• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.557-562
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• 2014

It is well known that solar tracking systems can increase the efficiency of exiting solar panels significantly. In this paper, a hybrid solar tracking system has been developed by using both astronomical estimates from a GPS and the image processing results of a camera vision system. A decision making process is also proposed to distinguish current weather conditions using camera images. Based on the decision making results, the proposed hybrid tracking system switches two tracking control methods. The one control method is based on astronomical estimates of the current solar position. And the other control method is based on the solar image processing result. The developed hybrid solar tracking system is implemented on an experimental platform and the performance of the developed control methods are verified.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.388-396
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• 2011

Sun tracking system is the most important subsystem in parabolic dish type solar thermal power plant, since it determines the amount of thermal energy to be collected, thus affects the efficiency of solar thermal power plant most significantly. Various types of sun tracking systems are currently used. Among them, use of photo sensors to located the sun(which is called sensor type) and use of astronomical algorithm to compute the sun position(which is called program type) are two of the mostly used methods. Recently some uses CCD sensor, like CCD camera, which is called image processing type sun tracking system. This work is concerned with the analysis of sun tracking performance of various types of sun tracking systems currently used in the parabolic dish type solar thermal power plant. We first developed a sun tracking error measurement system. Then, we evaluate the performance of five different types of sun tracking systems, sensor type, program type, hybrid type(use of sensor and computed sun position simultaneously), tracking error compensated program type and image processing type. Experimentally obtained data shows that the tracking error compensated program type sun tracking system is very effective and could provide a good sun tracking performance. Also the data obtained shows that the performance of sensor type sun tracking system is being affected by the cloud significantly, while the performance of a program type sun tracking system is being affected by the sun tracking system's mechanical and installation errors very much. Finally image processing type sun tracking system can provide accurate sun tracking performance, but costs more and requires more computational time.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2014

In this paper, the solar cell need the characteristic interpreting because the solar cell changes greatly according to the isolation, temperature and load in the photovoltaic development. Moreover, to get many energy in photovoltaic development need the position tracking of the sun according to the environment change and it is necessary to control the output of solar cells up to the time. Simulation and composed microprocessor and sensor chip an power conversion system with boost converter to experiment results are performed to prove the analysis of the converter operation, and to show the possibility of energy harvesting and photovoltaic development need the position tracking small capacitance, the boost rate of boost converter was similar to 167 percent.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.994-1002
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• 2008

In this paper a novel tracking system is described, regarding the influence of shadow between array, aimed at improving the efficiency of PV tracking system. Comparing with a building site versus capacity power, domestic solar powers have a limited siting. Therefore, each array interferes with the shadow of other arrays. The loss by influence of those shadow can be compensated for by means of control algorithm of the tracking device. The paper suggests a method controlling an altitude for length which is received the shadow influence of PV array. By using an azimuth of current solar position and the length between arrays, the controller of tracking device is able to calculate the length between actual arrays and make a comparison of the shadow length at a specific time with the length between arrays. When the shadow length is longer than the length between arrays, the controller of tracking device can adjust a position by compensating error altitude of the length between arrays at an altitude of current solar position. In the paper, we develop the control algorithm able to minimize the loss caused by the influence of shadow on the PV tracking system, and compared this with conventional output system. The controller has been tested in the laboratory with proposed algorithm and shows excellent performance.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.1310-1317
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• 2014

In our daily life, the need of energy increases day by day. However, the amount of natural resources on the earth is limited and thus gaining renewable energy as an energy resource is one of the important and urgent problems. Solar energy is one of the most popular available energy sources that can be converted into electricity by using solar panels. In order for solar panels to produce maximal output power, the incident angle of the sunlight needs to be persistently perpendicular to the solar panel. By the way, most of the solar panels are installed at fixed position and direction. Therefore, as the sun's position changes, it is impossible to produce maximal output power inevitably. To improve this problem, in this paper, a sun tracking system using two degree-of-freedom (DOF) active sensor array is proposed so that the solar panel may always direct sunlight perpendicularly. And also a series of software, such as a search mode and a holding mode, which can control the developed sun tracking system is developed. Several experiments using the implemented sun tracking system are executed and the effectiveness of the system is verified from the experimental results.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2006.10c
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• pp.330-332
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• 2006

In this paper, sun tracking system using Sun position sensor is proposed, the sun tracking system designed as which raises the efficiency of solar power generation. It design the structure being simple and it develops the system which is economical efficiency. It develops the hazard technique such as location tracking method of the sun which uses the sensor and to use the motor solar cell module movement. The Sun tracking system makes the drive in order to do with one axis and to use the sensor and to know in order to put out, the location of the sun and it makes. To make the solar location tracking sensor where the structure is simple it used two solar cells.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.2951-2957
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• 2010

In solar industry the development of tracking PV power generation devices progresses favorably because of its efficiency, comparing with fixed PV power generation devices. Tracking PV power generation device are not only preserving the amount of solar radiation per unit area but also maximizing the efficiency of solar battery. Therefore accurate and low-priced solar position tracking devices are very important to improve the economical efficiency and lower invest price. This research is concerned with solar position algorithm with uncertainties equal to 1 minute($0.016^{\circ}$) using the mathmatics and astronomg. Proposed algorithm in this paper, lowers the implementation price and improves power generation efficiency. In view of the result so far achieved, maximum error has 30 secend($0.008^{\circ}$). And the solar cell generating system applied by this algorithm showed the gain of the fixed type contrast average 23W(about 18%).

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.135-141
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• 2008

In this paper a novel tracking system is described, regarding the influence of shadow between array, aimed at improving the efficiency of PV tracking system. Comparing with a building site versus capacity power, domestic solar powers have a limited siting. Therefore, each array interferes with the shadow of other arrays. The loss by influence of those shadow can be compensated for by means of control algorithm of the tracking device. The paper suggests a method controlling an altitude for length which is received the shadow influence of PV array. By using an azimuth of current solar position and the length between arrays, the controller of tracking device is able to calculate the length between actual arrays and make a comparison of the shadow length at a specific time with the length between arrays. When the shadow length is longer than the length between arrays, the controller of tracking device can adjust a position by compensating error altitude of the length between arrays at an altitude of current solar position. In the paper, we develop the control algorithm able to minimize the loss caused by the influence of shadow on the PV tracking system, and compared this with conventional output system. The controller has been tested in the laboratory with proposed algorithm and shows excellent performance

• Solar Energy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.81-91
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• 1999

The work presented here is a design and development of sun tracking system for the parabolic dish concentrator. Parabolic dish concentrator is mounted on azimuth and elevation tracking mechanism, and controlled to track the sun with computed and measured sun positions. Sun tracking mechanism is composed of 1/30000 speed reducer(3 stages) and 400W AC servomotor for each axis. The nominal tracking speed of each axis is ${\pm}0.6^{\circ}/sec$ and the system has a driving range of $340^{\circ}$ in azimuth and of $135^{\circ}$ in elevation. Sun tracking control system consists of sun sensor, wind speed and direction measurement system, AC servomotor position control system and personal computer as a master controller. Sun sensor detects the sun located within ${\pm}50^{\circ}$ measured from the sun sensor normal direction. Computer computes the sun position, sunrise and sunset times and controls the orientation of parabolic dish concentrator through the AC servomotor position control system. It also makes a decision of whether the system should follow the sun or not based on the information collected from sun sensor and wind speed and direction measurement system. The sun tracking system developed in this work is implemented for the experimental work and shows a good sun tracking performance.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.98-107
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• 2010

This paper introduces step by step procedures for the design, fabrication and operation of a solar tracking system. The system presented in this study consists of motion controllers, motor drives, step-motors, feedback devices and other accessories to support its functional stability. CdS sensors are used to constantly generate feedback signals to the controller, which assures a high-precision solar tracking even under adverse conditions. It enables instant correction if the system goes off track by strong winds causing gear backlash. A parabolic dish concentrator is mounted on the tracking system whose diameter was 30cm. The solar position data, in terms of azimuth and elevation, sunrise and sunset times were compared with those of the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The results presented here clearly demonstrate the high-accuracy of the present system in solar tracking, which are applicable to many existing solar systems.