SOLAR TRACKING CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLAR PANEL- AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

The solar tracking system keeps a solar collector with its responsive surface normal to the solar rays. It consists of a shaft supported for rotation approximately an axis parallel to the north-south axis of the earth, a stepper motor for intermittent rotation of the shaft at an average rate equal to rate of rotation of the earth. A solar collector securing assembly is placed on one side of the shaft and consists of a bracket, collars securing the bracket to the shaft, a guide for fixing a solar collector pivoted to the bracket about a pivotal axis transverse to the shaft to differ the inclination of the support relative to the shaft and remains among the support and the bracket to hold the support at an adjusted inclination. A counter balancing system includes an arm secured to the shaft and extending regular thereto and far from the assembly and a weight adjustably installed on the shaft. This system counter balances the assembly and a solar collector fixed thereto no matter the rotational position of the assembly about the shaft and the inclination of the support relative to the shaft. Preferably, solar collectors are installed on the shaft, one being an array of solar cells feeding a battery which in turn feeds a stepper motor driving the shaft through a step down gear box. The sun shadow of a pointer normal to the solar collector panel serves to correctly align the panel. Alternately, the current generated through the solar cells is measured and its maximum shows that the solar panel is well aligned with the solar.