Session: 05-02: Concentrating Solar Power I -- Heliostats and Trough Receivers

Paper Number: 132061

132061 - A Dual Axis Solar Tracker With a Solar Panel Protection Feature Using a Foldable Panel Housing-Unit 

Abstract: 

To reduce global warming, it is very vital to use cleaner and renewable energy sources instead of non-renewable and expensive fossil fuels.  Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable source of energy that can be used to generate electricity, heat water, and power vehicles. Solar panels are used to convert sunlight into electricity. However, solar panels can be affected by dust, which can reduce their efficiency. The aim of this research is to develop a sensorless dual-axis solar tracker with a solar panel protection feature using a foldable panel housing-unit to mitigate the impact of dust. Developing a sensorless dual axis solar tracker that detects the position of the sun using a global positioning system (GPS) based solar positioning algorithm instead of light sensitive sensors while also implementing a retractable solar panel housing unit that folds open during the day & closes back down at night, like opening/closing a book. This protects the sensors being damaged with areas of shade & light, rendering the tracker ineffective. Additionally, it also addresses maintenance costs & downtime concerns as the retractable housing unit keeps the solar panels clean from dust, reducing the frequency of panel servicing. The solar tracker was modelled in Solidworks and 3D printed using polylactic acid (PLA) material. The solar positioning algorithm (SPA) was programmed to run on an Arduino Mega 2560 using a Neo-6M U-blox GPS sensor along with 2 MG966r (0°~180°) servo motors for rotating the apparatus and 1 SG 90 (0°~180°) servo motor to drive the rack and pinion set setup of the foldable housing unit. The data for this research were collected using a variety of methods, including solar panel efficiency and dust deposition measurements. Data comparative analysis for solar panel efficiency were conducted considering voltage, current and power output for clean and dusty solar panels. The results of the research showed that the solar panels protected from dust by the foldable housing unit yielded an average efficiency increase of around 6.4% when compared to the panels exposed to night-time dust conditions. Additionally, the solar tracking solar panels yielded an average efficiency boost of approximately 24.27% when compared to static solar panels. The findings of this research contribute to the development of more efficient and reliable solar trackers. The use of a foldable housing unit to protect solar panels from dust is a novel approach that has the potential to significantly improve the performance of solar panels in dusty environments.

Presenting Author: Meseret Reshid Universiti Kuala Lumpur

Presenting Author Biography: Currently, Dr. Meseret Nair Reshid is a senior lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering department at Universiti Kuala Lumpur -Malaysia France Institute. He has more than ten years of teaching and research experience.  His research focuses on Reliability, Heat exchangers and renewable energy.  He is a chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechhE), United Kingdom.

Authors:

Meseret Reshid Universiti Kuala Lumpur
Shahbaz Tariq Universiti Kuala Lumpur
Wan Mansor Wan Muhamad Universiti Kuala Lumpur
Muhammad Nur Farhan Saniman Universiti Kuala Lumpur