Backtracking algorithm for solar tracker

[AJITnayak]

Dear all.

I have Designed Single axis solar tracker application. Now i want to implement backtracking application . i.e shadowing algorithm. Can some one share relevant link or formula to calculate it. I tried in Google, but didn't get any simple formula for doing calculation.


example for back tracking:
http://www.suntrack.es/english/modelos4.html

[nebulae]

Already I'm studying this problem and it seems there is no non-commercial solution yet. I want to build my own Polar Tracking System for 5kW PV string. Can anyone help?

Explanation of backtracking: http://www.lauritzen.biz/static/solutio ... acking.pdf

[Franklin97355]

The explanation in your link looks like it depends on many factors that are unique to the location. I don't think that type of system can be designed as a generic system. If what you want is solar tracking with a reset at the end of the day to the "morning" location that is something that can be accomplished. If that is what you want post some details on your equipment and local variables.

[wdickenson]

We used a single tube detector (4 solar cells inside a mirrored tube) that located the sun exactly and fed the angle of incidence to the controller. Since we knew the size and height of each cell in the array, we could do simple geometry to avoid the shadowing. But to the earlier post, a generic algorithm would require knowing size and height as well as shape. so the best you could do is a POV ray trace type function.

As a side note, the controller had a number series (angles) tied to time so if it was cloudy, the panels still aligned. Flatter until the sun reached full exposure levels, then straight 90 deg until the back threshold was reached. In today's world, I would be tempted to look up sunrise / sunset and adjust the series rather than make it dependent on hardware.