household energy needs
(Khandker et al., 2014). Due to the lack of power grids, there is no in­
door as well as outdoor lighting available at night. The absence of out­
door lighting at night increases the risk of road accidents, vulnerability
of women and demotes the standard of living for residents of villages.
Solar energy is a widely abundant and clean source of energy (Anshul
et al., 2020) that can be utilized as heat or electricity on a domestic,
commercial or industrial scale. One way to accomplish this is by means
of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Factors such as irradiation, tempera­
ture, orientation and tilt angle of the solar panels/collectors have a
major role to play in the amount of incident light, efficiency as well as
power generation from the panels (Abdeen et al., 2017; El-Sebaii et al.,
2010; Demain et al., 2013). In order to have a continuous supply of solar
energy, it is therefore imperative to optimize the tilt angle of the solar
panels based on their respective geographic locations to ensure
maximum incident radiation on them for a particular period during the
day (Hafez, 2017). The position of these panels with their surface
perpendicular to solar radiation has been corroborated to be an optimal
and efficient one (Kumar and Bajpai, 2011; Fadil et al., 2013). As a
general practice, the solar PV panels are installed facing the equator
with an orientation towards either the South or North, depending on the
hemispheres that they are installed in. The position of the sun is not fixed
and changes throughout the day-weekly and yearly. For this purpose, a
solar tracker serves as an effective tool. Solar trackers aid in harvesting
solar energy and work in autonomy in the outdoors with least supervi­
sion and their reliability over time is paramount (Abas et al., 2014).
Majority of the present-day solar panels are used in a fixed position,
either mounted on a rooftop or fixed on the ground (Afarulrazi et al.,
2011). Earlier studies have validated the advantage of mobile tracking
devices over stationary ones (Abas et al., 2014; Yazidi et al., 2006;
Osman and Elagib, 2013). For instance, a study on the principles of
sun-tracking methods in relation to the power output (Mousazadeh
et al., 2009), emphasized on comparative evaluation of different
possible tracker designs and arrangements with respect to fixed mech­
anisms. The results from this have validated that incorporating freedom
of movement to the stationary solar panels by aligning them with sun
trackers can increase their power output by thirty to forty percent (Pavel
et al., 2004). Another study on the dual-axis trackers (Jamroen et al.,
2020) generated comparative results with the fixed flat-plate system. In

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: bhattacharjee.amrita1@gmail.com (A. Bhattacharjee).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.11.026
Received 14 June 2023; Received in revised form 8 November 2023; Accepted 9 November 2023
Available online 18 November 2023
2352-4847/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh
this study, an automatic dual-axis tracking system was designed to
accurately adjust the solar PV module along the primary and secondary
axes to follow the sun-path employing digital logic design of LDRs.
Although the findings of the study attested better performance of
dual-axis trackers over both fixed and single-axis tracker, however, LDR
limits its performance in low-visibility conditions. To overcome such
issues, a UV sensor-based dual axis solar tracking system was designed
(Jamroen et al., 2021). The study demonstrated that UV sensor-based
tracking system increases energy generation compared to the LDR
based solar tracking system. The study has also shown that the cost
effectiveness of UV sensor-based tracking systems over the LDR-based
tracking system. However, as mentioned by the researchers, the eco­
nomic feasibility of the system can be ensured by minimizing the
operational energy consumed by the configuration of tracking compo­
nents and tracking strategy. A considerable drawback of these
sensor-based systems is their use of electronic sensors,
electro-mechanical actuators and the involvement of complex pro­
gramming, all of which compels energy consumption all through the
day-at times from the same apparatus (Pozna and Alexandru, 2010). In
addition to the inconvenience due to complexity, the determinants of
orientation, mounting platforms, weight, online data on external devices
too need to be considered (Jamroen et al., 2020; Poulek and Libra,
2000). These aspects coupled with the difficulty of installation for the
everyday consumer make the use of solar trackers a less viable option.
A solar tracker that operates on the principles of elementary science
and engineering, sans the use of complex processes and programming,
can be built with ease, marketed in the industry (Mousazadeh et al.,
2009; Agee et al., 2007) and made accessible to all thereby promoting
the use of solar energy. Hereof, solar tracking devices devoid of any
sensors or actuators have already been devised. A passive sun-tracking
device by Zomeworks Ltd ("Zomeworks Corporation: Passive Solar En­
ergy products, " Passive Solar Energy products, 1969). uses pressurized
liquid/refrigerant filled cylindrical tubes. These are shaded with suit­
ably placed shades that get heated by the sun. The resultant evaporation
from one tube and the subsequent transfer to the other, is what causes
mass imbalance. This phenomenon is used to move the solar panel
throughout the day. A major drawback of this is that on the following
day, the solar PV panel initiates pointing in the wrong direction,
oblivious of the sun as it attempts to reposition itself. The use of pres­
surized liquid/refrigerant in the tubes requires meticulous attention.
Another study on sensorless dual-axis solar tracking system has used
particle filter (PF) with aid of a robust sampling-based tracking algo­
rithm (Pirayawaraporn et al., 2023). The experimental results of the
study testified the improvement in energy generation performance in
comparison to the fixed flat-plate system. However, the operational
energy consumed by PF re-sampling reduces the energy generation gain
of the system. Also, the algorithm-based tracking system limits its
applicability in rural places where the scarcity of power is a major
concern.
Limitless inspirations for the development and optimisations of
various technologies can be found in nature. In recent times, several
nature-inspired models have been suggested and designed that appear as
real as insects, plants and flowers etc. A distinct research on the wings of
Troides aeacus (Zhao et al., 2011) and Papilio Paris butterfly, indicates
their quasi honeycomb-like structure (QHS). The presence of spatial
microstructures in these honeycomb-like patterns lead to scattering of
light in an effective manner as a result of its populous and intricate
structure, thereby increasing light absorption efficiency (Zhang et al.,
2009). However, a suitable fabrication method to optimize the thickness
and enhanced light harvesting properties of the QHS remains to be
developed. Following a bio-inspired approach for the design of solar
collectors (Gilles et al., 2020) it was presented that the concept of a
three-dimensional Solar Thermal Tree (STT) can be installed in the
outdoors to better collect solar radiation from all directions. The
conceived model was a symmetric structure comprising a trunk and
three levels of branches having a fixed number, where each branch
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Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658
corresponds to a tubular solar collector and can be glazed, unglazed etc.
The outcome though a promising prospect, is notably complex to sustain
due to the nature of the components and calculations involved. In
conjunction with inspiration from insects and other bio-inspired mech­
anisms, certain plants and flowers too exhibit traits relevant to solar PV
cells that add to light absorption efficiency. Certain diurnal and
nocturnal flowers have either parabolic or hyperbolic shape that assists
them in efficiently optimizing the angle of irradiance around the noon
and far from noon respectively. A novel solution that incorporates
switching between both these shapes is discussed (Farhang and Ni,
2018). Using principles of smart materials, smart origami and fourth
dimensional printing, a solar concentrator that can reversibly
shape-shift between parabolic and hyperbolic shapes depending on the
time of day and angle of irradiance is proposed. The design does not rely
on any external sensors or actuators, rather on smart responsive mate­
rials and their form. Nonetheless, factors such as cost efficiency of the
entire process and the fact that fourth dimensionally printed structures
are prone to degradation (Farhang et al., 2016) after some cycles, is a
major concern.
To improve the efficiency of PV panel, researchers have taken
inspiration from photosynthetic organisms like plants and some bacteria
(Soudia et al., 2020). The effective utilization of structural design and
physical principles of biotic methodologies can increase the power
output of PV panels. To maximize the power output of a PV panel,
Sunflower based heliotropism has been designed by earlier researchers
(Sharma and Purohit, 2014). In this design, the panel is held up by a
specialized joint which is a combination of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers
and Carbon Nanotube. A mirror reflects light to the joint that shrinks
when heated and expands when cooled, thereby tracking the relative
motion of the Sun in the sky. Although the efficiency of the panel can be
increased using this tracking mechanism, but overall cost of the system
increases which is difficult to afford in rural context. Therefore, as
suggested by earlier researchers, a radically simpler and less expensive
solution (Schuetz, . et al., 2012) is needed for successful implementation
of solar tracking system that will help to mitigate energy crisis of tar­
geted rural populace. The objectives of the present study are as follows.
• To design a radically simple sun-tracker that can be implemented in
rural context.
• To test the proposed design with the help of rudimentary mathe­
matics and engineering.
To fulfil these objectives, a novel single-axis tracker has been
designed by taking inspiration from nature. The methodology for design
and development of proposed tracker is discussed in the next section.
2. Methodology
The fittest form of living organisms has been selected through nat­
ural selection for survival purpose. Therefore, it is reasonable to take
inspiration from natural forms to solve engineering problems (Martín-­
Palma and Lakhtakia, 2017). Similar to the sunflowers, that are sensitive
to sunlight and exhibit the property of heliotropism (Dinesh Kumar and
Ghanshyam, 2014), there are certain metals in nature possessing varying
thermal coefficients and react to light and radiant heat from the sun in
differing manners. These metals can be used in the form of a bimetallic
strip/plate. A bimetallic plate in this case is used to transform the
temperature changes into linear mechanical displacement that drives
the solar PV panel, pointing along the trajectory of the sun throughout
the day. It is made by fusing two metal plates of different materials
bearing different expansion coefficients, respectively. The greater the
difference between the coefficients of expansion, the greater is the
deflection of the assemblage. The plate bends in one direction when
heated with focused solar radiation and return to its original form when
cooled by the absence of the same radiation. This property of the
bimetallic plate can be employed to plan a device that works as a
A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh
Fig. 2. a: Sun-Tracker initial state. b: Sun-Tracker working.
solar-tracker. It can be built and tested under varied seasonal conditions
as discussed below.
2.1. Design considerations
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed design it is
deemed suitable to consider the atmospheric conditions of Central India.
Located in the northern hemisphere at 23◦ N and 72–85◦ E latitude and
longitude respectively, the place has a subtropical climate with average
temperature fluctuations from 11 ◦ C in winter to 42 ◦ C during summer.
The average annual solar radiation received is 5.27kWh/m2 (Ashish
et al., 2014; Jamil et al., 2016). These factors, especially the difference
in average daily temperature, can be used to drive the proposed
sun-tracking system by employing simple and inexpensive technologies.
For the purpose of this study, the maximum and minimum solar altitude
angles will be considered based on two days, i.e. summer and winter
solstice. A comprehensive advancement in this direction is elaborated in
the further paragraphs.
2.2. Proposed approach
The purpose of this research is to develop a novel device for solar-
tracking based on the property of thermal expansion of metals on
application of heat. The design is conceptualised in the form of a single-
axis passive solar tracker that allows the solar panel apparatus to follow
the sun path during the day, by shifting the angle of inclination while
employing a combination of i) Parabolic/ Concave mirror ii) Geared
Assembly connected to a bi-metallic plate by means of a iii) Connecting
linkage. The technical constraints that need to be realised in order to
bring this contrivance to certainty, are illustrated onwards.
2.2.1. Technological proposition and working
The intended design of the sun-tracker accommodates a solar PV
panel mounted on a gear assembly. This assembly comprises of a driver
(gear-a) and a driven gear (gear-b) in the ratio 1:3, free to rotate along
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Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658
their axes respectively. An arrangement of longitudinal bimetallic plates
made up of Aluminium (Al) (coefficient of thermal expansion α: 24
×10− 6 1/◦ C) on the obverse and Iron (Fe) (coefficient of thermal
expansion α: 9 ×10− 6 1/◦ C) on the reverse, having thicknesses of 10 mm
each and a height of 1200 mm, is to be installed with a fixed base. This
arrangement undergoes a deflection at the free end, due to differences in
coefficient of thermal expansion when a concentrated beam of solar
radiation is focused on them and is indicated in Eq.1.
t
r= (1)
(α1 − α2)ΔT
Where,
r = radius of curvature of the bimetallic plate.
t = thickness of the plates.
α1 = coefficient of thermal expansion of Al: 24 × 10− 6 1/◦ C.
α2 = coefficient of thermal expansion of Fe: 9 × 10− 6 1/◦ C.
ΔT = temperature difference of bimetallic plate between final and
initial states.
A concave mirror/reflector fastened at the base of the entire frame­
work, is to be positioned in a way that the plates lie within the focus of
the mirror as. Lastly a connecting linkage is to be used to connect gear-a
(at the tangential axis) and the part that will undergo maximum
deflection for the bimetallic plates (Fig. 2a). A special consideration
should be sought for while choosing the material of these plates, as
materials with high yield stress will permit greater deflections without
permanent deformation. A flowchart elaborating the entire process is
illustrated in Fig. 1.
At sun dawn, the solar PV panel rests facing the west. As the sun
moves along its path throughout the day, the sunlight is concentrated
onto the arrangement of bimetallic plates by means of the mirror. This
leads to heating of the plates. Aluminium bends more than iron due to its
higher coefficient of thermal expansion.
The resultant deflection in them-away from the gear assembly is
dependent on the temperature difference. This deflection works as a
factor of imbalance and is transferred in the form of linear displacement
A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658

Fig. 3. Deflection in Bimetallic Plates.

to the connecting linkage. Subsequently the linkage will set the gear-a in
motion by rotating it along the central axis. This rotation is translated to
the gear-b and synchronously to the mounted solar PV panel that rotates
mimicking heliotropes in nature (Fig. 2b). The linear displacement
occurring due changes brought about by Eq.1 is shown in Fig. 3 and
given by Eq.2-eq.4.
With reference to the Fig. 3,
β
δ= × 2π r
360
Also,
l
δ=
2
Therefore
90l
β= (2)
πr
Where,
r = radius of curvature of the bimetallic plate (mm).
δ = length of arc of the deflection (radians).
l = length of the bimetallic plate (mm).
β = angle between the radii i.e. between point R and Q (radians).
Now in right angled triangle PQR, to get the value of d, the value of
hypotenuse QR needs to be determined. QR is 2×c and c can be estab­
lished by
β
c = r × sin (3)
2
From Eq.3, in right angled triangle PQR, solving for d
β d
sin =
2 2c
Fig. 1. Sun-Tracker working flowchart.
Therefore,
45l
d = 2rsin2 (4)
πr

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A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658

Now substituting the value of F from Eq.4b.

3EId
τ= (4c)
l2

Fig. 4. Bimetallic strip similar as a cantilever beam.
Where,
l = length of the bimetallic plate (mm).
E = Young’s Modulus (N/m2).
I= Moment of Inertia of the bimetallic plate (kg.m2).
Τ= Torque required to turn the gear (N-m).
The linear displacement d obtained from Eq.4 is conveyed to the gear
assembly by means of a connecting linkage which then rotates of the
mounted solar PV panel around its central axis to traverse the sun-
trajectory during the day as shown in Fig. 5 and given by Eq.5.
A = Rθ (5)

Where,
A =arc length or path traversed by the solar PV panel in accordance
with sun path (mm).
R =radius of the pivot or central axis of gear-b (mm).
θ= central angle or the angle of inclination of the solar PV panel in
radians.
For the proposed design to work, the displacement d, caused due to
deflection in bimetallic plates should be equal to the length of arc A as
indicated in Eq.6.
A=d (6)
When the sun starts to approach the zenith and once it has crossed
over towards dusk, it exits the bounds of the concave mirror. In such an
event the insolation is no longer incident on the bimetallic plates. Due to
this, the temperature of the metals in them decreases towards the
ambient temperature. This decrease due to thermal contraction can be
used to produce a torque that will gradually return the plates and the
mounted solar PV panel to their initial westward positions respectively.
This is illustrated in Fig. 6 through a sun path representation for the
July-August 2023 period.
Fig. 5. Path travelled by mounted PV panel.
To understand the practical implication of the designed solar tracker,
the deflection of the bimetallic plate and subsequent rotation of solar
Where, panel has been calculated as shown in Table 1.
c = length of secant from point R to Q (mm). Although by means of precursory calculations, the suggested system
d = displacement from point P to Q (mm). is hypothesized to function impeccably, it is still capable of improve­
Now this displacement d is a result of the force F that is generated ments as discussed in the next section.
when the plate bends on getting heated. It can be mathematically
expressed by treating the arrangement of the vertical bimetallic strip 3. Discussion
similar to a cantilever beam as shown in Fig. 4.
For a cantilever beam, d is given by A study was done to design a nature-inspired sun-tracking device in
context of rural India. For optimization of design, the Sunflower’s he­
Fl 3 liotropism mechanism was mimicked using bimetallic plates. In contrary
d= (4a)
3EI to the previous designs (Jamroen et al., 2020; Poulek and Libra, 2000)
proposed by earlier researchers, the tracker designed and presented in
Where,
this study devoid of any electro-mechanical sensors or actuators and
F = Force due to bending (N).
requires no programming or need of an external data-collection com­
l = length of the bimetallic plate (mm).
puter. In addition, it does not need to draw power from any external
E = Young’s Modulus (N/m2).
source, nor does it require to share the energy that it harvests, in order to
I= Moment of Inertia of the bimetallic plate (kg.m2).
function. The concept relies on the principles of elementary physics and
Therefore,
basic engineering and can be replicated with ease and marketed in the
From eq.4a,
industry by making it accessible to all. Unlike other passive sun-trackers
3EId ("Zomeworks Corporation: Passive Solar Energy products, " Passive Solar
F= (4b)
l3 Energy products, 1969), this design does not rely on the use of re­
The force generated by this bending produces a Torque τ that is frigerants that demand constant maintenance of the system. Lastly, the
required to turn the gear for the solar PV panel to move at its axis. use of expensive materials that are prone to swift degradation (Farhang
et al., 2016) or technology (Gilles et al., 2020) has been eliminated. This
τ = Flsinθ is corroborated by the fact that the estimated cost of the planned
Since θ is 90 degrees, rewriting the above equation, sun-tracker is about INR 7500 (lump-sum) excluding-installation, labor
and maintenance costs, in contrast to the entry-level active single-axis
τ = Fl solar tracker that costs about INR 10,000 ("""Oorjan Technology, ",

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A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658

Fig. 6. Trajectory of the sun’s movement at specified coordinates in Central India during the months of July-August 2023.

Table 1
Calculation of angle of inclination of the solar PV panel based on Solar Radiance in Central India.
Season Time Solar Heat Temperature Radius of curvature of Linear displacement of Angle of Angle of inclination of
Radiance (P) generation (Q) Difference (ΔT) in the bimetallic plate (r) bimetallic plate (d)in rotation for the solar PV panel (gear-
in W/m2 in joule ◦
C in mm (Eq. 1) mm (Eq. 4) gear-b b:gear-a =1:3)
Q = P× t Q (Eq.6)
ΔT =
m×c

Summer 08:00 535 3852000 385.2 3461 52 4.5◦ 14.8◦

12:00 985 21276000 2127.6 627 270 25.7◦ 77.4◦
15:00 724 23457600 2345.8 568 292 27.5◦ 83.6◦
Winter 08:00 421 3031200 303.1 4400 40.7 3.8◦ 11◦
12:00 745 16092000 1609.2 820 54.3 5.1◦ 15.4◦
15:00 385 12474000 1247.4 1068 163 15.4◦ 46◦

For calculation of values following assumptions have been made:

Mass of bimetallic plate (m)= 20000 g
Specific heat (c)= 0.502 J/g-◦ C
Time duration (t) has been calculated from 6am.

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A. Bhattacharjee and S.A. Shaikh
Fig. 7. Intercepting Guideway and Declination Limiting Mechanism.
2018). Thus, it is expected that the proposed design will be a viable
alternative to the costly sensor-based and complex algorithm-based
solar trackers. Subsequently, it will increase the practical implementa­
tion of the solar tracker in rural areas while fulfilling the objectives of
the present study.
The proposed design was tested by means of low-fidelity prototyping
for minimum and maximum altitude angles throughout the day during
summer and winter solstices respectively. It was found that the angle of
inclination θ of the solar PV panel should not exceed 165◦ . This is the
maximum angle during a summer solstice for the intended region based
on the geographical data presented in the introductory study. An incli­
nation past this limit without any system to restrict it, would cause the
moving mechanism of the panel to become inoperable, due to the
gravitational nature of the induced forces and their tendency to work in
vertical direction. To resolve this, some kind of intercepting mechanism
that restricts angular motion of driver gear beyond the requisite limit is
suggested as shown in Fig. 7.
Also, optimum heating of the bimetallic plate only at a particular
length is prescribed. To achieve this, the required length of the material
with higher coefficient of expansion can be painted black. In case of
varying seasonal angles of the sun, the proposed design serves for
manual operation of the tracker. This is done by the provision of a
declination-limiting lever (Fig. 7), operated using a locking pin. The
central axis of the solar PV panel can thus be inclined manually, at
multiple tilt angles based on the solar altitude throughout the year.
Avoidance of complex design and reduction of manufacturing cost will
certainly increase the practical usability of the proposed sun tracking
systems that in turn, will contribute to combat with the energy crisis
issue globally.
The proposed design of a nature-inspired sun-tracker is of a single-
axis passive tracker. Although it expands the wide spectrum applica­
bility of the proposed design, however, a dual-axis solar tracker will aid
to increase the efficiency of the system. To achieve this, enhancements
to the proposed design can be incorporated after careful research and
experimentation. Essentially, use of a concave reflector is recom­
mended, however appropriate calculations and choice of materials for
the same are yet to be explored. The present proposal does not take into
account factors such as wind load and overcast sky. This leaves a scope
for interventions to overcome them and merits further research.
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Energy Reports 10 (2023) 4651–4658
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Amrita Bhattacharjee conceived and designed the study and wrote
the manuscript. Saad Ahmed Shaikh developed the protype, analysed
the results and wrote the manuscript.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Data Availability
Data will be made available on request.
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