• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.502-508
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• 2012

Heliostat, as a concentrator to reflect the incident solar energy to the receiver, is the most important system in the tower-type solar thermal power plant since it determines the efficiency and ultimately the overall performance of solar thermal power plant. Thus, a good sun tracking ability as well as a good optical property of it are required. Heliostat sun tracking system uses usually an open loop control system. Thus the sun tracking error caused by heliostat's geometrical error, optical error and computational error cannot be compensated. Recently use of sun tracking error model to compensate the sun tracking error has been proposed, where the error model is obtained from the measured ones. This work is a development of heliostat sun tracking error measurement and compensation method using BCS (Beam Characterization System). We first developed an image processing system to measure the sun tracking error optically. Then the measured error is modeled in linear polynomial form and neural network form trained by the extended Kalman filter respectively. Finally error models are used to compensate the sun tracking error. We also developed the necessary image processing algorithms so that the heliostat optical properties such as maximum heat flux intensity, heat flux distribution and total reflected heat energy could be analyzed. Experimentally obtained data shows that the heliostat sun tracking accuracy could be dramatically improved using either linear polynomial type error model or neural network type error model. Neural network type error model is somewhat better in improving the sun tracking performance. Nevertheless, since the difference between two error models in compensation of sun tracking error is small, a linear error model is preferred in actual implementation due to its simplicity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2017.10a
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• pp.450-453
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• 2017

In this abstract, the FPGA system using solar tracking is introduced. Solar tracking system combined with sensor tracking and solar altitude programming is utilized. The sensor tracking system consists of image sensor, light sensor, and the programs for sun altitude received by the computer. The sun altitude is received from the national weather database by wireless communication. The goal is to have maximum energy generation efficiency using bi-directional tracking and mixed tracking with FPGAs that are relatively inexpensive in terms of developing and programming the system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 2014

The solar water heating system is one of the seven green campus items installed at the Gangneung campus of Gangneung-Wonju National University. The solar water heating system has two types of solar collectors, four storage tanks and monitoring equipment. Fixed and azimuth-tracking solar collectors were installed to collect heat from the sun. The amount of heat collected by the two different types of solar collectors was calculated from the temperature of the monitored storage tanks. Our results showed that the amount of solar heat collected by the azimuth-tracking solar collector was 19% greater on a sunny day and 23% greater on a rainy day than that collected by the fixed solar collector; therefore, the azimuth-tracking solar collectors are, on an average, 21% more efficient than the fixed solar collectors.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.561-563
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• 2006

This paper summarizes the results of these efforts by offering the PV generation system with solar tracking. The status of PV generation system with solar tracking components and interconnection and effects are semmarized. Hence this paper duscusses only points that might be useful for application.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.664-671
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• 2018

Generally, conventional solar tracking systems employ irradiance sensors to track a sun position, which enables the system to generate maximum solar energy. The usage of irradiance sensors increases system costs and deteriorates the performance of systems from sensor malfunctions. In this paper, a new solar tracking system without irradiance sensors has been proposed in which the controller capable of controlling and monitoring remotely is based on Artik platform. The proposed system tracks the sun position by comparing the amount of currents from several solar panels, resulting in removing irradiance sensors. In order to verify the performance of the proposed solar tracking method, the 12[V]-20[W] prototype system is built and implemented. Since the proposed system has remote monitoring functions through the employment of Artik as the IoT platform, more advantages in installation, maintenance and expanded functionality can be obtained compared to the conventional solar tracking system.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.392-402
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• 2020

This paper proposes a solar tracking system without photo-sensors. The system can be classified into four modules: Solar Tracking, MPPT, ESS, and Real-Time Monitoring. Nine solar panels, as a basic unit, are adopted with grid structures of different heights to reduce wind influence and to enable solar tracking without photo-sensors. The low-cost MCU implements MPPT method which generates PWM switching signal for boost converter. The unit of ESS consists of three-series and four-parallel lithium-ion batteries in order to enable monitoring for abnormalities in temperature and electrical characteristics of battery. Four MCUs used in the system consists of two AVR Atmega128, and two Raspberry PI, and they exchanges operation informations. Experimental results of the proposed system show the solar tracking performance, the possibility of on-site and remote monitoring and the convenience of maintenance based on IoT technology.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2010

This paper describes the design and implementation of hybrid sun tracking solar power generation system designed by combining astronomical data with optical tracking mechanism. The advantages of proposed power generation system are small amounts of calculation for tracking operations and enhancement of 40% of power generation at best. This system is able to track toward optimal position for maximum sun-lights under scattered lights due to clouds. The performance of implemented power generation system is confirmed by field experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.504-506
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• 2022

The existing rooftop solar power generation systems focus mainly on the development of a fixed system because of system error along with safety problem. Accordingly, it is intended to develop a rooftop mounted smart solar power generation system by adding a solar tracking system and a monitoring system to the existing fixed rooftop solar power generation technology. It plans to develop and commercialize 'Rooftop Mounted Smart Solar Power Generation System' by applying solar tracking system, safety diagnosis and response system, abnormal diagnosis and alarm system, and external device control and monitoring systems.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.29-36
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• 2012

The existing solar tracking sensor for 2 axial control system to trace latitude and longitude is made of four phototransistor. The phototransistor-making is difficult and it's manufacturing is more high-priced than a wide use phototransistor because they have to the same characteristics of each phototransistor output signal. This paper described the algorithm for supplement these weakness. The algorithm applied to signal normalizing method and vector decomposition law. The deviations of each a wide use phototransistor output signal are resolved by signal normalizing method and it is able to make a solar tracking sensor using three phototransistor by vector decomposition law. Therefore, in this paper, it is reduced the number of phototransistor that is composed of solar tracking sensor and possible to use a wide use phototransistor by the proposed algorithm.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2014

Recently, domestic energy environment is facing new challenges owing to the depletion of fossil fuel such as oil. Renewable energy resources including solar and wind energy are attracting more interests than ever before. However, solar power system is costly in comparison with the conventional power generation systems and also the energy density is low. Furthermore, large area is required in order to install solar power system. Generally, performance of solar power system is affected by weather conditions and alignment of sun and the solar cell modules. In this study, a new type of sun tracking system for solar power system is proposed. To verify the feasibility of the proposed system, actual implementation of prototype system and experiments are carried out.