Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Sun tracking solar panel |
Bryce Smith Leonardo Larios Soumitri Vadali |
Yuchen He TA | final_paper0.pdf photo0.jpg presentation0.pptx proposal0.pdf video0.mp4 video0.mp4 |
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| We propose to build a solar panel that tracks the movement of the sun to ensure that it receives maximal possible energy at any given time of the day. This project will eventually be integrated with the solar powered street lamp project, where our solar panel will provide the energy source for the street lamp. The motivation is to maximize the amount of energy received from the Sun throughout the day for battery storage, which will power the street light. There are two main technical aspects to this project: 1. The maneuvering of the panel according to the position of the Sun 2. The reset of position at sunset/cloudy days so that the lamp is ready to receive light the following morning The maneuvering or tracking mechanism will move on 2 rotational axes to fully track ranges of latitudes and longitudes. We considered using 8 photo resistors, 2 placed in each quadrant of the solar panel. These photo resistors would be placed 45 degrees relative to each other. The system would adjust to make the two readings from photo resistors in a pair equal to each other. This would mean you are pointed at the sun (or the brightest point in the sky on a cloudy day). We also would consider using a Sun Sensor, which could provide information about the sun angle with respect to the sensor or if the sensor has the sun in view. This would depend on which Sun Sensor we decide to buy. Mechanically, we plan to use a small motor with a high gear ratio to maneuver the panel as suggested by Professor Kevin Colravy. For the reset mechanism, we plan to use a minimum threshold voltage below which the panel would reset to a 12 noon position and not move, as movement to the position of most light at this point would not be an efficient use of its battery charge. Thus, once at a noon position, the panel is in a good position to detect light from all sides again. This mechanism will surely be used for sunset, but for cloudy days, we could find alternatives to ensure that we still can sense the sun. Professor Reinhard and Bryce talked to Kevin Colravy today about using IR sensors to track the sun behind the clouds on a cloudy day. A possible issue was that light from the street lamp would artificially affect the solar panel’s effectiveness. As of today, the plan is to mount the panel and sensors above the street lamp thus, the light from the street lamp affecting the solar panel is not a probability. However, to account for that possibility anyway, we could have the control circuit that turns the light on (assuming the sun is set), reset the panel to face the sunrise and turn off the control to turn the panel. In terms of design, we plan to make this a unit that is steady, stable, and mountable on metal pole-like surfaces. We will build and attach a clear protective layer on top of the solar panel that will protect from snow, hail and rain. The surface will be semi circular in shape so snow can not collect on top of the surface. |
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