OPTIMIZATION OF ELECTRICAL SOLAR TR.\CKING SYSTEMS

Abstract

Solar energy, as a renewable and clean type of energy source, has good potential in many practical applications, specially in electric power generation through photovoltaic systems.

In all solar energy applications, the output from the system increases with the amount of solar radiation received by the system surface. TI1e solar radiation received by the solar system varies with the angle of sun rays make with the plane of the system. By keeping the stm rays normal to the plane of the system, the output from the system is maximized. TI1e solar tracking system can follow the sun and keeps the solar radiation comes nonnal to the plane ofthe solar system.

Practical studies are carried out for different solar tracking systems in WidderstalL rmany (test field for Institute of Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, Stuttgart, Germany). The layout of these systems are; vertical-axis tracking system. tilted-axis tracking sy :tem with a V-trough concentrator has a soft concentration ratio, c=2, two-axis tracking system, and fixed tilt system as reference system. All the tracking systems are microprocessor controlled with a SOLARTRA.K controller ior the one­ axis trackers and a HELIOMA.N module as the two-axis tracker. The systems use solar photovoltaic arrays for electrical energy production.